“Careers in Information Technology: IoT Embedded Systems Designer”: GoodMan, #1

By Patrick Mukosha

"Careers in Information Technology: IoT Embedded Systems Designer," is a comprehensive guide that delves into the dynamic and evolving field of Internet of Things (IoT) embedded systems design. Authored by an experienced IT professional, this book provides aspiring tech enthusiasts, students, and seasoned professionals with invaluable insights into the exciting world of designing embedded systems for IoT applications.

 

The book begins by establishing a solid foundation in IoT and embedded systems, explaining their significance in today's interconnected world. It explores the symbiotic relationship between hardware and software, emphasizing the critical role played by embedded systems in powering smart devices and facilitating seamless communication between them.

 

Readers will gain a deep understanding of the skills required to thrive in this specialized field, including proficiency in hardware design, programming languages, and system integration. The author outlines the educational pathways and certifications that can pave the way for a successful career as an IoT embedded systems designer, offering practical advice on building a strong skill set and staying current in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

 

One of the book's strengths lies in its exploration of real-world IoT applications, showcasing how embedded systems designers contribute to innovative solutions across various industries. Through case studies and examples, readers will learn about the role of IoT in transforming healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and more.

 

The author also addresses the challenges and ethical considerations associated with IoT embedded systems, guiding readers on how to navigate issues related to security, privacy, and the responsible development of connected devices.

 

In addition to career advice, the book provides insights into the future of IoT and the evolving landscape of embedded systems design. Emerging technologies such as edge computing, artificial intelligence, and 5G are discussed, highlighting their potential impact on the role of IoT embedded systems designers.

 

"Careers in Information Technology: IoT Embedded Systems Designer" is an indispensable resource for anyone aspiring to embark on a career in IoT embedded systems design. Whether you're a student exploring educational pathways, a professional seeking to transition into the field, or an industry veteran looking to stay ahead, this book offers a comprehensive and forward-looking guide to succeed in the dynamic realm of IoT and embedded systems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patrick Mukosha
• Release date: Feb 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224207572

Patrick Mukosha

Patrick Mukosha is an ICT & Management Consultant. With 15+ years of IT experience, he's passionate about all things ICT. He also loves to bring ICT down to a level that everyone can understand. His works have been quoted on Academia by Researchers and ICT Practitioners (www.academia.edu). He has a PHD and MBA from AIU, USA, BSc(Hons) ICT, UEA, UK, Dipl, CCT, UK. He's a founder of PatWest Technologies.

Book preview

Introduction to Internet of Things (IoT) Jobs

The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a disruptive force in the quickly changing digital landscape, linking the digital and physical worlds like never before. IoT technology spurs innovation across industries as our world grows more interconnected, opening up interesting job prospects for those with a passion for technology and a desire to influence the future. Welcome to the definitive resource for 2024 IoT employment options.

This extensive book will offer helpful insights into the various roles, talents, and sectors driving the IoT revolution, whether you're a seasoned professional trying to shift into this flourishing industry or a recent graduate keen to explore the possibilities. We will also emphasize the variety of positions that are accessible in the IoT space throughout this book. Regardless of your career goals—IoT architecture, data science, cybersecurity analysis, software development, or product management—we'll provide you a thorough overview of each position, including its duties and the competencies required to succeed. We will also talk about the training programs and educational opportunities available to prospective IoT experts. We'll look at all the options for getting the education and training required to succeed in this quick-paced field, from online courses and specialized training to degree programs and certifications.

The Internet of Things (IoT) revolution is now well under way, and as more organizations and people use and adopt this technology, the need for qualified specialists will only increase. You may position yourself for a lucrative and fulfilling career at the forefront of technological innovation by immersing yourself in this comprehensive guide to IoT employment options in 2024. You will get the insights and information necessary to navigate this fascinating and rapidly changing sector.

Professionals working in the Internet of Things (IoT) have a bright future ahead of them in terms of employment prospects. The Internet of Things (IoT) market is expected to grow rapidly over the next ten years, achieving a global market value of $1.72 trillion by 2027. It's an exciting time to pursue a career in IoT because of this notable increase, which highlights the field's enormous potential and bright future.

As a result, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a bright business with lots of opportunities for those trying to secure their future employment. The growth of this industry is accompanied by an increasing requirement for workers with IoT skills. Here, we'll go over a number of crucial subjects related to IoT career opportunities, as listed below.

Chapter 1: Understanding the Internet

1.1.  The Internet: What is it?

Before we get down to discussing the IoT Embedded Systems Designer, let’s get to grips with the basics.

What is the Internet? The Internet, also known as the "internet," is a global system of interconnected computer networks that communicates with one another and with devices using the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). A wide range of electrical, wireless, and optical networking technologies connect the private, public, academic, corporate, and government networks in this network of networks, which spans local to global boundaries. Email, phone calls, file sharing, and the World Wide Web's (WWW) interconnected hypertext pages and applications are just a few of the many information resources and services available over the Internet.

