Making Sense of M2M and IoT

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

MIKE HORTON


Making Sense of M2M and IoT

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

WELCOME

Y

ou have likely seen these acronyms and terms splashed around technology media and marketing materials with increasing frequency: M2M, IoT, IoE, SCADA, WoT, Telematics, Connected World, and Industrial Internet. What

exactly do they mean? Are they the same thing? One-offs created by different companies in the connected Internet space? Are they all really just mobile computing or embedded systems with associated network and cloud services? The market for M2M and IoT is set to explode

your computer at home and your mobile phone.

soon by all industry accounts. No need to rehash

Embedded systems/devices differ from the

and beat the drum of such prognostications, but

classic understanding of a personal computer

this does seem likely to happen.

(PC) in that all components needed for the system’s core operation are soldered, or

This paper aims to provide a midlevel,

“embedded,” directly onto the device’s circuit

comprehensive, and somewhat nontechnical

board(s), and for all intents and purposes

set of answers to these questions as well as a

sealed in a casing enclosure never to be

technical view of the entire associated landscape

changed or altered.

involved with M2M and IoT systems. The reader should be able to better understand

Embedded systems like the PCs we are more

the technology underpinnings as well as future

familiar with have smarts in the form of

associated elements associated with these

processors and microcontrollers; software for

system solutions.

base application functionality and sometimes operating systems; input and output in the

Before we discuss terms such as machine-to-

form of screens, keypads, cables, and wireless

machine (M2M) and Internet-of-Things (IoT), it is

modems; and storage in the form of Read

first necessary to have a decent understanding

Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory

of embedded systems and how they relate to

(RAM), and flash RAM.

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

Mobile smartphones, for example, are embedded

perform its function, but this firmware image is

systems, though they have more or less become

not meant to be readily user modifiable. On the

their own class of personal computing device

other hand, the PC is much more dynamic in this

given the amount of user interaction, dynamic

regard, as the operating system can be installed

functionality and customization supported and

easily in addition to many third-party applications

the raw horsepower they now have. They are

built to run on that operating platform.

now truly smartphones compared with those from earlier days. What differentiates embedded systems from one another are their levels of architectural complexity, computing horsepower, and operating platform. This holds true whether you are considering a mobile handset, your car’s computer control system, or your LCD TV, as just a few examples. What distinguishes an embedded system from a PC more or less comes down to three primary design characteristics: firmware, system interaction, and system modification. First, an embedded system uses a firmware image of the operating platform that is written to static ROM. This firmware image will contain all the software the system needs to operate and

What distinguishes an embedded system from a PC more or less comes down to three primary design characteristics: firmware, system interaction, and system modification.

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

Second, the extent of direct user interaction with each one is different. With a PC, the user has a screen and a keyboard to directly interact with the operating platform and applications, whether through a rich graphical or command line user interface. Alternately, an embedded system will usually not have this at all, and if it does, it will often be a minimal, and even secondary, advanced interaction capability. The last differentiating characteristic is the amount of direct hardware customization

What begins to differentiate the device as

allowed. A PC was designed to be modified

machine-to-machine is that the embedded

and customized—from the software to the

system often communicates with another

internal boards, the case, and the chips

embedded system as a peer or gateway before

themselves. An embedded system is designed

backhauling to a server somewhere else. Put

and manufactured to be more or less set in

simply, take an embedded system and put a

construction, with an enclosure and design

serial, Ethernet, WIFI, ZigBee, cellular, or other

sealed, or at least not readily supporting internal

link on it so that it can talk intelligently with

modification by the user.

another embedded system, but without any user interfaces, and you have an M2M system,

These differences are not hard rules of

hence the machine-to-machine term.

distinction, as the lines are blurred in various ways with computing systems, but they are

Another way to think about M2M is to imagine

important to consider.

that the machines are doing the talking to other machines doing the listening. Sometimes, this

M2M = Embedded

is between other device nodes, and sometimes this is communicating directly back to a server

A device considered part of an M2M system

receiving the data. And they are doing so as

will be the classic embedded system as was

part a complete system designed for a specific

discussed above; and an embedded device that

function or operation; their primary roles are

is “field deployed� as compared with a server in

not defined as computing systems composed of

a data center.

people-interacting interfaces and functions.

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

m2m technology surface logical breakout

Figure 1: This logical breakout of M2M/IoT technology and systems depicts the possible core components of the embedded device as well as the possible communications interconnects and back-end services interactions often involved with a complete system solution.

