Planning an IoT

1 Implementation
Lesson Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Lesson Introduction
Before you can successfully plan and implement an Internet of Things (IoT) solution, you
must understand the various factors that will drive your decisions, such as identifying what
IoT can do for your organization, and the various business and technical challenges you'll
need to address.
In this lesson, you will examine the wide range of possibilities that IoT offers, and you will
develop an understanding of the components and design decisions that go into an IoT
project by creating a simple IoT device from parts.

Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, you will:
• Identify components of a successful IoT project, and challenges you might encounter in
implementing them.
• Identify benefits and challenges of IoT.

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TOPIC A
Select a General Architecture for an IoT Project
A good place to start with an IoT project is to determine what you intend to accomplish, the various
components you'll need to bring together to meet your requirements, and to identify the benefits
and challenges that you'll encounter on such a project.

Dawn of a New Day

Consider the following scenario, as you use IoT technologies to start your day.
• 6:34 A.M.—Your alarm clock has been monitoring your sleep cycles, and awakens you at the
optimal time, when you'll feel completely rested.
• 6:52 A.M.—Your refrigerator door shows a recommended breakfast, with nutritional
information based on your food preferences, weight goals, and what is in your kitchen.
• 6:53 A.M.—Your smart speaker informs you of all the meetings and appointments you have
today. Traffic is congested on your normal route, so the speaker tells you that your autonomous
car has prepared an alternate route that will save you ten minutes but take two minutes longer
than your normal route.
• 7:12 A.M.—Your electric car warmed up its interior just in time for you to get in. A speaker in
the car informs you that your work colleague has signed the contracts, and will have them
delivered to you before your first meeting.
• 8:50 A.M.—Your smartwatch reminds you of your 9:00 A.M. meeting.
• 8:51 A.M.—A delivery drone enters your office, bearing a package containing signed contracts
for the meeting.
Not too long ago, this scenario may have seemed to be science-fiction hype, but each of the
technologies described is available today through the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT
IoT refers to the ability to connect everyday things to the cloud, which leads to many possibilities
for collecting, sharing, and interpreting data, and control of remote devices. IoT's potential
applications are widespread, and have the potential to increase global food production, promote
safety and security, improve the quality of life in our cities, create new markets and opportunities for
business, and improve our conservation of natural resources.
Kevin Ashton, who coined the expression "Internet of Things" in 1999, wrote “if we had computers
that knew everything there was to know about things—using data they gathered without any help
from us—we would be able to track and count everything, and greatly reduce waste, loss and cost.
We would know when things needed replacing, repairing or recalling, and whether they were fresh
or past their best. We need to empower computers with their own means of gathering information,
so they can see, hear and smell the world for themselves, in all its random glory. Radio-frequency
identification (RFID) and sensor technology enable computers to observe, identify and understand
the world—without the limitations of human-entered data.”

IoT Ingredients
Many different technologies come together to provide the ingredients for the IoT. These include:
• IoT devices that are:
• Sensing: Able to measure the world around them, such as local temperature, humidity, or
water level, or number of cars passing by

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• Active: Able to take local action as necessary, such as turning off a light, opening a valve, or
sounding an alarm
• Connected: Able to share data with other systems in the cloud
• Smart: Able to:
• Perform initial processing and filtering of sensor data
• Determine whether immediate (real time) action should be taken in response to locally
acquired data
• Take action based on remote instructions from the cloud
• The Cloud, where powerful cloud applications can:
• Collect data from IoT devices
• Combine IoT device data with other data sources
• Perform data analytics to reveal trends, identify problems, predict the future
• Client applications that enable users to:
• Access and view data processed in the cloud
• Issue commands to remote IoT devices
Note: Smart devices alone are not IoT. Connected devices alone are not IoT. The cloud alone is
not IoT. IoT becomes possible when all three of these aspects are combined, enabling IoT
devices and IoT client applications to work together, data to be stored and analyzed, and
cybersecurity to be maintained.

Note: To learn more about the fundamental building blocks of IoT, check out the Spotlight on
IoT Devices presentation from the Spotlight tile on the CHOICE Course screen.

Enabling Technologies
Various developments in technology provide the basis for IoT.

Enabling Factor Description

Miniaturization Significant processing power is available in a small package, with relatively
powerful processors embedded in compact devices such as smart phones,
smart watches and other wearable devices, home appliances, and other
everyday things.
Connectivity The ability to wirelessly connect devices, even those in remote locations,
through a wide variety of technologies such as cellular data, Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth®, RFID, and others enable them to share data and respond to
remote control.
Advanced power The ability to operate on very small amounts of electrical energy, using
sources and power rechargeable batteries or harvesting energy from the surrounding
management environment enable devices to function in mobile applications or remote
locations, away from the power grid.
Inexpensive Relatively inexpensive components enable the proliferation of small,
processors, sensors, capable devices that can measure their local environment, process data,
and actuators and respond accordingly.
Cloud-based The ability to delegate data collection and analysis tasks to more powerful
processing computers in the cloud enable IoT devices to remain compact and to be
able to operate on minimal power.

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Enabling Factor Description

Ubiquitous computing More than ever before, people are often just an arm's length away from a
computing device, whether it be a smartphone, table, desktop computer,
wearable device, smart appliance, or some other device that provides a
user interface through which users can receive notifications and run
applications to control or pull information from remote devices and
services.

IoT Infrastructure

Figure 1-1: General components of IoT architecture.