The 1960s saw the development of packet switching and research to allow for the sharing of computer resources over time, which is where the Internet got its start. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US Department of Defense, working with academic institutions and researchers nationwide as well as in the UK and France, commissioned research and development in the 1970s that resulted in the set of guidelines (communication protocols) that allow internetworking on the Internet.

In order to facilitate resource sharing, the ARPANET originally functioned as the backbone connecting local academic and military networks around the United States. Worldwide participation in the development of new networking technologies and the merging of multiple networks using DARPA's Internet protocol suite was encouraged by the funding of the National Science Foundation Network as a new backbone in the 1980s, as well as by private funding for other commercial extensions. The transition to the modern Internet began with the early 1990s linking of commercial networks and enterprises and the introduction of the World Wide Web. This led to a steady exponential growth as successive generations of institutional, personal, and mobile computers were connected to the network.

The Internet has reshaped, redefined, or even completely replaced the majority of traditional communication media, including the telephone, radio, television, paper mail, and newspapers. In its place, new services like email, Internet telephone, Internet television, online music, digital newspapers, and websites that stream videos have emerged. Print media including books, newspapers, and other publications have either changed to become online news aggregators, blogs, and web feeds, or they have adapted to the technology of websites.

Through social networking sites, Internet forums, and instant messaging, the Internet has facilitated and expedited the development of new kinds of interpersonal communication. Due to the fact that it allows companies to expand their brick and mortar presence in order to serve a bigger market or even to sell goods and services exclusively online, online shopping has become extremely popular among major retailers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. Online financial and business-to-business services have an impact on supply chains that span whole industries.

Every component network on the Internet establishes its own policies; there is no one, centralized governance for technological implementation or access and usage regulations.  The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a maintenance organization, oversees the broad definitions of the two primary name spaces on the Internet: The Domain Name System (DNS) and the Internet Protocol address (IP address) space. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a non-profit organization of loosely associated multinational participants that anyone may associate with by giving technical skills, is responsible for the standardization and technical foundation of the basic protocols. The Internet made it onto USA Today's list of the New Seven Wonders in November 2006.

1.2.  History of the Internet?

The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the US Department of Defense was entrusted with building a strong, dependable communication network that could withstand a nuclear assault during the Cold War in the 1960s. In order to prevent a Single Point of Failure (SPoF), this new communication network needed to be decentralized and have redundancy, which would allow information to be diverted instantly in the event that network operations were disrupted.

The tale of the Internet's history is intricate and multidimensional, spanning multiple decades.

Here's a quick rundown of the major developments:

1.2.1.  1960s: The Birth of ARPANET:

Funded by the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) served as the forerunner to the contemporary Internet.

Four significant research universities—UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, Stanford, and the University of Utah—were connected by the ARPANET when it was founded in 1969.

1.2.2.  1970s: Email and TCP/IP:

The Internet Protocol (IP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) were created to standardize communication across various computer networks. This served as the basis for the current Internet.

The first email was sent by Ray Tomlinson in 1971, marking a critical turning point in communication technology.

1.2.3.  1980s: World Wide Web (WWW) and Domain Name System (DNS)

In 1983, the Domain Name System was launched, making the process of allocating distinctive names to IP addresses more straightforward.

The World Wide Web (WWW) was envisaged in 1989 by British computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).

1.2.4.  1990s: Popularization and Commercialization

The Internet changed from being mostly a military and academic network to one that was more widely used by the general public and businesses.

The development of web browsers, such Mosaic and later Netscape, made it simpler for users to browse and retrieve content from the World Wide Web.

1.2.5.  2000s: Social Media and Broadband

Faster data transfer made possible by the widespread use of broadband internet connections allowed multimedia content to flourish.

With the emergence of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, communication and information sharing have changed.

1.2.6.  2010s: Cloud Computing and Mobile Internet

Mobile internet usage surged as a result of people using smartphones and other mobile devices more frequently.

With the advent of cloud computing, users were able to store and retrieve data from a distance.

1.2.7.  5G and The Internet of Things (IoT) In The Present and Future

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become more popular, allowing commonplace devices and things to be connected to the internet for improved functioning.

With the advent of 5G networks, internet connections should be quicker and more dependable, opening up new avenues for technology, entertainment, and communication.

Note: The Internet has developed over time from a research project to a worldwide network that has a significant impact on education, business, communication, and other facets of contemporary life.

1.3.  Introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The Internet of Things, sometimes known as the Internet of Things (IoT), is a hot topic in the policy, engineering, and technology sectors. It has made headlines in the mainstream and specialty press. This technology is present in a broad range of networked systems, devices, and sensors. It makes use of developments in processing power, electronics downsizing, and network linkages to provide previously unattainable new capabilities. The potential effects of the IoT revolution are widely discussed and debated in conferences, papers, and news articles. Topics range from worries about security, privacy, and technical compatibility to new business models and market opportunities.

New opportunities have emerged as a result of society's growing technical advancements, which have the potential to improve daily living and offer more effective services or manufacturing methods. Smart has been able to become the centre of already-occurring technological advancements thanks to digitalization. Because of its enormous potential for innovation and practical advantages for the general public, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are really now regarded as one of the main pillars of the fourth industrial revolution.

