3  About The Book

About the Book

3.0.1 A Comprehensive IoT Textbook

Internet of Things Class is a complete educational resource covering the full spectrum of IoT technologies, from hardware fundamentals to cloud-scale deployments. This textbook emerged from years of teaching IoT courses and addresses the need for comprehensive, practical, and up-to-date learning materials.

3.0.2 What Makes This Book Different

3.0.2.1 Holistic Coverage

Unlike textbooks that focus narrowly on embedded systems or networking, this book covers the entire IoT stack: - Applications and business models - System architectures - Hardware and sensors - Communication protocols (30+ covered) - Data analytics and machine learning - Security and privacy - Human-centered design - Practical prototyping

3.0.2.2 Interactive Learning

This digital edition provides an enhanced learning experience:

  • đź’» Executable Code Examples - All Python code can be copied and run immediately
  • 🔍 Full-Text Search - Find any topic, protocol, or concept instantly
  • đź”— Cross-Referenced Content - Navigate seamlessly between related topics
  • đź“Š Rich Visualizations - 900+ diagrams and illustrations
  • 📱 Mobile-Friendly - Study on any device, anywhere

3.0.2.3 Depth and Breadth

  • 300+ chapters organized into 14 comprehensive parts
  • 278+ interactive OJS tools including simulators, calculators, and visualizers
  • 81 hands-on Wokwi ESP32 labs for practical experimentation
  • 700+ inline knowledge checks with immediate feedback
  • 27 educational games for concept learning
  • 13,000+ images illustrating concepts, architectures, and systems
  • 30+ IoT protocols covered in detail (Zigbee, LoRaWAN, MQTT, CoAP, Thread, NB-IoT, and more)

3.0.2.4 Practical and Research-Focused

  • Real-world case studies from industry
  • Hands-on prototyping guidance
  • References to cutting-edge research
  • Industry best practices
  • Design thinking methodologies

3.0.3 Book Structure

The textbook is organized into 14 comprehensive parts:

Part 1: Learning Hubs (18 sections) Central navigation hubs for discovering content—quiz navigator, tool discovery, simulation playground, video gallery, knowledge maps, and troubleshooting guides.

Part 2: Fundamentals (11 chapters) Core foundations—IoT overview, protocol selector wizard, architecture planner, learning path generator, paper reading guides, and wireless propagation fundamentals.

Part 3: Applications and Use Cases (6 chapters) Understanding where and why IoT is deployed—smart homes, cities, healthcare, agriculture, industry, IIoT/Industry 4.0, and monetization strategies.

Part 4: Architecture Foundations (36 chapters) System-level design—wireless sensor networks, cloud computing, IoT reference models, blockchain, PID controllers, multi-hop networks, and ad-hoc routing.

Part 5: Distributed & Specialized (41 chapters) Advanced architectures—edge/fog computing, digital twins, SDN, M2M communication, UAV networks, satellite IoT, and underwater networks.

Part 6: Sensing and Actuation (10 chapters) Hardware fundamentals—sensors, actuators, electricity, electronics, analog/digital conversion, sensor calibration, and mobile phones as sensors.

Part 7: Networking Fundamentals (36 chapters) Core networking—OSI/TCP models, network topologies, transport protocols, IoT protocol selection, and hands-on labs.

Part 8: Short-Range Protocols (48 chapters) Comprehensive coverage of: - Bluetooth/BLE, Zigbee, Thread, Z-Wave - Wi-Fi (including HaLow, 6E/7) - NFC, RFID, Matter, 6LoWPAN - IEEE 802.15.4 fundamentals

Part 9: Long-Range & App Protocols (43 chapters) Wide-area and application protocols: - LPWAN: LoRaWAN, Sigfox, NB-IoT, LTE-M - Application: MQTT, CoAP, AMQP, XMPP, OPC-UA - Cellular: 5G, Private 5G networks

Part 10: Data Analytics (16 chapters) From edge to cloud—data storage, time-series databases, sensor fusion, big data pipelines, machine learning, and query optimization.

Part 11: Privacy and Security (15 chapters) Critical security topics—encryption, threat modeling, device security, network security, privacy-by-design, zero-trust architecture, and compliance.

