A helpful glossary of terms for IoT

We will continue to amend the following so it continues to grow and be a helpful resource for anyone starting out in IoT

A

Actuator: A device in IoT systems that performs actions or controls mechanisms based on data received from sensors. Examples include motors, valves, and switches.

API (Application Programming Interface): A set of rules and protocols for building and interacting with software applications, enabling different software systems to communicate with each other.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems, used in IoT for data analysis, predictive maintenance, and automating processes.

Augmented Reality (AR): An interactive experience where real-world environments are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, often used in IoT applications for maintenance and training.

Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a user or device in IoT systems to ensure secure access to data and functionality.

B

Beacon: A small, wireless device that repeatedly transmits a signal to other nearby devices, often used for location-based services in IoT applications.

Big Data: Extremely large datasets that can be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations. In IoT, this refers to the vast amount of data generated by connected devices.

Bluetooth: A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances using short-wavelength UHF radio waves, commonly used in IoT devices for short-range communication.

Broadband: High-speed internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up access, essential for connecting IoT devices to the internet.

Bus: A communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer or between computers, critical for IoT systems to function efficiently.

C

Cloud Computing: The delivery of computing services (including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics) over the internet (the cloud), used in IoT to store and process data collected from devices.

Connectivity: The ability of IoT devices to connect and communicate with each other and with other systems via networks.

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS): Systems that integrate computation with physical processes. In IoT, CPS involves embedded devices with sensors and actuators interacting with the physical world.

Cybersecurity: The practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks, crucial for safeguarding IoT devices and data.

Communication Protocol: A system of rules that allow two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information, critical in IoT for device interoperability.

D

Data Analytics: The process of examining datasets to draw conclusions about the information they contain. In IoT, data analytics interprets data collected from sensors.

Digital Twin: A digital replica of a physical object or system, used in IoT to simulate, predict, and optimize the performance of real-world entities.

Domain-Specific Language (DSL): A computer language specialized to a particular application domain. In IoT, DSLs are used to write software for specific types of devices or applications.

Downlink: The communication link from a satellite or other airborne platform to a ground station, or from a central server to an IoT device.

E

Edge Computing: The practice of processing data near the source of data generation (e.g., IoT devices) rather than in a centralized data-processing warehouse, reducing latency and bandwidth usage.

Embedded System: A dedicated computer system designed to perform one or a few specific functions, often within a larger system. Many IoT devices are embedded systems.

Encryption: The process of converting data into a code to prevent unauthorized access, used in IoT to secure data transmitted between devices.

End-to-End Encryption (E2EE): A method of data transmission where only the communicating users can read the messages, ensuring secure IoT communications.

Ethernet: A family of networking technologies used for local area networks (LANs), often employed in IoT systems for reliable wired connectivity.

F

Firmware: A type of software that provides low-level control for a device's specific hardware, often embedded directly into the hardware of IoT devices.

Fog Computing: An extension of cloud computing that brings data storage, computation, and networking closer to the edge of the network, used in IoT to reduce latency and improve efficiency.

Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS): A method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly switching a carrier among many frequency channels, used in IoT to minimize interference and enhance security.

Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA): An integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing, used in IoT for customizable hardware solutions.

G

Gateway: A device that connects IoT devices to the cloud, enabling data flow between the devices and the internet, often providing security and protocol translation.

Geofencing: A virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area, used in IoT to trigger responses when a device enters or leaves a specified area.

Global Positioning System (GPS): A satellite-based navigation system used to determine the precise location of an IoT device anywhere on Earth.

Graphical User Interface (GUI): A visual interface that allows users to interact with IoT devices through graphical icons and visual indicators.

H

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): The foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web, often used in IoT for transferring data between devices and servers.

Haptic Feedback: The use of touch sensation to communicate with users, employed in IoT devices to provide physical feedback for user interactions.

Hashing: The process of converting an input into a fixed-length string of characters, which is typically a hash code, used in IoT for data verification and security.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI): A proprietary audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data, sometimes used in IoT for device interfacing.

I

IEEE 802.11: A set of standards for implementing wireless local area network (WLAN) computer communication, commonly known as Wi-Fi, essential for IoT connectivity.

IEEE 802.15.4: A standard for low-rate wireless personal area networks (LR-WPANs), forming the basis for protocols like Zigbee, used in IoT for short-range communication.