However, every expansion uses a finite amount of resources and leaves behind a unique environmental footprint, particularly with regard to the toxins it produces. Technologies based on the Internet of Things (IoT) offer a whole new outlook on the advancement of numerous sectors, including engineering, agriculture, medical, and other as-yet-undiscovered ones.

There are still some unexplored or unclear possible application areas for IoT technology. This clearly means that more intensive research activity in this difficult sector is needed in order to uncover new and significant potential advantages for society. Consequently, it is obvious that IoT technologies will be relevant and vital in the future and that they should be significant. IoT technology are rapidly advancing, and over 125,109 IoT devices are anticipated to be connected in the next ten years, according to forecasts.

Thus, devices containing sensors, processing power, software, and other technologies that connect to other devices and systems over the Internet or other communications networks to exchange data are referred to as Internet of things, or IoT devices. Electronics, communication, and computer science and engineering are all included in the Internet of things. The term internet of things has been deemed misleading since gadgets merely need to be individually addressable and connected to a network, not the whole internet.

The discipline has changed as a result of the confluence of several technologies, such as machine learning, ubiquitous computing, commodity sensors, and increasingly potent embedded systems. The Internet of things is made possible by the earlier domains of embedded systems, wireless sensor networks, control systems, automation (including automation of homes and buildings), and automation both separately and together.

IoT technology is most commonly associated with "Smart Home" products in the consumer market. These products include lighting fixtures, thermostats, cameras, home security systems, and other appliances that support one or more common ecosystems and can be controlled by devices that are part of that ecosystem, like smart speakers and smartphones. Systems in the healthcare industry also leverage IoT.

Numerous industry and governmental initiatives have been made in response to worries about the risks associated with the expansion of IoT technologies and products, particularly in the areas of privacy and security. These initiatives include the creation of national and international standards, guidelines, and regulatory frameworks.

1.4.  IoT Connectivity

It is helpful to consider IoT device connectivity and communication in terms of their technological communication models from an operational standpoint.

The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) published a guiding architectural document (RFC 7452) in March 2015 that provides a foundation of four common communication formats that are used by Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This framework is presented in the discussion that follows, along with an explanation of the salient features of each model.

1.4.1. The Device-To-Device Communication Model: Symbolizes a set of two or more devices that connect and communicate with each other directly, bypassing the need of a middle application server. These gadgets exchange data via a variety of networks, such as IP networks and the Internet. However, to create direct device-to-device communication, these devices frequently use protocols like Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or ZigBee. Devices that follow a specific communication protocol can communicate and exchange messages with one another through these device-to-device networks in order to perform their intended functions. Applications such as home automation systems, which usually use short data packets to communicate between devices with relatively modest data rate needs, frequently use this communication architecture.

In a home automation scenario, residential IoT devices such as light switches, thermostats, light bulbs, and door locks typically communicate with one another by sending brief messages (such as a door lock status message or a command to turn on a light).

This method of communicating from device to device serves as an example of many of the interoperability issues that will be covered later in this paper. According to an article published in the IETF Journal, device manufacturers must undertake redundant development efforts to ensure that their devices are device-specific, have built-in security and trust mechanisms, and frequently have direct relationships. This implies that rather than using open methodologies that allow for the use of common data formats, the device manufacturers must spend in development efforts to build device-specific data formats.

From the user's perspective, this typically indicates that the underlying protocols for device-to-device communication are incompatible, necessitating the choice of a family of devices that share a similar standard. For instance, the ZigBee family of devices and the Z-Wave family of devices are not inherently compatible. Although these incompatibilities restrict the user's options to devices within a specific protocol family, the user nevertheless gains from the knowledge that products within a given family often have good communication.

1.4.2. Device-to-Cloud Communication Model: In a device-to-cloud communication architecture, the Internet of Things device establishes a direct connection with an application service provider or other Internet cloud service in order to manage message traffic and exchange data. This method usually makes use of already-existing communication channels, such as Wi-Fi or conventional wired Ethernet connections, to link the device to the IP network, which in turn links to the cloud service. Certain well-known consumer IoT devices, such as the Samsung SmartTV and the Nest Labs Learning Thermostat, use this communication mechanism.

With regard to Nest Learning, the thermostat sends information to a cloud database so that it may be utilized to examine how much energy is spent at home. In addition, this cloud connection allows the user to update the thermostat's firmware and access their thermostat remotely through a smartphone or web interface. Similar to this, Samsung SmartTV technology works by having the TV link to the Internet in order to send watching data to Samsung for research and to activate the TV's interactive speech recognition functions. In these situations, the device-to-cloud paradigm benefits the user by enhancing the device's functionality beyond what is offered by its built-in features.

But when trying to integrate devices from multiple manufacturers, interoperability issues can occur. The cloud service provider and the device are often one and the same. The owner or user of the device may be forced to utilize a particular cloud service if proprietary data protocols are employed between the device and the cloud service, restricting or prohibiting the usage of other service providers. This is known as vendor lock-in, a phrase that includes ownership and access to data as well as other aspects of the relationship with the provider. Users may typically be