Part 12: Human Factors (9 chapters) User-centered IoT design—UX principles, interaction patterns, location awareness, context understanding, and journey mapping.

Part 13: Design Strategies (17 chapters) Practical implementation—hardware/software prototyping, simulation, energy optimization, testing, network design, and capstone projects.

Part 14: IoT Product Analysis (6 chapters) Real-world products—teardowns, technology stack analysis, lifecycle cost calculations, and product comparison matrices.

3.0.4 Technical Specifications

3.0.4.1 Content

  • Format: Quarto Book (Markdown-based)
  • Primary Output: HTML (responsive, interactive)
  • Code Languages: Python, C/C++ (ESP32), JavaScript (OJS)
  • Total Chapters: 300+ sections across 14 parts
  • Total Images: 13,340 tracked figures with ~24,000 variants
  • Interactive Tools: 278+ OJS animations, simulators, and visualizers
  • Hands-on Labs: 81 Wokwi ESP32 simulation labs

3.0.4.2 Features

  • Full-text search across all content
  • Margin notes and citations
  • Syntax-highlighted code blocks
  • Cross-referenced figures and sections
  • Responsive design for all devices
  • Dark mode support (if theme includes)
  • Table of contents navigation
  • Back-to-top navigation

3.0.5 Formats Available

3.0.5.1 âś… HTML (Interactive Digital Edition)

Status: Available Now

The HTML version is the recommended format for this textbook because it provides: - Interactive code examples you can copy and run - Full-text search functionality - Clickable cross-references between chapters - Responsive design for desktop, tablet, and mobile - Fast navigation and modern reading experience

Access: Deploy to GitHub Pages, Netlify, or your preferred hosting

3.0.5.2 đź“„ PDF (Print/Offline Edition)

Status: Coming Soon

A PDF version for offline reading and printing is planned for future release. The HTML version is currently recommended as it provides superior learning features including executable code and interactive navigation.

3.0.6 Prerequisites

To get the most from this book, you should have:

Required: - Basic programming knowledge (any language) - General computing familiarity - Curiosity about how connected devices work

Helpful but not required: - Python programming experience - Understanding of basic networking - Familiarity with electronics concepts

3.0.7 How to Use This Book

For Students: Follow the chapters sequentially, complete the code examples, and explore the case studies. Each chapter builds on previous knowledge.

For Instructors: This book can serve as a complete IoT course textbook. Use the learning objectives to guide lectures and the code examples for lab assignments.

For Practitioners: Use as a reference guide. Jump to specific protocol chapters, consult the design strategies section, or review security best practices.

For Researchers: Each chapter includes citations to foundational papers and current research, making this a comprehensive foundation for graduate studies.

3.0.8 Staying Current

IoT technologies evolve rapidly. This book is designed as a living resource that will receive updates for: - New protocol versions and standards - Emerging technologies (e.g., 5G integration, AI/ML advances) - Updated security recommendations - New case studies and applications

Check back periodically for updates and new content.

3.0.9 License and Usage

For Educational Use: This textbook is intended for educational purposes. Students and instructors may use it freely for teaching and learning.

For Institutional Deployment: Universities and educational institutions may deploy this book on their learning management systems or internal websites.

Please cite as:

Perera, C. (2025). Internet of Things Class: A Comprehensive Textbook.

3.0.10 Support and Feedback

Found an error? Have a suggestion? Want to contribute?

IoT education benefits from community input. Feedback helps improve this resource for future students.

3.0.11 Acknowledgments

This book represents contributions from: - Research communities worldwide (IEEE, ACM, IETF) - Standards organizations (Zigbee Alliance, LoRa Alliance, Thread Group, Z-Wave Alliance) - Open-source projects and developers - Students whose questions shaped these materials

Full acknowledgments in the Acknowledgments section.

3.0.12 Ready to Start Learning?

Jump to the Preface for guidance on how to navigate this book, or dive directly into Chapter 1: Applications and Use Cases to begin your IoT journey.

Welcome to the comprehensive world of Internet of Things!