What constitutes the Internet of things (IOT)?
One way to visualize the Internet of things ecosystem is to divide it into three layers. First, we have a physical layer, including sensors or devices that are distributed in a specific environment. The purpose of these devices is to collect (and sometimes use) Internet of things data. Location of the vehicle, temperature of the room, weight of the load - all of these data are collected by the device, then aggregated and digitized for further processing and analysis.
This brings us to the second layer, the network layer. Wireless connectivity connects a large number of devices to an analysis platform or engine, which can then be processed to turn it into real business insights. The analysis platform or engine forms the third layer - application layer.
Let's focus on the network layer. Which technology is the most suitable to provide this connection? Bluetooth, Z-Wave, ZigBee and lorawan are all wireless communication technologies, which have been used in the Internet of things ecosystem. But the most popular and familiar thing for consumers is Wi Fi.
So why are embedded IOT devices connected to Wi-Fi
A key factor is cost. With the increasing popularity of broadband network, the cost of network connection is getting lower and lower. Therefore, more and more devices and sensors can be built-in Wi-Fi is also a matter of course. Wi Fi also provides greater coverage than many competitive connectivity technologies.
Then it's easy to set up and manage. Especially in consumer environments such as healthcare wearables and smart home devices, Wi Fi networks are familiar and mature.
However, Wi Fi sensors in the Internet of things ecosystem are not without challenges. Compared with other forms of connection, Wi Fi is traditionally a more power consuming technology, so to maintain practicality in the use of the Internet of things, it is necessary to design as much energy-saving as possible. Deployment of Wi-Fi enabled sensors in a typical Internet of things ecosystem can be directly plugged into the power supply, rechargeable battery or battery powered, but the latter is more sensitive to power consumption.
With the continuous expansion of the Internet of things and the growing demand for the bandwidth of the Internet of things ecosystem, the designers and manufacturers of Wi Fi sensors will need to give priority to the power issue.
