The Internet of Things (IoT) is creating a new world, a world that is quantifiable and measurable. In this world, people can better manage their lives, cities can better manage their infrastructure, and companies can better manage their businesses. This new intelligent interconnected world will fundamentally change society and consumers, leading to profound transformations across entire industries. The rise of IoT will provide us with timely and higher quality information, helping us make better decisions more quickly, thus greatly improving our world and daily lives.
This chapter introduces some basic knowledge about the Internet of Things (IoT), its applications, major market trends, and some important IoT technologies. It also demonstrates how these standards are used and how the market is shifting toward greater interoperability.
Tracing back quickly to how the Internet as a whole has evolved can help us understand the Internet of Things.
The Internet initially comprised a small number of military and government computers connected via wired connections. Over time, the Internet expanded continuously, allowing millions of people worldwide to use it, while the World Wide Web enabled anyone to publish information for public use. The rapid proliferation of wireless connections brought about a second leap in development. Driven by the advancements in Wi-Fi and cellular communication technologies, networks began to expand rapidly. Smartphones and other connected mobile devices made Internet connectivity no longer bound by specific geographical locations, allowing usage almost anywhere.
Moreover, it is not just computers that use the Internet anymore. Many other types of devices are beginning to include simple computing and networking capabilities. The term Internet of Things originated in the early 21st century to describe an increasingly wide array of connected objects and their uses. In 2005, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) officially recognized this term. The ITU defines the Internet of Things as “a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals, or people that are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.” These objects are typically connected to an IoT platform via gateways, which consist of software tools and services that collect data from sensors, controllers, and other devices.
Today, the Internet of Things connects many different types of objects to the Internet, such as sensors, actuators, and remote monitoring devices. According to Cisco, the number of “things” or objects connected to the Internet has already surpassed the global population, in fact, it exceeded this figure over ten years ago.
Figure 1-1 summarizes these changes. At the perception and connection layer, the platform connects IoT hardware to network applications that perform data processing and storage. In the middle is the platform layer, which stores, protects, processes, and analyzes data. At the end-user layer, it connects to end-user applications that monitor and interpret data from IoT devices and send commands to perform operations such as locking the front door or opening the garage door.
IoT platforms typically provide the following types of services:
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Adaptive: IoT systems can dynamically adapt to changing environments based on operating conditions, user input, or perceived information.
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Unique Identifiability: Each IoT device has a unique identity, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) address. Through these IoT device addresses, users can remotely query, monitor, and control devices.
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Auto-Configuration: IoT devices in a network can auto-configure, enabling many IoT-enabled devices to collaborate and provide complete system functionality.
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Network Integration: IoT devices can be integrated into an IoT network to enable communication between nodes, gateways, and infrastructure.
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Intelligent Decision-Making: IoT devices can make decisions to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Consumers, businesses, and governments are rapidly adopting the IoT. Major markets include consumer electronics (like TVs and other home entertainment systems), household appliances (like washing machines and dryers), automotive components and driver interfaces, and security systems. IoT also plays a significant role in wearable devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, and health monitors. In cities, local governments are deploying IoT to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Even the military is utilizing IoT, using robots for surveillance and wearable biometric technology on the battlefield.
According to research firms studying technology development trends, the future looks brighter. The following predictions illustrate the extraordinary growth potential of IoT:
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Statista predicts that by 2025, the global IoT market is expected to grow to $1.6 trillion.
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Frost & Sullivan predicts that by 2025, the GDP of the top 600 smart cities globally will account for 60% of the world’s GDP. By 2025, smart cities will represent a $2 trillion technology market value, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT being the main drivers.
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According to Strategy Analytics, by 2023, the purchase volume of smart home devices is expected to exceed 1.94 billion, with device sales exceeding $78 billion.
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According to Grand View Research, by 2025, the medical IoT is expected to be valued at $534.3 billion.
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According to Grand View Research, by 2025, the precision agriculture industry (which uses IoT technology to simplify every agricultural production process and improve efficiency) is expected to be valued at $43 billion.
Currently, we use various wireless technology standards to connect IoT devices. Some of these are familiar technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee, while others are less common proprietary solutions. Figure 1-2 summarizes the current situation. Depending on the range, they can be divided into three parts. As shown in Figure 1-2, from the user’s perspective, the entire IoT ecosystem has become chaotic and difficult to manage due to the use of multiple standards.
