IoT Gateways - A Simple Guide to IoT

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IoT Gateways - A Simple Guide to IoT [Copy link]

The Internet of Things is a simple concept: literally anything that can automatically receive and transmit data.

The Internet of Things is the next step towards fully integrated business operations and everyday life. Almost everyone is connected online and through mobile communications. To put it more simply, now that the "cloud infrastructure" is in place, it's just the next logical step.

At the center of this explosive field are IoT gateways. Enterprises in particular stand to gain hugely from better integration, especially in the cloud.

What is a Gateway?

A gateway is simply a point in an information network that acts as an entry point to another network. An interface between devices and the cloud. It enables the exchange of data.

Imagine your business is behind a castle wall, and you can't communicate with anything outside that wall. So, you take one section off. Now you can get tons of stuff back and forth, but there's no control. That's not good because you can't stop adversaries from invading. Enter the gateway. Now you can control what's sent and received through the gate.

The Internet of Things is sometimes referred to as M2M – machine to machine, machine to human, human to machine, or even machine to mobile device. Gateways can be set up to suit your needs.

What does the word "stuff" mean?

What “things” will the IoT gateway talk to and manage? Answer: Almost anything.

An obvious current example is the interior of a modern vehicle – systems for navigation or detecting collisions and theft, or even getting firmware updates from the cloud. Automation apps, remote home controls (for heating, lighting, etc.), smart appliances, security systems, smart sensors and technology everywhere, traffic lights, digital advertising displays, etc. Anything that can automatically receive and send information. The most common areas today are home automation, wearable technology, fitness monitoring devices, and automotive applications. But the Internet of Things is everywhere and it’s growing.

Taking this a step further, for business, the idea is to connect offices, computers, websites, databases, security systems, mobile devices, vehicles, appliances, documents, etc. Full integration and access will make processing and operations easier and more efficient because information will be faster than ever before because basic processing can be done on each individual device, and the cloud handles problems at a much larger scale.

It can even be connected to you. Imagine a future where you have a heart monitor and something goes wrong. There is no integrated healthcare service, so it needs to be activated automatically.

How do gateways connect things?

Think about the chairs in your home. You want to know if your dog sits in them when you're not around.

Identification: With IPv6, any object can be assigned a unique identity without restriction. You and the IoT gateway can clearly distinguish this chair from any other chair.

Communication: Adding wireless connectivity, the chair can send signals to the cloud via an IoT gateway.

Sensors: To know if someone is sitting in the chair, sensors are implanted in it – a pressure sensor and an RFID sensor that reads the dog’s microchip.

Control: If you want to take action to move the dog, the chair needs micro-ICs and mechanisms to be operated via a remote connection.

The IoT Gateway ties it all together. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The IoT Gateway is truly the gateway to a new way of living. Businesses have begun to get involved in it to be able to serve customers on the cutting edge.