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

In its truest form, an M2M device is an

area network (PAN/LAN). This state data could

embedded system that communicates

then be communicated longer distances as

symbiotically with another embedded system

required to more powerful computing systems

or systems during its primary functions. Think

over Wide Area Networks (WAN) using wired or

small devices in a mesh network that do not

wireless links.

have any sort of user interface or keyboard, etc. M2M systems may also communicate either M2M systems are often deriving data from

directly among themselves, directly to back-end

directly (same board, enclosure) or indirectly

servers, or through a gateway node for the LAN/

attached sensors and actuators of varying types

WAN backhaul connection.

as part of their system purpose. This data will frequently determine and affect different

Although M2M systems use wired connections as

environmental, operational, and physical states

well as different forms of wireless connection for

of the device and system as a whole.

both local and wide area connections, they are becoming increasingly associated with a cellular

This state data, more formally called telemetry

connection. This is particularly true for gateway-

data, is received in the embedded M2M

class embedded devices that afford more robust

controller and then communicated to other

processing and have directly connected or

similar control systems in a personal or local

rechargeable power. These cellular connections

m2M/IOT end-to-end primary system components

Figure 2: The diagram depicts a typical logical connection chain, from device to back-end servers and the primary elements of those connections to be considered at each leg.

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

can act as either a primary or a secondary link-

of the primary industry segments that M2M is

point to a wide area network.

actively used in or seen to be moving into more heavily in the future:

M2M System Uses and Markets M2M systems serve many different roles

• Automotive

today, which have been further enabled by the

• Banking & Payment

expanding capabilities of cellular and satellite

• Consumer Electronics

communications. Roles that were previously

• Field Service

more difficult to serve because of their

• Government & Military

remoteness are now more easily connected.

• Healthcare

This relationship, coupled with the dominance of

• Home Automation

the WAN and Internet, has continued to propel

• Industrial Control Systems

M2M on an ever-steeper growth trajectory.

• Remote Monitoring • Remote Security

As an example, a list of common M2M uses for

• Supply Chain

consideration includes the following:

• Utilities & Smart Metering

Positioning and tracking vehicles and goods

Automated system malfunction alerts

Collection and transmission of in-field telematics data

Facility intrusion alerting and monitoring

Monitoring and management of industrial systems

Notification and reporting of vending/ kiosk machine operation

M2M devices actively serve a broad range of industries today. The list below identifies some

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Making Sense of M2M and IoT

potential m2M/IOT communication technology applications

Figure 3: This image shows the possible communication technologies that could be considered and utilized at the different “legs” of an end-to-end M2M system. The dotted boxes represent services and connections that may not exist in a solution; see figure 4 for more relevant connection examples.

M2M Communications Architectures

communication module could be wireless, wired, or both as well as cellular-based

An M2M end-node device can be classified

or not, depending on local and wide area

into three primary categories: sensor/actuator,

communications needs. A complete M2M

control system, and gateway. Each of these

solution could also utilize all three types

M2M device types would have some sort of

integrated together as a single “system.”

communications module integrated. The

Both stand-alone and integrated

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communications modules exist for the various

The M2M device will be associated with a

types of radio frequency (RF) communication

cellular network and a business customer as

needs. The communications module in a

the owner of the cellular account, just like a

device will often integrate either cellular or

consumer mobile handset is today. And like

Personal Area Network/Local Area Network

mobile handsets, an M2M device will also use

(PAN/LAN) RF and sometimes, though rarely,

a particular cellular access point name (APN)

both. This is beginning to change, however,

for the data connection, though for an M2M

as chipmakers are designing more robust and

device it may be using a custom APN gateway

flexible communications chips. Still, the “bill of

associated with that business customer.

materials” (or BOM) cost considerations are king.

Where things diverge a little is where the data connection goes once it leaves the carrier’s (or

Cellular Connectivity

MVNO’s) cellular data core.

M2M devices that utilize a cellular modem for communications operate in the same way as any other mobile handset. The M2M device’s operating system will use the cellular modem, which will establish and maintain a cellular connection—GSM, UMTS, or LTE in the Americas for the most part—to a cellular tower near where the device is operating. That cellular tower will communicate back to a mobile switching center and into a network data core for associated accounting, cost, access, and service functions.