IoT product manufacturers typically choose the standards they use based on range and data type. For example, they may need to transmit media content or sensor-control data. Faced with a range of standard technologies and proprietary technologies, system designers can choose the technology that best optimizes the performance of their end-user devices. However, it may not always be so simple for the end user.
Interoperability refers to the ability of a product or system to work in conjunction with other products or systems without any restrictions in the present and future.
Consumers want all their wireless home devices to communicate in a plug-and-play manner. They do not want to waste effort confirming whether the new IoT device they want to purchase is compatible with their current network. They expect the wireless products they buy to work automatically. However, this is not yet possible today. Purchasing a networked door lock or light bulb is a complex task because you need to consider how it will communicate with your other home devices, including those using Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri.
Some manufacturers adopt wireless standards for basic connectivity but add their proprietary solutions to control and interact with IoT devices. However, this approach comes at a cost, especially for users who must go through a complex purchasing and installation process, as their new device may not easily integrate into their existing network as they expected.
To help improve the interoperability of consumer products and reduce overall complexity, industry leaders such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Samsung have collaborated to support a new standard called Matter. As shown in Figure 1-3, if the ecosystem uses fewer standards and protocols like Matter, it becomes simpler. Matter will make IoT devices easier to use while unifying the protocol landscape. Matter is still in its early stages of development, but it represents a step in the right direction. The overall goal of Matter is to provide plug-and-play consumer IoT devices for connected homes. It will provide a layer over the Internet Protocol (IP) that includes a set of predefined schemas applicable to all Matter-connected devices. This will enable devices to understand what type of object they are communicating with and what these objects can do.
For example, a thermostat can share data about temperature and fan operation. The new Matter standard will support these two applications and communicate with the thermostat and fan in a universal manner.
Matter will support terminal devices or nodes, which are the “things” in the IoT that will communicate with many Wi-Fi network pods.
Pods are placed in appropriate locations within the network (for example, a residence) and will automatically connect to the main router. The main router then connects to the Internet. This can eliminate wireless dead zones and extend network signals without the need to be close to the router or repeater.
In summary, Matter can integrate several elements of IoT, such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy. Integrating these individual IoT standards helps further improve interoperability in IoT, making the entire ecosystem easily plug-and-play.
Ultimately, Matter allows ordinary non-technical consumers to freely choose their preferred IoT devices without being limited to proprietary ecosystems that do not support interoperability.
Figure 1-2 also shows another emerging technology called Ultra-Wideband (UWB). UWB is widely used for precise micro-location IoT solutions. It can reliably measure the distance and position of devices indoors and outdoors with very low power consumption.
UWB is a radio technology based on IEEE 802.15.4a and 802.15.4z standards, capable of measuring the time of flight of radio signals more accurately, thus achieving centimeter-level precision in distance/position measurement. It can provide data communication capabilities of up to 27 Mbps while consuming very little power, allowing devices to operate on button batteries for years without needing to recharge or replace. UWB also provides a new way of wireless secure communication, opening doors for various new security transaction modes.
This technology standard will create new IoT use cases in areas like smart homes, automotive safety keyless access, secure payment processing, and Industry 4.0. You can read another book by Qorvo, Ultra-Wideband For Dummies, a Qorvo edition, to learn more about UWB technology. This book can be found at the Qorvo design center (link: www.qorvo.com/design-hub/ebooks).
UWB can integrate well into the IoT ecosystem. It is secure, accurate, and battery-powered, making it suitable for many applications in IoT. Although UWB is suitable for many applications, some of which are yet to be explored, it was initially targeted for use cases in sensor-based access control, positioning services, and point-to-point applications. It has become one of the RF chains in new smartphones, supporting smart automotive access, secure building access, and smart home device connectivity.
Whether for individuals or businesses, the ability to locate anything in real-time, regardless of size, is desirable. For IoT and smart home applications, UWB asset tags are more precise than those using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, asset tags can only be located to a rough area, whereas UWB can achieve accurate positioning. For example, a Bluetooth tag might indicate your keys are in a room or a specific area of the living room, but UWB can show the asset tag or keys dropped under the sofa cushions.