Just as IoT devices are quite diverse, the infrastructure in which they operate may vary significantly
from one system to another. However, common elements of IoT infrastructure include:
• IoT devices, including hardware and software that directly interacts with the world and
measures local data (called telemetry, meaning "measurements from far away").
Note: Borrowing terminology from industrial automation, people sometimes refer to IoT
devices as field devices.
• A network connection using wireless or wired communication.
• An IoT gateway that serves as an intermediary between local networks of IoT devices and the
cloud, enabling local IoT devices to communicate with each other, and to an external network.
The IoT gateway might be a discrete piece of hardware, or its functionality might be built-in to
one of the IoT devices in the local network, such as a thermostat in a home network, or an
industrial machine in a factory.
• The edge, defined by various points where traffic leaves (or enters) the local network. For
example, a router providing access to an Internet carrier. A router that conveys network traffic
between the local area network and the wider network beyond the control of the local
organization is described as an edge device.
• Global network, which provides the long-haul connection to the cloud.
• Cloud services that collect data from devices, combine it with data from other devices and data
sources, and analyze resulting data sets, which can become quite large when combined from
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hundreds or thousands of IoT devices. Massive data processing capabilities, known as big data,
may be necessary, requiring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
strategies and technologies.
• User interface that provides a user with the ability to view and analyze IoT data, issue
commands and control IoT devices, and perform related tasks. The user interface may be
provided through a mobile app, web application, or desktop application.

IoT Devices
IoT devices (the things in the Internet of Things) take many forms, providing many possibilities for
automation and data collection. IoT devices may be geared toward home and consumer use,
industry, agriculture, or various other domains. Some devices are geared toward remote sensing, while
others are geared toward process automation or remote control. Devices may be intended to be seen,
manipulated, and handled by users (like a fitness watch), or they may be intended to function
completely behind the scenes, out of sight, with very little direct contact by end users, such as a
basement flooding monitor or weather sensors. Devices may be very specialized toward supporting
a specific feature, or they may be much more general in purpose.

Example IoT Devices

Figure 1-2: IoT devices take many forms.

The diversity of IoT devices makes it difficult to articulate an all-encompassing description of the
typical device. Examples may provide a better sense of the scope encompassed by the phrase IoT
device.
• Agricultural sensors: Based on measurements of soil quality and geographic location, controls
the application of chemicals and amendments to the soil in real time.
• Air quality monitor: Monitors air quality in a room and sends alerts via the smartphone app,
providing useful data for people with allergies or who otherwise have a need to monitor air
quality in their living or working environment.

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• Augmented reality (AR) headset: Wearing the headset, can look around and see the local view
augmented with data from the Internet, which could be useful in tourism and travel, real estate
sales, museums, and many similar situations.
• Connected universal remote control: Televisions and home audio have long been controllable
through remote controls, but with many other devices in the smart home now accessible through
the home network, a universal remote control can control much more than entertainment
devices. Likewise, devices like smart speakers can also be used to control functions that
previously were the domain of the universal remote.
• Dash button: A single-purpose connected button. The concept is named after a device sold by
Amazon that automatically places an order for a consumable product like detergent when
pressed. The concept has been expanded to perform tasks such as starting a car, opening a
garage door, and enabling users to create their own custom tasks, such as sending an email or
activating a remote buzzer.
• Home systems monitor: Monitor home systems such as heating, cooling, and drainage to alert
the user when there are problems, when systems need to be tuned or maintained, and so forth.
• Industrial control: Sensors and actuators in production equipment enable operations staff to
monitor and control production and implement process automation.
• Remote-controlled mood lighting: Enables users to define various lighting schemes involving
numerous lights throughout their home. With a single command and through pre-programmed
scripts, lights can be set in a combination of light intensities and colors.
• Scientific instruments: Scientists can monitor and control instruments in remote locations,
including places that people can't easily reach, such as the poles, the ocean, other planets, within
living organisms, and so forth.
• Smart battery: Smart batteries can transform your conventional devices into IoT devices. For
example a smart battery in a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm could warn you through text
messages and other notifications when the power is getting low. The smart battery could also
immediately notify you if the alarm sounds and you're not at home to hear it.
• Smart door lock: Enables users to use an electronic device such as a smartphone or fob as a
key, eliminating having to fumble for a key. Also enables an owner to lock and unlock a door
from a remote location using a smartphone app (to enable someone without a physical key to
enter under the owner's control, for example). The device can monitor and log activity at the
door, activating cameras and alerting the owner through a notification on their smartphone that
someone is at the door.
• Smart home appliance (refrigerator, range, coffee maker, etc.): Smart appliances can notify you
if there is a problem or maintenance need (change a water filter in a refrigerator, for example, or
warn that spoiling food has been detected), help you monitor energy consumption, and provide
remote access to the device. For example, from the grocery store, you could use a camera in the
refrigerator to check if you're out of milk.
• Smart speaker: A cloud-connected speaker that responds to a wide range of voice commands,
enabling the user to control music streaming, command home automation devices (such as smart
thermostats and smart outlets), communicate with other smart speakers (like an intercom), order
products online, and perform web searches using voice and audio.
• Smart thermostat: Monitors and controls home heating, cooling, and air flow functions,
enabling remote control and data logging through other devices, automatically sensing when
users are at home and adjusting the home environment accordingly, logging use of heating and
cooling systems, and suggesting ways to reduce energy costs.
• Traffic monitoring: Traffic patterns on roads, highways, sidewalks, and hallways can be
monitored to provide data related to safety, civil engineering, and timing of traffic.
• Wireless breath analyzer: People tend to think of breath analyzers that detect levels of alcohol
consumption, and certainly there are IoT applications for such devices, but breath analyzers can
also be used to monitor various health-related conditions, such as dangerous ketone levels in
diabetes patients, airway inflammation in asthma patients, and many other potential health
problems.
• Wearable device: Wearable devices can monitor for conditions such as heart irregularities, low
blood oxygen levels, and so forth, to provide users with early warning of impending medical
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problems. They can also be used to monitor babies, patients, pets, and others who require a
caretaker. Caretakers can be alerted if their charge leaves a particular area, and the device can
provide data on the wearer's health and well-being.
• Weather sensors: Sensors mounted outdoors can monitor local weather conditions, such as
temperature, humidity, and air pressure. The user can read and analyze their weather data on a
mobile or desktop application. Using a crowdsourcing approach, data from weather stations
owned by many different individuals can be aggregated to provide detailed weather data on a
global scale, as done by Weather Underground (https://www.wunderground.com).

