1643 IoT Glossary
Comprehensive Reference of Internet of Things Terminology
In one sentence: This glossary provides not just definitions but also plain-language explanations, common confusions to avoid, and cross-references to related concepts for building comprehensive IoT vocabulary.
Remember this rule: When encountering an unfamiliar term, check both its definition AND the “Common confusions” section to avoid misunderstandings that can lead to design errors.
Core Concept: IoT vocabulary spans protocols (MQTT, CoAP), architectures (edge, fog, cloud), networking (mesh, star, gateway), and hardware (MCU, GPIO, ADC) - each term has precise meaning that affects design decisions.
Why It Matters: Misunderstanding terminology leads to selecting wrong protocols, misconfiguring systems, and communication breakdowns with vendors and team members.
Key Takeaway: When encountering an unfamiliar term, check both its definition AND the “Common confusions” section to avoid mistakes that propagate through your entire design.
1643.1 Introduction
This glossary provides comprehensive definitions for key terms used throughout this IoT textbook. Each entry includes a technical definition, a plain language explanation, common confusions to avoid, and related terms for further exploration.
How to use this glossary:
- Terms are organized alphabetically across three focused chapters
- Each term has a unique anchor ID for cross-referencing (e.g.,
#term-mqtt) - Related terms link to other glossary entries across chapters
- “In simple terms” sections provide accessible explanations
1643.2 Glossary Sections
Navigate to the section containing your term of interest:
1643.2.1 A-F: ACL to Frame
32 terms covering security fundamentals, data formats, architecture patterns, and reliability concepts.
Key terms include: - Security: ACL, Authentication, Authorization, Certificate, Encryption, Firewall - Protocols: AMQP, BLE, CoAP, DDS, DTLS - Architecture: Broker, Cloud, Edge Computing, Fog Computing, Digital Twin - Data: Aggregation, CBOR, Compression, Data Lake, ETL - Reliability: ACK, At-least-once, At-most-once, Exactly-once, Backoff, Circuit Breaker
1643.2.2 G-P: Gateway to Publisher
30 terms covering network infrastructure, hardware interfaces, protocols, and messaging patterns.
Key terms include: - Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, LoRa, LoRaWAN, MQTT, Modbus, OPC-UA - Networking: Gateway, Latency, LPWAN, LTE-M, Mesh, NB-IoT - Hardware: GPIO, I2C, Microcontroller, MTU, Packet - Data: InfluxDB, JSON, Metadata, Payload, Protobuf - Architecture: Matter, Microservices, Middleware, Platform
1643.2.3 Q-Z: QoS to 6LoWPAN
35 terms covering quality of service, databases, wireless protocols, and reference concepts.
Key terms include: - Wireless: Sigfox, Thread, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, 6LoWPAN - Messaging: QoS, Subscriber, Subscription, Topic, Wildcard - Databases: Time Series, TimescaleDB, TSDB, Sampling, Schema - Security: TLS, Token - Hardware: SoC, SPI, UART
1643.3 Category Summary
This glossary covers 100+ essential IoT terms across key categories:
| Category | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Protocols | 20+ | MQTT, CoAP, HTTP, BLE, LoRaWAN, Zigbee |
| Architecture | 15+ | Gateway, Edge, Fog, Cloud, Broker, Digital Twin |
| Networking | 15+ | Topic, Channel, Mesh, QoS, Latency, Routing |
| Data | 15+ | Payload, JSON, CBOR, Schema, Telemetry |
| Reliability | 10+ | QoS, ACK, Retry, Backoff, Idempotency |
| Security | 10+ | TLS, Authentication, OAuth, Encryption |
| Hardware | 10+ | Sensor, Actuator, MCU, GPIO, ADC |
| Data Management | 5+ | TSDB, InfluxDB, ETL, Data Lake |
Use the cross-references within each section to explore related concepts and build a comprehensive understanding of IoT terminology.
1643.4 Quick Reference by Topic
Looking for protocol comparisons? Start with MQTT and CoAP.
Understanding wireless options? Compare BLE, Zigbee, Thread, and LoRaWAN.
Learning about architecture? See Edge Computing, Fog Computing, and Cloud.
Exploring data management? Check Time Series, TSDB, and Aggregation.
Security fundamentals? Review TLS, Authentication, and OAuth.