IoT and Wireless Protocols
EMB 230 provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, from sensors and actuators to cloud integration and data analytics. The course delves into the core components of IoT devices, including microcontrollers, communication modules, and power management. Emphasis is placed on real-world applications across various industries, highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by connected embedded systems. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to wireless communication protocols essential for IoT. Students will learn about short-range protocols like Bluetooth and Zigbee, medium-range options such as Wi-Fi and LoRaWAN, and long-range cellular technologies (e.g., NB-IoT, LTE-M). The course covers the principles of operation, advantages, disadvantages, and typical use cases for each protocol, enabling students to select appropriate technologies for different IoT deployments. Practical exercises involving hardware and simulation tools will reinforce theoretical concepts.
Prerequisites
Course outline
Lectures, virtual labs, and graded assignments — completed in your browser.
Syllabus
## EMB 230: IoT and Wireless Protocols ### Course Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Explain the fundamental architecture and components of Internet of Things (IoT) systems. 2. Identify and describe various wireless communication protocols used in IoT, including their operational principles, strengths, and limitations. 3. Design simple embedded IoT solutions by selecting appropriate sensors, microcontrollers, and communication technologies. 4. Implement basic data acquisition, processing, and transmission techniques for IoT devices. 5. Analyze the power considerations and security challenges inherent in IoT deployments. 6. Configure and troubleshoot common IoT wireless communication modules. ### Weekly Topic List * **Week 1:** Introduction to IoT: Concepts, Architectures, and Applications * **Week 2:** IoT Device Hardware: Microcontrollers, Sensors, Actuators * **Week 3:** IoT Communication Fundamentals: OSI Model, Network Topologies * **Week 4:** Short-Range Wireless Protocols: Bluetooth, BLE, RFID, NFC * **Week 5:** Mid-Range Wireless Protocols: Wi-Fi (802.11 standards) * **Week 6:** LPWAN Protocols: LoRaWAN, Sigfox * **Week 7:** Cellular IoT: NB-IoT, LTE-M, 5G for IoT * **Week 8:** IoT Networking Protocols: MQTT, CoAP, HTTP/S for IoT * **Week 9:** IoT Data Management: Edge Computing, Cloud Integration Basics * **Week 10:** IoT Security Considerations and Best Practices * **Week 11:** Power Management in IoT Devices * **Week 12:** Project Design & Prototyping Workshop * **Week 13:** Comprehensive Midterm Review * **Week 14:** Final Review ### Grading Policy * Knowledge Checks: 15% * Assignments/Labs: 30% * Quizzes: 25% * Final Exam: 30% ### Required Materials * Textbook: *IoT Fundamentals: Networking Technologies, Protocols, and Use Cases for the Internet of Things* by H. Boyes, B. P. A. Al-Fuqaha, et al. (ISBN: Varies by edition, check course portal) * IoT Development Kit (e.g., ESP32-based board, sensor kit) - specific model to be announced * Software: Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, Wireshark, MQTT Explorer (free software) * Digital Multimeter, Breadboard, Jumper Wires