Industry 4.
0 and Industrial Internet of Things - Week 1 Detailed Notes
Introduction
Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) rely on sensors, transducers, actuators, and
communication protocols. To understand IIoT, we must first understand how sensors and actuators work,
their characteristics, and how data flows through IoT systems.
Transducers
A transducer is a device that converts one form of energy into another. For example:
- Microphone: Converts sound waves into electrical signals.
- Speaker: Converts electrical signals into sound.
- Antenna: Converts electromagnetic energy into electrical signals and vice versa.
- Strain Gauge: Converts mechanical strain into electrical resistance.
■ Analogy: Think of a transducer as a "translator" that changes language from one form to another (e.g.,
English to Hindi).
Sensors
A sensor detects physical quantities (like temperature, pressure, or gas) and produces an output signal that
can be read by humans or machines.
Examples include temperature sensors, ultrasonic sensors, PIR sensors, and gas detectors.
■ IMP: Sensors are the foundation of IoT since they collect raw data.
Sensor Characteristics
- Static characteristics: Accuracy, Range, Resolution, Sensitivity, Linearity, Drift, Repeatability.
- Dynamic characteristics: How quickly a sensor responds to changing input.
- Zero order system: No delay (like a simple mirror showing your image instantly).
- First order system: Gradual response (like a hot cup of tea cooling slowly).
- Second order system: Oscillations before stabilizing (like a spring vibrating before resting).
■ IMP: Exam asked which system oscillates → Answer: Second order system.
Sensor Classification
- Passive sensors (depend on external stimulus, e.g., temperature sensor).
- Active sensors (generate their own signals, e.g., radar).
- Analog sensors (continuous output, e.g., LDR).
- Digital sensors (binary output, e.g., PIR sensor).
- Scalar sensors (depend only on magnitude, e.g., gas sensor).
- Vector sensors (depend on both magnitude and direction, e.g., accelerometer).
■ IMP: Vector sensor = affected by direction + orientation.
Actuators
Actuators convert control signals into physical motion. Examples include motors, solenoids, hydraulic
cylinders, and piezoelectric devices.
They can be classified as:
- Electric actuators (linear, rotary)
- Fluid power actuators (hydraulic/pneumatic)
- Manual actuators (hand-operated)
■ Analogy: If sensors are "eyes and ears", actuators are the "hands and legs" of IoT systems.
IoT Communication Protocols
- IEEE 802.15.4: Provides MAC + PHY layers for low-power WPAN.
- Zigbee: Defines low-rate communication; has Coordinator, Router, End Devices.
■ IMP: Coordinator initializes & maintains Zigbee network.
- 6LoWPAN: Allows IPv6 over low-power networks.
- WirelessHART: Uses TDMA with 10ms slots for reliable communication.
■ IMP: WirelessHART timeslot = 10ms.
- Z-Wave: Used in home automation; bypasses dead zones using Healing.
■ IMP: Z-Wave dead-spot solution = Healing.
- Bluetooth: Based on Piconet (Ad-hoc).
■ IMP: Bluetooth = Piconet.
- RFID: Passive tags powered inductively by reader.
■ IMP: Passive RFID = inductively powered.
- NFC: Short-range, derived from RFID.
IoT Architecture Analogy
- Roots = Protocols & Devices
- Trunk = Architectural Reference Model (ARM)
- Leaves = Applications
■ IMP: Trunk = ARM.
CoRE & CoAP
- CoRE: Enables constrained devices to act as web resources.
- CoAP message types: CON, NON, RST, ACK.
■ IMP: ECHO is not a valid CoAP message.
QoS in IoT Networks
Ensures reliability, timeliness, availability, and delivery of IoT data.
IoT Protocols
- MQTT: Publish/Subscribe model. QoS levels – At most once (0), At least once (1), Exactly once (2).
- XMPP: XML-based messaging for IoT.
- AMQP: Reliable financial applications.
- DDS-RTPS: Real-time publish-subscribe for military/industrial systems.
Exam-Cram Summary
- Transducer = energy converter.
- Second order system oscillates. ■ *IMP*
- Wire is NOT a transducer. ■ *IMP*
- Vector sensors depend on magnitude + direction. ■ *IMP*
- Zigbee coordinator maintains network. ■ *IMP*
- IEEE 802.15.4 → MAC + PHY. ■ *IMP*
- WirelessHART → 10ms timeslots. ■ *IMP*
- Passive RFID tags powered by reader inductively. ■ *IMP*
- Bluetooth → Piconet (Ad-hoc). ■ *IMP*
- Z-Wave uses Healing for dead spots. ■ *IMP*
- IoT ARM = trunk. ■ *IMP*
- CoAP messages = CON, NON, RST, ACK (no ECHO). ■ *IMP*
- CoRE = IETF IP-based IoT framework. ■ *IMP*
- Sensor calibration removes repeatable errors. ■ *IMP*
- WirelessHART IS compatible with legacy devices (so statement 'not compatible' is false). ■ *IMP*