Case Study: Smart Outlet

Figure 1-3: Common features of IoT devices, as exemplified in a smart outlet.

A smart outlet has attributes you might find in a typical consumer-oriented IoT device. Following
setup and configuration, a user can plug in a normal electrical appliance such as a light or fan, and
can switch the appliance on or off through a smartphone app or by issuing a voice command
through a smart speaker such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. The outlet might also perform
other tasks, such as monitoring and logging electrical flow (when the switch was on, how much
current it drew, and safety monitoring for overheating and overcurrent). The device uses Wi-Fi to
connect with the applications that collect its usage data and enable the user (through other devices)
to switch it on and off.
IoT devices like this can be purchased for less than $25 US, but even a relatively inexpensive and
limited device like this would have attributes such as:
• Local controls and user interface: Controls may be provided directly on the device to enable
the operator to set it up, turn it on and off, and perform other tasks.
• Remote controls and user interface: A remote user interface may be provided through a
smartphone app, desktop application, or through verbal commands issued to a smart speaker. A
relay in the device enables it to switch power on or off under remote control. (Other types of
IoT devices must include motors, servos, valves, and other types of actuators to local action to
take place using remote control.) Some local controls, such as buttons or switches, may be
provided locally for setup and configuration of the device, or as an alternative to remote
controls, but local controls are often quite limited.
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• Remote sensing: A heat sensor and electrical current sensor in the device measure local
information that can be locally processed (for example, automatically switching the device off
and sending a notification to the remote user if an overcurrent or overheating condition occurs).
Data produced locally can be sent to a remote system for logging and analysis.
• Connected: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Low Energy®, Zigbee®, or other data
communication capabilities enable the device to communicate locally with other devices or with
cloud-based applications over the Internet.
• Smart: Processing capabilities embedded in the device enable it to process local inputs and
outputs (switch, LED), remote inputs and outputs (commands from a remote user, sending data
logs to a server or gateway in the cloud). Some (typically small) amount of data storage might be
present on the device, where it can be stored until it can be uploaded to a remote system for
logging and analysis.

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ACTIVITY 1-1
Selecting Attributes to Include in an IoT Device
Data File
C:\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Device Planning Worksheet.docx

Scenario
In this course, you will develop an IoT system to monitor the environment within agricultural
greenhouses operated by Greene Organix. To be able to control the environment precisely,
potentially hundreds of these devices may be located throughout the greenhouses. The IoT system
will collect data, analyze that data, and control the greenhouse environment as necessary to ensure
all plants are subjected to optimal growing conditions. In this activity, you will consider the tasks
you're trying to accomplish, and identify attributes you need to include in each IoT device to meet
your requirements.
In the spaces provided, write your ideas regarding requirements for the IoT devices you would use
in this scenario. (If you'd prefer to type your ideas in a Word document, a worksheet is provided in
C:\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Device Planning Worksheet.docx.)

1. A) Sensors — What useful information might an IoT device measure in this

environment?

2. B) Actuators — What actions might an IoT device need to perform in this

environment?

3. C) Connectivity — What kinds of network connections might an IoT device be

able to use in this environment?

IoT Gateway
An IoT gateway might perform tasks such as the following:
• Support local communication and messaging on a local network that is optimized or well-
suited for IoT devices with limited data processing and communication capabilities.
• Aggregate and store data from IoT devices temporarily to take advantage of off-hour data
rates or to deal with intermittent connections.

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• Forward data acquired from IoT devices to cloud services, providing the increased security,
routing capabilities, and electrical power requirements that communication across the Internet
requires.
• Perform local data analysis where a fast turnaround is required, and sending data to the cloud
for analysis would take too long.
• Prepare data for cloud services by filtering, compressing, or performing other processing tasks
on it.
• Translate between IPV6 and IPV4.
• Serve as a local cache for software updates sent to IoT devices.
• Receive device commands from the cloud and send to IoT devices.
A wide variety of devices may be used as an IoT gateway, and they vary by industry. For example,
many consumer-oriented IoT products (smart thermostats, smart speakers, and so forth) include
built-in IoT gateways, although they're marketed by other names, such as smart home hubs.
For business implementations, IoT gateways may be constructed by installing the necessary software
on an industrial or rack-mounted computer, or by using products specifically marketed as IoT
gateways. Such systems are commonly sold by companies that traditionally have sold business
computers and networking devices.

