IoT sensors communicate and share data through various protocols depending on the range, power consumption, data rate, and application. These protocols are essential for seamless connectivity between edge devices, gateways, and cloud platforms.

One widely used protocol is MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), which is lightweight and ideal for constrained devices in unreliable networks. It uses a publish/subscribe model to efficiently transmit data. CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol) is another, designed specifically for low-power devices and uses UDP, making it suitable for real-time communication.

For local networks, Zigbee and Z-Wave are popular in smart home and industrial applications due to their low-power mesh networking capability. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is often used in wearable sensors because of its energy efficiency. LoRaWAN is ideal for long-range, low-bandwidth communications and is commonly seen in environmental monitoring and agriculture. Wi-Fi and Ethernet offer higher data throughput and are used where power is not a constraint.

Each protocol serves a unique purpose, and their selection depends on application requirements like range, speed, scalability, and power consumption. Mastery of these protocols is essential for IoT professionals working with modern sensor networks.

To gain deep expertise, consider enrolling in an IoT professional certification.