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): The application of IoT in industrial sectors and applications, including manufacturing, energy, and transportation, to enhance operational efficiency and productivity.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): A form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, used in IoT to offer scalable and flexible infrastructure solutions.

Interoperability: The ability of different IoT systems and devices to work together seamlessly, crucial for the integration and functionality of diverse IoT ecosystems.

IoT Platform: A cloud based or on premise software solution needed to harness the power of IoT devices. It will decode the information provided by sensors and smart devices, providing dashboards, automations and more.

IoT sensors and devices: Devices designed for modern (often wireless) solutions that can measure and send data to a system.

J

JavaScript Object Notation (JSON): A lightweight data-interchange format easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate, commonly used in IoT for data exchange.

Joint Test Action Group (JTAG): An industry standard for verifying designs and testing printed circuit boards after manufacture, used in IoT for debugging and testing hardware.

Just-in-Time (JIT) Compilation: A method to improve the runtime performance of a program by compiling parts of it at runtime, often used in IoT devices to enhance efficiency.

K

Kilobits per Second (kbps): A unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000 bits per second, often used to measure the speed of IoT device communications.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively an IoT system or device is achieving key business objectives.

Knowledge Representation: The field of artificial intelligence dedicated to representing information about the world in a form that a computer system can use to solve complex tasks, used in IoT for data interpretation and decision making.

L

Latency: The delay between a user's action and a web application's response, essential in IoT for ensuring timely data processing and response.

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN): A type of wireless telecommunication network designed to allow long-range communications at a low bit rate among things, such as sensors operated on a battery, used in IoT for connecting devices over long distances.

Lightweight M2M (LwM2M): A protocol for managing IoT devices and ensuring interoperability between various machine-to-machine (M2M) devices and platforms.

Localization: The process of determining the physical location of an IoT device, critical for applications like asset tracking and geofencing.

M

Machine Learning (ML): A subset of artificial intelligence involving the use of algorithms and statistical models to enable machines to improve their performance on a task with experience, widely used in IoT for predictive analytics and automation.

Mesh Network: A network topology in which each node relays data for the network, allowing for extended coverage and reliability in IoT systems.

Microcontroller Unit (MCU): A small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals, used in IoT devices for control tasks.

Middleware: Software that connects different applications, systems, or services in an IoT environment, facilitating communication and data management.

Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS): A technique in high-performance telecommunications networks that directs data from one node to the next based on short path labels rather than long network addresses, used in IoT for efficient data routing.

N

Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT): A low power wide area network technology developed to enable a wide range of new IoT devices and services, offering extended coverage, long battery life, and low device cost.

Network Function Virtualization (NFV): A network architecture concept that uses virtualization technologies to manage networking services through abstraction of hardware resources, used in IoT for flexible network management.

Node: A connection point in a network that can receive, create, store, or send data along distributed network routes. In IoT, nodes can be sensors, actuators, or other devices.

Near Field Communication (NFC): A set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices to communicate within a short range, used in IoT for contactless data exchange.

O

OAuth (Open Authorization): An open standard for access delegation, commonly used as a way to grant websites or applications limited access to user information without exposing passwords, ensuring secure IoT device interactions.

On-Premises: Refers to software and technology that are located within the physical confines of an enterprise, often contrasted with cloud-based solutions.

Operating System (OS): System software that manages hardware and software resources on a computer or IoT device, enabling application programs to run.

Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates: The process of wirelessly distributing new software, configuration settings, or encryption keys to IoT devices, ensuring they remain up-to-date and secure.

P

Packet: A unit of data transmitted over a network. In IoT, packets carry the data between devices and servers.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): A cloud computing service that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without dealing with the underlying infrastructure.

Predictive Maintenance: A technique that uses data analysis tools and techniques to detect anomalies in the operation and possible defects in equipment and processes so maintenance can be performed just in time, rather than after the equipment fails, used extensively in IoT.

Protocol: A set of rules and conventions for data exchange between network devices, essential for IoT device communication.

Q

QoS (Quality of Service): The overall performance of a network or internet service, particularly in terms of its transmission quality and service availability, important in IoT for ensuring reliable data delivery.

Query: A request for information from a database, commonly used in IoT to retrieve specific data from collected datasets.