Cloud Services
Cloud services provide a central point where massive amounts of data from IoT devices and other
sources can be stored and analyzed, and where other systems and solutions can be integrated, such
as enterprise applications, cloud services on other platforms, and so forth.
Cloud services may operate on cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure,
Google Cloud Platform™, OpenShift, or Cloud Foundry. They may also be hosted within an
enterprise's own data center using commercial, open source, and custom-developed software.
Cloud services can be scaled as needed to meet increased demand (e.g., more IoT devices are
connected or more users need to access the system), and to support an increasing variety of
different services.

User Interface
Client applications provide users with access to view IoT data and issue commands.
For consumer IoT, client applications often include smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer apps
that enable users to control remote devices, or to view data they have accumulated, such as exercise
statistics from a smartwatch or fitness band.
In business applications, business intelligence (BI) applications may include data dashboards
and similar visualization tools that enable users to view collected business data in graphic formT on
andpossibly issue commands to manage business processes.
Various other user interfaces may be provided as well. For example, administrative applications
enable administrators to set up and configure the various IoT devices, IoT gateways, and other
systems supporting the IoT infrastructure.

Software Stacks
Some software capabilities are typically required by all hardware involved in IoT. Clearly,
cybersecurity is a requirement for any piece of hardware involved in collecting, processing, and
presenting sensitive data. Furthermore, since much of the software involved in IoT is not running
directly on the user's computer, remote management capabilities are required to set up, configure,
and maintain IoT devices, gateways, and cloud applications. However, the requirements for the
different types of hardware used in IoT are generally very different based on the role played.

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Figure 1-4: Types of software required based on role within the infrastructure.

This figure shows typical layers of software (software stacks) used by IoT devices, IoT gateways,
and cloud services that support IoT.

IoT Hardware Software Layers

IoT Devices IoT devices are often constrained devices, meaning they are purposely
designed to function with little processing power, memory, energy
requirements, physical size, and so forth. So the software on these devices
must be very lean and oriented to the required tasks.
Operating System: A very lightweight operating system is used, which
may be customized to support only essential tasks. If possible, no
operating system may be used at all.
Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL): Programmers may be provided
with a programming interface that can perform operations on the device
hardware using relatively simple code, without having to directly program
the hardware.
Communication: Capabilities include protocols the device needs to
communicate with other devices and the IoT gateway. To conserve
power, unused radios are typically disabled, and lightweight
communication protocols optimized for constrained devices may be used
to minimize the processing, memory, and power required. Encryption
capabilities may be limited in these devices.
Program: Typically a single program that starts running when the device
is powered on provides the functionality of the device.

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IoT Hardware Software Layers

IoT Gateways Operating System: IoT gateways generally have much more processing
power than IoT devices, so they can run conventional operating systems,
such as Linux or Windows.
Application Runtime Environment: IoT gateways may perform many
different tasks to collect data and perform initial processing before
forwarding data on to cloud services. Typically, this is accomplished using
programs written for Node.js, Python, Java, or a similar application
runtime environment, which must be installed on the IoT gateway.
Communication: The role of a gateway in general is to serve as the go-
between across two different types of networks. In the case of IoT
gateways, these are the local network of IoT devices and the global
network (the Internet), typically running TCP/IP. So IoT gateways must
be able to support two types of communication, using lightweight
protocols with local IoT devices and normal protocols (such as TCP/IP
with TLS transport layer security) with the network at large.
Data and Messaging Management: Because IoT gateways serve as a
communication hub, they must provide the ability to manage
communications between IoT devices and external network connections.
Cloud Services The cloud services that support IoT typically perform heavy processing
and analytics on data from IoT devices, and provide a central point for
interfacing IoT with end users and enterprise applications.
Operating System/Platform as a Service: Cloud services typically run
on virtual machines that can be scaled up or down as needed to meet
demand, so operating systems that can function in this way, such as
customized versions of Linux and Windows, are used.
Communication and Messaging: Cloud services must manage two-way
communication and messaging with all devices, gateways, and clients they
interact with, and must ensure that communications and transactions
occur in proper sequence, even when dealing with huge numbers of
devices scattered throughout the world.
Device Management and Registry: IoT cloud services must be able to
identify devices and gateways they communicate with, and provide a
means to manage those devices and securely provide them with software
updates.
Data Management: The volume of aggregated data may become
massive in scale. IoT cloud services must provide a way to manage this
data, and handle it in ways that are economical, efficient, and secure.
Event Management: Event management software enables the system to
detect when certain conditions exist, log them, and perhaps trigger a
response. This supports a variety of other capabilities, such as security
monitoring, data management, and so forth.
Analytics: Analytics software enables IoT data to be processed in light of
business rules to provide insights that might not be readily apparent from
just visually scanning the data. Analytics programs use advanced data
processing techniques and artificial intelligence to reveal significant
patterns of data.
User Interface: IoT cloud services can present information in highly
visual and structured ways, such as charts, reports, and dashboards that
can be viewed from a web browser or client application.