UWB also opens up a new world of gesture usage, meaning voice commands can sometimes serve as a second option for launching applications. For example, lights can automatically turn on when you enter a room, or your computer can automatically turn on when you sit at your desk. UWB makes such applications a reality, enabling many new transformative use cases.
To ensure interoperability while using UWB, the Fine Ranging (FiRa) Alliance has regrouped over 50 companies from semiconductor, automotive, infrastructure, and consumer sectors, actively working to define protocols to ensure interoperability. This allows developers to use UWB for many new applications, such as augmented reality, smart home applications, and mobile payments.
5G and Wi-Fi 6/6E are two key technologies driving the adoption of IoT, as businesses, homes, and cities worldwide move towards digitizing wireless and wired ecosystems. These two technologies will lead to greater advancements in integration, packaging, and performance.
Wi-Fi 6/6E is the latest Wi-Fi standard, offering higher data rates and coverage than previous versions. This new version also extends security protocols, increasing the difficulty of cracking device passwords.
Wi-Fi 6 offers faster speeds, greater capacity (in terms of both data rates and connected users or devices), lower power consumption, and higher security. Wi-Fi 6E can provide the features and capacity of Wi-Fi 6 (including higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates) while extending Wi-Fi into the 6 GHz frequency range. It also offers more than twice the spectrum of Wi-Fi 6, providing an additional 7 non-overlapping bandwidth 160 MHz channels. These extra channels will reduce congestion, enhance performance, and lower latency.
Wi-Fi 6/6E coverage supports small-scale networks of IoT devices (like smart thermostats and security cameras). In comparison, cellular networks like 5G provide global network coverage for mobile devices. 5G and Wi-Fi 6/6E work together to help IoT reach its full potential.
5G networks can be configured to meet the needs of various applications, each supporting different types of user devices. These applications can be broadly categorized into three types:
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Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMMB)
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Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (uRLLC)
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Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC)
IoT encompasses mMTC and uRLLC applications.
These 5G applications will support more IoT devices and data in the future. Additionally, 5G will increase the adoption of edge computing to process data closer to operational points more quickly, providing a springboard for further advancing IoT in wireless and wired ecosystems. However, Wi-Fi is an unlicensed frequency band technology, while cellular 5G is a licensed frequency service, so deploying new device connections may incur additional costs.
For more information about 5G, visit www.qorvo.com/design-hub/ebooks/5g-rf-for-dummies.
Wi-Fi 6E can provide the features and capacity of Wi-Fi 6 (including higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates) while extending Wi-Fi 6 into the 6 GHz frequency range.
This additional 6 GHz spectrum marks a milestone expansion since the introduction of Wi-Fi. The 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E spectrum offers additional non-overlapping channels, providing more than twice the capacity of existing Wi-Fi 6 spectrum.
Wi-Fi 6 operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (up to 5835 MHz). The Wi-Fi Alliance allows Wi-Fi 6E to offer 14 channels of 80 MHz and 7 channels of 160 MHz. Wi-Fi 6E adds 7 channels of 160 MHz in the frequency range of 5,925 to 7,125 MHz.
Wi-Fi 6E is an implementation of the Wi-Fi 6 standard. This new 6 GHz spectrum also enhances and expands Wi-Fi 6’s capabilities beyond the 5 GHz band, providing additional non-overlapping channels. These extra channels can reduce congestion, especially in areas where multiple networks operate simultaneously. By providing 7 additional 160 MHz channels, performance and latency can be improved within the frequency range, but for other high-frequency ranges, signal attenuation due to distance and obstacles will still occur when sending and receiving signals, which differs from the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel range.
Wi-Fi 6E improves performance by utilizing Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) and open spectrum to overcome the coverage challenges posed by high-frequency channels themselves, ensuring comprehensive coverage in homes or buildings while providing optimal throughput/capacity.
Wi-Fi 6/6E can also provide the same experience for more users on the same network. Additionally, Wi-Fi 6 will achieve speeds of 1.2 Gbps, while Wi-Fi 6E will achieve theoretical speeds of 5.4 Gbps to 10 Gbps, representing a significant improvement over Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6.