The M2M device will be associated with a cellular network and a business customer as the owner of the cellular account, just like a consumer mobile handset is today. “

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From a mobile carrier’s point of view, the tip of the spear in the M2M devices space is the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, or more accurately, the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). This is also in terms of cellular GSM networks, the global dominant, as apposed to CDMA cellular technology. The UICC, along with the cellular modem module, is what provides the cellular link of the M2M device that connects a back-end server system in most cases. Such connections are either across the Internet or a dedicated circuit connection if the service being connected is “offcarrier” at a corporate Enterprise, for example. In both instances, these connections exit the

either a consumer or a business. Beyond this,

cellular provider’s data core to then connect

it also helps connect and coordinate device

to an M2M provider’s back-end servers. These

communication to any other Enterprise-based

back-end server systems then perform the data

network services of the customer’s.

collection and processing for other downstream systems, or users.

The Use of Cellular in M2M

To help manage and facilitate communications

It does not seem a foregone conclucion that all

for all those M2M cellular modems, a back-

M2M end-node devices will be predominantly

end central command is often present as

cellular based for their communications. It is

well as a control system. This command and

just not a practical communication means for all

control system is a software-as-a-service

use cases given the low power needs and costs

type of web portal, either partnered with

of many of these end-node operating scenarios.

or operated by the mobile carrier. Such a service would help provision, manage, and bill

For example, cellular is data and a power-hungry

M2M device communications to the Original

relative to the power and communication

Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that sells

deployment needs of a small M2M sensor node.

the M2M product to the end user, which is

That is on the product designer/OEM side of

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concerns. Then there is the issue of all that signaling traffic between a cellular modem and the base station, which is already becoming a concern with current mobile operations, let alone adding x-million more communicating nodes to cell sites; small-cell or not, all of which seems impractical until at least 2018/2020. Efforts are currently under way in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and 3GPP standards bodies to establish new cellular communications models specific to the needs of M2M—device makers and carriers.

questions regarding the longevity of the product

Such a move could certainly help if not solve

designers/OEMs product relative to the longevity

part of the issue longer term. Even then,

of the 2G networks come up as well. Many

though, we will have to see how these efforts

advocate shutting down 2G capabilities among

unfold and how possible and likely adoption is in

cellular operators, but given these factors and

the face of other new technology solutions that

the drive for M2M, such a move would appear

might present themselves.

unlikely for the near term.

Regardless, from an “operating requirements”

If it is a specialty consumer device in question

and “bill of materials” standpoint, designing a

that could support recharging capabilities or is

2G/3G/4G modem into any small device will

always attached to an electric current source,

take serious consideration. Power and other

then the use of cellular directly (2G/3G/4G)

issues rise dramatically as you move from

in these endpoints is quite feasible. An

2G to 4G LTE modem use currently. Other

implementation such as a vehicle, which could

The M2M device will be associated with a cellular network and a business customer as the owner of the cellular account, just like a consumer mobile handset is today. “

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support both large batteries and recharging,

stable and consistent power supply given

is a perfect example as would be a plugged-in

their deployment scenario. In-home units?

vending machine.

No problem. User carried? Not as much of a problem, but maybe less likely still. Remote,

The likely scenario is that cellular connections

small, off-grid sensor types? Unlikely to go

will be mainly applied to M2M device gateways

cellular until better M2M-friendly cellular

and end-node devices that can support a

standards appear in the market. In these

EXAMPLE m2M/IOT END-TO-END SYSTEM CONNECTION SCENARIOS

Figure 4: This image depicts the various logical connection possibilities in M2M and IoT systems, each row being a possible system connection pattern.

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examples then, other LAN/PAN/MAN RF technologies, such as white space bandwidthoriented Weightless or SIGFOX, ZigBee, and Bluetooth, or other new emerging ones will continue to grow in this gap. What About Vehicle Telematics? Telematics is another M2M-associated term that is often heard but not well understood. Essentially, the term “telematics” refers to the combination of computer processing system capabilities together with telecommunications capability in a single system for the purpose of transmitting data and commands to and from a remote processing system. Telematics

clear that telematics systems could and do

is most commonly associated with wireless

process telemetry data.

communications, if not solely. The term “vehicle telematics” is merely the more

Telematics is a slightly “newer” term from the mid-

commonly understood use of telematics

1970s, while telemetry is a much older concept.

—in vehicles. Wired telemetry use is at least several Telematics is not to be confused with the term

decades old, and cellular services have also

telemetry, which is the remote measurement of

been commonly used to transmit telemetry

data from an origin point to a remote processing

data over the years, with it now the common

point. By these definitions, it should also be

associated means.

the term “telematics” refers to the combination of computer processing system capabilities together with telecommunications capability in a single system.”