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ACTIVITY 1-2
Selecting an IoT Architecture
Data File
C:\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Architecture Planning Worksheet.docx

Scenario
You've begun to identify requirements for the IoT devices you'll use to monitor the greenhouses for
the Greene Organix farm. After some deliberation, the development team has agreed to move ahead
with prototyping IoT sensor devices that include:
• A temperature sensor
• A humidity sensor
• A light sensor
• No actuators. Separate IoT devices will be used to control fans, vents, shutters, and so forth.
• An LED light to signal various error codes and status when setting up and troubleshooting the
device
• Wi-Fi networking capability
• No power switch so the device won't accidentally be turned off
Now you'll plan the architecture that will support the devices. Each device will just be responsible
for reading sensor data and relaying it to an IoT gateway, where it will be aggregated and then
forwarded to cloud services for analysis. The entire system will be remotely managed and controlled
through cloud services.
In the spaces provided, write your ideas regarding requirements for the IoT architecture you would
use in this scenario. (If you'd prefer to type your ideas in a Word document, a worksheet is provided
in C:\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Architecture Planning Worksheet.docx.)

1. C) Connectivity — Within each warehouse the sensor devices will use a Wi-Fi
network for communication, but in the past there have been problems with Wi-
Fi signals dropping between greenhouses. How might you overcome this
problem?

2. E) Software on Each IoT Device —What sort of software will you need to
provide on each IoT sensor device?

3. F) Remote Controls —What tasks must users be able to perform on each IoT
device through remote control?

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TOPIC B
Identify Benefits and Challenges of IoT
Industry has long benefited from process automation. With the advent of IoT, other business
processes are now being automated on a greater scale than ever before. However, while IoT brings
new capabilities that can benefit business and society as a whole, it also brings new challenges.

IoT in Industry
Many of the general concepts of IoT, such as the ability to measure and control processes from afar,
have been used in manufacturing for decades, and in fact, manufacturers have been quick to adopt
various new IoT technologies into their own process control applications. The following is a brief
history of process automation in industry.

Time Period Description

1970s • Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) were integrated into
manufacturing facilities, enabling process automation and robotics,
which transformed the way many products were manufactured. PLCs
were revolutionary because they were relatively simple to program,
optimized for process automation, and very reliable.
• Early machine to machine (M2M) data communication capabilities
were developed, based on telephone protocols, enabling computers to
communicate with manufacturing equipment. This provided limited
command and control (C2) capabilities from remote locations, in
ways that resemble IoT capabilities of today.
• The first iteration of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA), an industrial control system architecture typically used in
industrial, energy, and utility companies is introduced, starting as a
system for mainframe computers, with limited interoperability and
networking capabilities.
1980s • The advent of inexpensive personal computers (PCs) and client-server
networking (using Ethernet, for example) made it possible for desktop
computers in the production office to interface with PLCs on the
manufacturing floor.
• SCADA is expanded to interface with PCs, local area networks
(LANs), and control through PC applications. Interfacing between
SCADA systems from different vendors was not supported.
1990s • Following the advent of the worldwide web, PLCs were enabled to
connect to the Internet, providing a relatively simple way to expand
the connection between office and manufacturing systems on an
enterprise level, beyond a single location or campus.
• SCADA evolved to use an open architecture and communication
protocols. Over common network protocols such as Ethernet,
systems from different vendors were able to communicate.
• Open Platform Communications (OPC), based on Microsoft
standards such as Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) and
Component Object Model (COM), is created to provide open
standards and specifications for communication of real-time plant data
between control devices from different manufacturers.

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Time Period Description

2000s • The development of cloud technologies and ubiquitous connected
computing devices (smartphones and tablets) provided a means for
those monitoring and managing manufacturing processes to become
more mobile and connected than ever before.
2010s • Inexpensive and pervasive web technologies, combined with low-cost
microcontrollers, sensors, and high-performing batteries, resulted in
new capabilities for data acquisition and process automation on a huge
scale.
• In terms of spending, industry has been the primary driver of IoT,
investing more in IoT technologies than any other sector.

Industrial Controllers

Figure 1-5: Industrial controllers and related devices.

Various systems and devices are used for industrial control, as described in the following table.

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Item Description
PLC Industrial control traditionally has been based on programmable logic
controllers (PLCs). A PLC is comparable in some ways to a desktop
computer or rackmount server in that it is a box containing a CPU and
supporting components (e.g., motherboard, memory, storage). However,
PLCs are optimized for use in industrial control applications. PLCs may
be configured for rack mounting in a control room or in other form
factors for standalone installation out on the factory floor or industrial
complex. They are designed for durability in demanding environments,
including resistance to electrical noise, vibration, smoke, humidity, and
impact.
The software on PLCs has been optimized to model traditional hardwired
electronic controls, such as relays, which control motors, valves, lights,
and so forth, using relatively simple programming schemes, such as
ladder diagrams.
RTU Remote terminal (or telemetry) units (RTUs) monitor and control a
remote asset (such as an oil well or water pump). Because they are often
located in remote locations, these devices often need capabilities such as
network communication (communicating with a centralized control
system through radio, cellular telephony, and so forth), low power
consumption, data logging and short term storage, ability to operate in
adverse conditions (such as weather extremes), and so forth.
PC Personal computers (PCs) provide a user interface for viewing data and
controlling industrial systems.
Initially, PCs had required special adapter cards to communicate with
industrial control systems, but as industrial control systems have
incorporated PC networking standards, a common network connection
(such as cabled Ethernet or Wi-Fi) is sufficient to make the connection,
and other end-user devices, such as smartphones and tablets, can often be
used to access control applications.
DCS PLCs were initially developed to control single manufacturing processes
and continue to be used as a basic building block for automating a single
line or process. But distributed control systems (DCS) have been
developed to control manufacturing on a larger scale, integrating
production across multiple processes and locations. Often, a DCS will
incorporate multiple PLCs and PCs.
PAC Both PLCs and DCSes have evolved substantially over time, so, in many
cases, it has become difficult to pinpoint precisely where one category
begins and ends.
Programmable automation controllers (PACs) combine functions
found on DCSes, RTUs, and PCs. This makes them suitable for
operations requiring coordination among multiple processes (like a DCS),
while providing fine control over specific processes (features traditionally
performed by a PLC and RTUs).

