Machine-to-machine communication (M2M): It determines “machines communicating, exchanging data, without human interfacing or interaction”. It is accomplished by wired or wireless networks. It incorporates serial connection, power line connection, or wireless communication in the industrial internet of things (IoT). M2M comprises of the components that include sensors, RFID, a WI-FI or cellular communication links and autonomic computing software. Everything is getting connected: it capacitates the communication between people, machines and devices. It paramount’s the world by the way they operate.
Machine-to-machine technologies have the ability to connect millions of devices within a single network. The advancement in the M2M and IoT technologies is thriving expeditiously and will continue so. Machine-to-machine communication could be carried over mobile networks such as CDMA, GSM-GPRS etc.
In M2M communication, a remote sensor gathers data and sends it wirelessly to a network, where it is next routed, usually with the internet, to a server such as personal computers.
The considerable benefits of M2M include:
- Reduced costs
- Boosted revenue
- Improved customer service
- Little traffic at terminals
- Less effort.
The basic structure setup involves a central system that is able to connect with other systems at distinct locations via wireless network. The central system can gather or send data or information to each remote application in which of M2M is currently used as:
Security: It includes Surveillance, Alarm systems.
Payment: Used for gaming machines
Tracking: It includes navigation, assets tracking.
Health: It includes remote diagnostics, monitoring vital signs.
Metering: It consists of power, gas, water etc.
Manufacturing: It includes automation
Facility management: It includes home, building/ campus automation, machine or headquarters.
M2M Protocols: two basic protocols
BITXML: This protocol is open XML based. It is both language and transport agnostic and covers relatively all the specifications of a generic M2M telemetry and control application. It is free software application. BITXML driver can be written and accustomed to virtually any type of “micro controller /operating systems/programming language.” It can be written in C, C++, JAVA, etc.
BITXML defines the tools, i.e., messages, values and the communication reference architecture for M2M interactions between the main elements of an M2M infrastructure:
- The central master.
- The local BITXML complaint application.
- The distributed devices.
The protocol assist two different types of interactions and network transport with the Master unit in terms of communication.
- Asynchronous
- Synchronous
BITXML is totally independent from the preferred physical/transport connectivity, that is, advancement with reference to flexibility.
M2MXML:
M2MXML protocol is an XML based messaging protocol designed for machine-to-machine communications.
It includes a JAVA API. It is though intended to be language agnostic. The messages are defined as small XML documents using UTF-8 encoding of the Unicode character set. M2MXML messages are pure ASCII. It is fundamentally composed of self-contained messages. Any protocol used for delivering XML can be used to deliver M2MXML. The protocol is not designed to merge all viable commands and configuration parameters etc that a complex application would demand to specify.
Limitations:
- It is designed for a connection oriented environment.
- It is designed for a master slave deployment
- It is bandwidth intensive
- It is complex
- It is over engineered.
Finally we can say that irrespective of limitation M2M communication is cost effective. It provides uninterrupted communication, which is scalable at the same time.