IoT Devices and Modules
An IoT device is a network node that works on the physical layer of an IoT system to collect, share, and use information. It integrates hardware, software, and network connectivity to support its integration into the ecosystem and interoperation with other IoT devices. IoT devices may support one or more interoperable communication protocols and connect to the IoT platform through the IP (Internet Protocol) stack. IoT devices interface the physical environment to the digital world. Smart sensors are IoT devices which capture information on the physical environment and process the data locally or forward it to cloud-based IoT platforms which transform data into insight. Other IoT devices act upon that information to provide contextual services. An IoT device is typically designed as an embedded system, at the heart of which is a microcontroller (MCU) that processes data and runs software stacks. The link layer of the network is generally provided by a radio transceiver. An IoT module is a barebone embedded system designed to simplify IoT device development.