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Item Description
IPC Another component that blurs the distinctions among industrial control
systems is the industrial PC (IPC). In the 1990s, software for personal
computers was developed to emulate functions of a PLC. Some
manufacturers have developed IPCs, essentially ruggedized PCs adapted
for industrial I/O tasks, to build upon this capability. IPCs can cost-
effectively perform many of the tasks as a PLC and PC combined,
making them well-suited for small automation projects and applications
where space is limited.

While traditional programming tools continue to provide backward support, more advanced
programming tools are now available, including instruction sets specifically geared toward specific
industries, such as brewing, oil, gas, and nuclear power plants.

Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 refers to the state of process automation, data collection, analysis, and communication
in today's "smart factories." Modern industry is described as being in the fourth industrial
revolution.
• Industry 1.0: Hydro and steam-powered mechanization of production.
• Industry 2.0: Mass production through assembly lines, and the introduction of electrical power.
• Industry 3.0: Automation of individual manufacturing processes through computers and
robotics.
• Industry 4.0: Massive automation and interconnection of global manufacturing systems, using:
• Sensors to collect extensive process data.
• Software to accurately model physical processes based on that data.
• Smart production machines that can interpret data, and adjust operations in real time.
• Global networking to enable extensive cooperation and coordination among the various
machines, devices, sensors and people involved.
Because of the way in which Industry 4.0 uses software (cyber systems) to model production
processes (physical systems), the technologies used in this approach are often called cyber-physical
systems (CPS).
Note: Some people refer to Industry 4.0 as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT).
However, one might argue that Industry 4.0 preceded IoT, and has produced concepts and ideas
that have subsequently been adopted by IoT, so it is not accurate to consider Industry 4.0 as a
subset or derivative of IoT.

Four Ps of Planned Maintenance

Early maintenance practices were reactive. When a component in the production system failed,
causing production systems to come to a halt, the necessary repairs and maintenance would be
performed, and production would then resume. This approach is sometimes called run to failure
(RTF).
Such unplanned downtime is costly, so manufacturers have long looked for ways to anticipate
problems and prevent them by replacing components at a convenient time, before they fail. Listed
in the following are four methods for planned maintenance that have been developed over the years
to provide improved proactive approaches.
• Preventive maintenance was an early take on planned maintenance. It is driven by
recommendations of the manufacturer who produces the component. Based on the estimated
mean time between failure (MTBF) for a particular component, companies attempt to replace

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components before they are expected to go bad. This provides an advantage over reactive
maintenance, as it helps to avoid many instances of downtime.
• Predictive maintenance relies on the ability of highly trained maintenance technicians to
routinely inspect components for performance factors such as vibration, overheating, and so
forth to predict when they are nearing their end of life. Components are monitored while they
are running, and fairly reliable indicators are used to detect when components are about to fail,
so maintenance can be planned for a time when there will be minimal disruption to production.
• Proactive maintenance builds upon predictive maintenance, looking to also control the
problems that lead to wear-and-tear. Remediations identified through this process include such
things as training operators in best practices, identifying sources for better components,
lubricants, and so forth.
• Prescriptive maintenance takes these approaches even further by using Industry 4.0 tools to
automate measurement and analysis functions, so the system itself can spot the need for
maintenance and prescribe mitigations or repair, even prioritizing those tasks among other tasks
that need to be performed on the system.

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ACTIVITY 1-3
Identifying Business Benefits of IoT
Data File
C:\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Project Benefits and Challenges
Worksheet.docx

Scenario
An IoT project can be expensive and disruptive. Before committing to such a project, it is a good
idea to identify how the project will benefit the organization.
In the spaces provided, write your ideas regarding the benefits of undertaking an IoT project in your
organization. (If you'd prefer to type your ideas in a Word document, a worksheet is provided in C:
\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Project Benefits and Challenges
Worksheet.docx.)

1. A) Background — What type of work does your organization (or an

organization that you serve) perform?

2. B) Data Needs — Describe various situations in which the organization might

benefit from having more and better data.

3. C) IoT Benefits — How might IoT help to address the data needs you just
identified?

Business Benefits
Applied effectively, IoT can enable organizations and businesses in many different sectors to
transform how they operate, improving performance by providing abundant, accurate data that can
help them make more informed decisions, reduce the need for "feet on the ground," and to provide
higher levels of situational awareness than they could manage previously.
IoT technologies have the potential to help businesses:
• Improve competitive position by providing information that leads to improvements to products,
processes, and services.
• Anticipate and avoid expensive, time-consuming, and hazardous problems before they occur, to
reduce operational costs and the harmful impact of operations on the natural environment, while
increasing safety and improving customer experience.
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• Identify possibilities for new and enhanced revenue streams and markets by revealing previously
unidentified problems that can be solved, and areas in which products and services can be
improved.
• Reduce operational costs and natural resources usage by identifying sources of waste and
inefficiency.
• Reduce transportation and lodging expenses, and potentially reduce the impact on the
environment by enabling some tasks to be performed from remote locations that previously had
to be performed on-site.
• Reduce waste and defects and increase productivity, agility, and product quality by improving
product testing and manufacturing telemetry.
• Provide better tracking of logistics and transportation.