Queue: A data structure used to store and manage data items waiting to be processed, often used in IoT systems to handle incoming data streams.

R

Radio Frequency (RF): The oscillation rate of electromagnetic radio waves in the range from around 3 kHz to 300 GHz, used in IoT for wireless communication.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): A technology that uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects, widely used in IoT for asset tracking.

Real-Time Operating System (RTOS): An operating system intended to serve real-time applications that process data as it comes in, typically without buffer delays, crucial for IoT devices that require immediate responses.

Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM): The process of remotely managing IT systems using specially designed management software, often applied in IoT to manage and monitor devices.

REST (Representational State Transfer): An architectural style for designing networked applications, often used in IoT to create web services that interact with resources using standard HTTP methods.

S

Sensor: A device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. In IoT, sensors measure conditions such as temperature, motion, humidity, and light.

Smart City: An urban area that uses IoT devices to collect data and manage resources efficiently, aiming to improve the quality of life for its residents.

Smart Grid: An electricity supply network that uses digital communications technology to detect and react to local changes in usage, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of electricity distribution.

Software as a Service (SaaS): A software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a service provider and made available to customers over the internet, often used in IoT for scalable and accessible software solutions.

Software Development Kit (SDK): A collection of software development tools in one installable package, used to develop applications for specific platforms, commonly used in IoT device development.

T

Telemetry: The automatic recording and transmission of data from remote or inaccessible sources to an IT system in a different location for monitoring and analysis, widely used in IoT for remote monitoring.

Thread: A low-power wireless mesh networking protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, designed for connected home applications in IoT.

Thing: Any physical object that can be connected to the internet and communicate data, such as IoT devices like sensors, appliances, and vehicles.

Topology: The physical or logical arrangement of network devices and their interconnections, important in IoT for designing efficient communication networks.

U

Ubiquitous Computing: A concept where computing is made to appear everywhere and anywhere using IoT devices embedded in everyday objects, making them smart and responsive.

Ultrasonic Sensor: A device that uses ultrasonic sound waves to measure the distance to an object, used in IoT for applications like object detection and level sensing.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Commonly known as drones, these are aircraft without a human pilot onboard, used in IoT for various applications including surveillance and data collection.

User Interface (UI): The space where interactions between humans and machines occur, designed to allow effective operation and control of IoT devices.

Universal Serial Bus (USB): An industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors, and protocols for connection, communication, and power supply, sometimes used in IoT for device interfacing.

V

Virtual Private Network (VPN): A service that encrypts your internet traffic and protects your online identity by creating a private network from a public internet connection, used in IoT to secure remote communications.

Voice Recognition: The ability of a machine or program to receive and interpret dictation or to understand and carry out spoken commands, used in IoT for hands-free control of devices.

Vulnerability: A weakness in software, hardware, or procedural controls that could be exploited to compromise an IoT system, necessitating robust security measures.

W

WAN (Wide Area Network): A telecommunications network that extends over a large geographic area for the purpose of computer networking, used in IoT to connect devices over long distances.

Wearable Technology: Electronic devices worn on the body that often include IoT capabilities, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches.

Web of Things (WoT): An approach to enabling IoT devices to be part of the World Wide Web, using web standards to interact with and integrate IoT devices.

Wi-Fi: A family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, commonly used in IoT for wireless data exchange.

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN): A network of spatially distributed autonomous sensors that monitor physical or environmental conditions, often used in IoT for data collection and monitoring.

X

XML (eXtensible Markup Language): A markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable, used in IoT for data exchange.

XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol): A communication protocol for message-oriented middleware based on XML, used in IoT for real-time communication between devices.

Y

YARN (Yet Another Resource Negotiator): A resource management technology used in distributed computing environments, not directly related to IoT but sometimes used in big data processing that supports IoT.

Z

Zigbee: A specification for a suite of high-level communication protocols using low-power digital radios, based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, used in IoT for creating personal area networks with small, low-power devices.

Z-Wave: A wireless communication protocol used primarily for home automation, designed to allow reliable communication between devices in an IoT network.

We try to help

This glossary covers a growing and comprehensive list of terms related to IoT and wireless sensors, providing definitions and context for each term. Understanding these terms is very helpful for navigating the complex and rapidly evolving world of IoT, enabling better communication, implementation, and innovation within the field.

We hope it helps and will try to keep adding to it.