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To summarize: telematics, especially vehicle

capability and functionality communicating with

telematics, could be seen as an interchangeable

like units as well as back-end servers in a classically

term with the more modern M2M or with

closed proprietary system. Accordingly, SCADA

Internet of Things as in-vehicle technology

systems can be considered as nothing more

matures. Some feel we should retire the term

than a specialized derivative class of M2M with

“telematics” to history, using M2M exclusively,

perhaps a dash of Internet of Things being added

as M2M is the newer buzzword and a much

to the mix as of late, which is now sometimes also

catchier acronym and phrase. Nevertheless,

termed the Industrial Internet among others.

telemetry in and of itself is still very applicable for both M2M and IoT type systems.

M2M in Relation to The Internet of Things, etc.

M2M in Relation to SCADA There is often quite a bit of understandable SCADA, which stands for Supervisory Control

confusion concerning the difference between

and Data Acquisition, is a class of control

M2M and the Internet of Things, often shown as

system software and hardware components

the acronym IoT.

used in industrial automation. SCADA systems commonly process and control the transfer

There is also now the Internet of Everything (IoE),

of data and commands to gauges, sensors,

which is basically the same thing, and then the

and actuators within plants and remote field

Web of Things (WoT), which is an offshoot to entail

equipment locations.

the use of web services and protocols for the IoT/ IoE, which seems to be implied somewhat.

SCADA systems are primarily used in such operations as oil and gas refineries, power plants, water treatment facilities, and other plants related to “utilities.” These systems are often characterized as critical infrastructure, but they can also be seen in corporate industrial Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) operations. Similar to our discussion of M2M systems, SCADA also consists of embedded systems of varying

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communicate with each other and back-end systems in a wired, RF wireless, cellular, or satellite means. M2M devices also operate in a variety of network topologies, can utilize an M2M gateway device, or not, can communicate via layer 2 or 3, and be static or dynamically IP addressed. The “Internet of Things” is broader umbrella terminology that refers to the merging of previously static objects (e.g., refrigerator, car) into an Internet context and then driven by Figure 5: The image above shows the associative

human interaction with the object in a broader

correlation between the various technology realms

sense given an “Internet services capability”

and the degree to which M2M and IoT relate to and

overlay of sorts. In contrast to this, M2M is

overlap them.

machine interaction driven.

To try and summarize this in more specific

Internet of Things can involve M2M systems

terms, M2M is the automated exchange of

but is not one in the same. Conversely, M2M

telemetry, operational, and other command

does not need an Internet of Things “human

and control information between machines;

interaction” context or Internet connectivity to

predominantly sensor-like, and non-GUI

function as an M2M system.

embedded systems; and often additionally to servers and services where humans make

Internet of Things systems are more classically

broader use of the data. M2M devices can

aligned with common Internet and web

The “Internet of Things” is broader umbrella terminology that refers to the merging of previously static objects (e.g., refrigerator, car) into an Internet context.”

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technologies and communications, though this

terms and their relationships as this author

is beginning to change. IoT could be thought of

understands and views them. It is hoped this

as the “glitzier� Internet side of M2M that allows

information will provide some better context

more consumer user interaction with the system.

and understanding for you.

Although the terms are often used

Essentially, though, M2M and IoT devices are

interchangeably, subtle distinctions allow

all predominantly embedded systems with

for hazy intersection and overlap. Figure 5

some featuring more user interaction and user

attempts to show the relationship and overlap

interface conveniences than others. At this

of the various associated terms.

point, it seems that the term IoT is winning out in the consumer media space over M2M and

Still Confused?

gaining ground in the OEM space as well. It could very well be that IoT wins out as the de

If you’re still completely confused about all

facto term. Both M2M and IoT could continue

these acronyms and fuzzy definitions, know

on as well. Or maybe a new term will arise to

that you are not alone. This space will continue

cover both. Machine-to-Internet (M2I) anyone?

to shake out and become further defined. This paper was an attempt to explain these

Regardless of the name, however, as we further consider all the various technology, protocol, security, and privacy aspects of these systems, just be sure to keep in mind that all these embedded systems will have generally the same technologies, issues, threats, and concerns. From M2M to IoT to SCADA, they are, in essence, the same types of embedded systems communicating with other embedded systems and to back-end network services.

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