Business Challenges
Although many businesses may benefit from IoT, it also presents numerous challenges. For
example, many organizations have invested heavily in existing infrastructure. Implementing IoT
systems and adapting business processes to use them can be disruptive. Provisioning and tracking of
additional devices, potentially numbering in the thousands for a single organization, will be
challenging for some organizations. Significant cost may be associated with just the hardware and
software, not to mention setup, configuration, and interfacing the new components with legacy
systems. Data networks will have to be reconfigured to add new network nodes for IoT devices,
gateways, analytics tools, and support for IoT protocols. There may be some disruption to current
systems as all these changes are implemented.
Security, privacy, and safety concerns may be associated with the new types of data being collected
and the systems used to secure the data. The organization may be exposed to new standards and
regulations associated with the data they are capturing. For some situations, the cost and
disadvantages of IoT automation may outweigh benefits, and it may be more beneficial to utilize
people or traditional technology.
Traditionally, information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) have been
managed by separate groups within organizations. IT typically managed the company's information
systems, geared toward collecting, storing, and sending data, whereas OT focuses on measuring and
controlling production and operations. With IoT, the distinctions between these two groups is
blurring, with IT becoming more involved in measurement and control, and OT providing expertise
in that area, while looking to take greater advantage of the information systems supported by IT.
Of course, IoT will drive change, and there may be some resistance within the organization. Some
jobs will change, as more information can be collected automatically, and new skillsets will be
required. To ensure a good transition, it is helpful to get buy-in and participation from all levels of
the organization—particularly from those groups given the task of implementing and supporting the
new technology.

Differences from Traditional IT

IoT changes some of the assumptions and approaches of traditional IT. IT staff may need to
develop new skills or find new ways to cooperate with OT groups within the organization to
leverage the skills and experience of both groups. Skillsets needed to manage IoT include the
following.

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IoT Skillset Description

Embedded devices IoT devices (like desktop and notebook computers) are smart (having
their own embedded processor) and connected (often using wireless
networks). But setting up, configuring, programming, and maintaining an
IoT device is very different from doing those tasks on a traditional
computer. The typical IoT device is purposely configured with extremely
limited processing power, memory, and data communication capabilities,
and a device may not have a user interface other than perhaps a power
button and a few LED lights. These constraints make IoT devices
inexpensive to produce and downright miserly in their use of electrical
energy. They may even extract energy from the environment around
them, a feat called energy harvesting. This design strategy enables devices
to be located anywhere, even in remote locations where electrical power
sources and connectivity may be limited.
Sensors and actuators Sensors on IoT devices can collect a mind-boggling variety of data, such
as the temperature of frozen food in a delivery truck, the volume of
traffic passing through an intersection, the quality of soil in a particular
location of a farmer's field, and countless other measurements. The sheer
volume of data produced by IoT devices must be processed, interpreted,
and handled securely. At the same time IoT is dramatically increasing data
volumes, it is also creating new challenges to keep that data secure and
private.
Real time data In many cases, data must be collected, processed, and acted on very
processing and quickly. Based on intelligence provided by the data, an immediate,
networking automated response may need to be triggered. For example, the
temperature in the refrigerated delivery truck may need to be adjusted, the
brakes in a smart car may need to be activated to avoid a collision, or the
mix of chemicals may need to be adjusted as a spraying machine advances
through a farmer's field, based on soil samples taken at the sprayer's exact
geographic location. The ability to process and act upon data so quickly
seems at odds with the limited power and capabilities of the typical IoT
device. But special operating systems and data processing strategies
enable these real-time operations to be performed efficiently.
Edge computing Edge computing provides another strategy for processing the data from
IoT devices. Rather than perform all heavy processing tasks in the cloud,
edge computing moves some processing tasks back to the edge—where
the local network meets the cloud. This means placing some sort of heavy
processing capability near the IoT devices, and using an IoT gateway to
"do the heavy lifting" on behalf of IoT devices. The gateway can handle
all communication with the cloud, so the IoT devices themselves can use
lightweight communication protocols, and (safely behind a firewall) won't
require the same security capabilities (such as heavyweight encryption
processing) that they would require if they were directly connected to the
Internet.
New methods of data Powerful data processing tools are required to make sense of the massive
processing and analysis quantities of data produced by IoT. Data analytics tools and big data and
cloud storage tools such as Hadoop and NoSQL take on new importance
with IoT, as well as more traditional skills such as SQL. Machine learning
and artificial intelligence tools will play a critical role in converting raw
IoT data into actionable intelligence an organization can use.

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Technical Challenges
A variety of factors make it challenging to design, develop, implement, and maintain an IoT system.

