The M2M or ‘Machine-to-Machine’ is the communication between several machines without human effort. M2M plays an important role in the development of the Internet of Things, and consists of advanced technology that is able to reduce costs, obtain reliable data, facilitate monitoring and control. It provides more functionality and better maintenance for your users. M2M was initially developed for the manufacturing industry. If you want to know more about how M2M communication technology works, we recommend reading our article: What is M2M communication? (Machine to Machine), because in this article, we will discuss the six pillars of M2M communication.
The basic work of M2M can be summarized as the process of connecting a physical device to the communication hardware, thus obtaining the best business results, achieving automation.
The 6 pillars of M2M (Machine to Machine)
The 6 pillars serve as basic factors that should be studied prior to the implementation of M2M. At the M2M United trade show and conference in 2007, M2M editorial magazine Peggy Smedley introduced a new chart that helps encapsulate the ever-expanding M2M universe.
The chart covers the “six pillars” of machine-to-machine technology, representing market segments that involve physical network assets and integrating machine data into business systems. The six pillars of the M2M are:
- Remote monitoring
- RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
- Sensor Network
- Smart Services
- Telematics
- Telemetry
Check below the details of each one of them.
1. Remote monitoring
Remote monitoring is an integral part of inter-machine communication. It allows us to access multiple connected devices, even from a remote location. Remote monitoring uses connected devices, servers, and management software to create a system to control large-scale automation. Most remote monitoring systems usually include diagnostic and debugging features to solve problems quickly.
2. RFID
RFID or ‘Radiofrequency Identification’ deals with the identification and tracking of objects in the electromagnetic field. It is a better alternative to bar codes, and provides high quality results when receiving identifying information.
It is also useful in collecting and storing data. RFID uses radio waves to collect data and insert this data directly into the database. An important part of RFID technology is RFID tags. The tag is made up of protective material to save your circuits from any external damage. RFID technology can be changed according to your application.
3. Network of Sensors
A sensor network contains some connected devices and a wireless connection. The wireless connection is used to monitor the readings of the connected sensors. The connected devices are generally distributed over a wide area, for which the device can report various parameters, such as temperature, soil conditions, etc. Typically, a sensor network contains a basic computer, the Internet, and mobile devices, all interconnected.
4. Smart Device
The smart device is a device that reduces human effort and makes smart decisions, along with human thinking, to complete a specific task.
Smart devices are basically IoT-enabled devices, which use a computer network to obtain data from any form of sensors, such as humidity, temperature, speed, etc. A smart device comes with the ability to connect, share and interact with the user.
5. Telematics
This is the branch that deals with long-distance information transmission. It is a very important metric, which is needed in areas such as electronics and electrical engineering, road safety, telecommunications, automotive industry, among others. Along with the transmission, it is also used for computing any far-reaching communication system.
6. Telemetry
Finally, this technology deals mainly with production, industry and medical applications. Telemetry is also dedicated to the handling of a remote industrial system. It is a wireless technology, used to transfer data obtained from connected devices on a remote system. The use of telemetry is predominantly in the continuous recording of data over a large period of time. It is one of the most searched topics in M2M.
These 6 pillars help researchers and developers list the domains of a specific M2M application. They also serve as a basis for understanding M2M.
M2M serves as a very important field of the Internet of Things. It also saves you as an ideal technology to get the best possible consumer actions in a company.
And so, did this article get you clear on the 6 pillars of M2M for you? We hope to have helped your understanding, and we are available to answer your questions in the comments section.