Sensors, Endpoints, and Power Systems

The Internet of Things (IoT) begins with sources of data or devices that perform an action. These we call endpoints, and they are the things associated with the internet. When one discusses IoT, in general, the actual sources of data are often overlooked. These sources are sensors outputting a stream of time-correlated data that must be transmitted securely, possibly analyzed, and possibly stored. The value of IoT is in the data in aggregate. Therefore, the data a sensor provides is crucial. However, for an architect, it is critical to understand the data as well as how the data is interpreted. Besides understanding what data is collected and how it is acquired, in a massive IoT deployment, it is useful to know what can be sensed, and what the constraints are for various sensors. For example, a system must account for lost devices...