Factor Description
Device constraints The constraints on IoT devices can make it challenging to provide robust
features and capabilities. Those who design IoT devices and systems must
manage the tradeoff between low power consumption and features the
device needs to support, such as data processing, communication with
other devices, and consistent, reliable data sensing.
Data communication IoT devices often use wireless (rather than cabled) connections to
support remote or mobile use, and may have an unreliable, low-
bandwidth, or intermittent connection, and their limited memory and
storage may make it challenging to move large amounts of data quickly.
The lack of standards and emergence of new standards makes it difficult
to select technologies that will last over time. Organizations are working
toward open standards, but the process takes time. Vendors are quite
competitive in this new technology domain and trying to establish
technology advantages over their competitors. While single-vendor,
proprietary solutions are often quite good, they lead to interoperability
issues, data silos, and security problems when products from different
vendors are introduced into the mix.
Interoperability Integrating products from different vendors into a unified solution for
the customer can be challenging.
Industrial systems have traditionally been highly customized and based
heavily on legacy systems that use proprietary communication and
messaging protocols. It is difficult to connect industrial systems between
organizations using products from a different vendor, and to interface
systems with new technologies that were not part of the original system.
In the consumer space, IoT products have forced customers into
assembling systems like home automation using only products from a
particular product line, or else risk having systems that are awkward to
use or unable to support all of the product's features.
Even when interoperability standards are supported, the solution is often
clumsy, involving various proprietary apps and complicated processes to
link the devices. For example, to set up a smart outlet from one vendor to
respond to voice controls through a smart speaker by another vendor, the
user may have to download a smartphone app for the smart outlet, an
app for the smart speaker, and numerous steps within both applications
to link the devices. If the user buys another smart outlet from a different
vendor, yet another app may be required, as well as a different
complicated linking operation.
Real-time operations Determining where to perform processing within the IoT infrastructure is
a primary concern for the IoT designer. Some IoT devices must be able
to measure and detect certain events within a fraction of a second, and
take local action immediately. This type of processing is called a real-time
operation.

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 Certified Internet of Things (IoT) Practitioner (Exam ITP-110) | 23

Factor Description
Security and Privacy The Internet of Things brings new security challenges. IoT devices are
often located in remote or public locations, where it may be more
challenging to provide physical protection from attackers. They may be
located on the edges of network infrastructure and exposed to Internet
traffic, where it may be more challenging to provide logical protections
through firewalls and other forms of network security.
It may be easy to use radio devices to jam communication on low power
wireless devices.
Encryption is a common approach to protecting data when it is in transit
across data networks or at rest in storage. But in many cases, encryption
requires more capability than constrained devices can spare. So devices
may have minimal or no encryption to protect the data they send and
receive.
IoT has introduced concerns about privacy and data provenance. It may
be unclear who owns data collected by IoT processes. Consumers may be
skeptical about IoT products and concerned they won't be able to control
who can use their data.
Usability Because of the limited storage and data communication capabilities on an
IoT device, it may be challenging to provide security and functionality
updates.
In some cases, high security may be at odds with usability. Tasks such as
pairing, configuration, and authentication may require multiple forms of
authentication and multiple devices to complete, causing some frustration
for users.
Updates It may be challenging to provide security and functionality updates to IoT
devices. They may have an unreliable, low-bandwidth, or intermittent
connection, and their limited memory and storage may make it difficult
for them to manage updates.

Designing systems around constrained devices can be challenging, and when security requirements
are added to the mix, the challenge is even greater.

Societal Impact
As with technologies that have preceded it, IoT has immense potential to disrupt and change the
way things are done. Our history shows that some changes brought about through technology may
benefit society, while others may cause harm. And different people may be affected differently.
There may also be unintended side effects—new problems may be created while solving old
problems. Technologists should consider the potential impact of IoT solutions they design and
implement on their organization, people, and the environment.
For example, as machines gain new abilities to sense the world around them, process the data they
take in, and take action based on that data, it will be possible for jobs previously performed by
people to be performed by machines. There are clear societal benefits to having machines perform
tasks that are dangerous, risky, or mundane. And in some cases, machines may perform those tasks
more efficiently and effectively than people. However, eliminating someone's job is disruptive—not
only to that individual, but may have a significant negative impact on an entire family that can affect
them for years.
IoT technologies may reduce manufacturing waste and the use of natural resources, and may
significantly help to reduce pollution of the environment. But there are significant environmental
costs for using those technologies, such as the mining operations needed to obtain raw materials for
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lithium batteries and other components, the energy, natural resources, and toxic chemicals used in
their manufacture, and challenges associated with properly recycling or disposing of IoT hardware
once it becomes damaged, obsolete, or worn out. These factors should all be included in evaluations
of the benefits of IoT.

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 Certified Internet of Things (IoT) Practitioner (Exam ITP-110) | 25

ACTIVITY 1-4
Identifying Potential Challenges of IoT
Data File
C:\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Project Benefits and Challenges
Worksheet.docx

Scenario
An IoT project can provide a variety of business and technical challenges. In this activity, you will
consider challenges your organization might face in an IoT implementation.
Write your ideas in the spaces provided. (If you've started working with the worksheet provided in
C:\095024Data\Planning an IoT Implementation\IoT Project Benefits and Challenges
Worksheet.docx, continue using that document to note your answers.)

1. D) Challenges — What challenges might your organization encounter in

implementing an IoT solution?

2. E) Countermeasures and Remediations — How might you address the

challenges you identified?

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Summary
In this lesson, you identified components of a successful IoT project, including a general
architecture that enables those components to work together. You also identified benefits of IoT
and challenges you might encounter in implementing an IoT system.

What IoT projects has your organization undertaken or is it currently planning?

Do you see IoT transforming the way your organization does business? If so,
how?

Note: Check your CHOICE Course screen for opportunities to interact with your classmates,
peers, and the larger CHOICE online community about the topics covered in this course or
other topics you are interested in. From the Course screen you can also access available
resources for a more continuous learning experience.

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