IoT glossary

106 terms from the EasyNet glossary. Search or jump to a letter.

106 terms

0–9

5G NR (5G New Radio)

Radio standard behind 5G networks. Sub-6 GHz gives industrial routers multi-gigabit throughput with wider area coverage than mmWave variants.

A

ABP (Activation by Personalisation)

LoRaWAN activation where keys are hardcoded at manufacture. Devices connect instantly but keys never rotate - less secure than OTAA.

ADR (Adaptive Data Rate)

LoRaWAN feature where the network automatically tunes each device's speed to extend battery life and reduce channel congestion.

AI VCA (AI Video Content Analysis)

Camera software triggering alerts on specific events - line crossing, loitering, people counting - without constant human monitoring.

AMR (Automatic Meter Reading)

Wireless sensors on mechanical meters that transmit gas, water, or electricity readings over LoRaWAN - no manual site visits required.

Asset Tracker

Battery-powered GPS device for trailers, containers, and equipment. Reports location over cellular without needing a vehicle power supply.

B

Backplane Bandwidth

The internal switching capacity of a network switch. An undersized backplane creates packet delays when multiple ports transmit simultaneously.

BACnet

Open protocol letting HVAC controllers, energy meters, and IoT sensors from different brands connect to the same building management system.

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)

Short-range radio for battery-powered devices. Used in fleet for driver ID fobs, cargo temperature beacons, and sensor pairing up to 100 metres.

BMS (Building Management System)

Central control platform for a building's heating, lighting, and power. IoT sensors feed live data into it via BACnet or Modbus protocols.

C

CAN Bus (Controller Area Network)

Vehicle wiring standard giving GPS trackers direct access to live engine data - fuel use, RPM, fault codes - beyond what OBD-II provides.

Cargo Theft

Theft of goods during transit or at logistics facilities. GPS trackers, tamper alerts, and geofencing reduce exposure and speed up recovery.

Carrier Aggregation (CA)

4G/5G technique using two frequency bands simultaneously to roughly double peak cellular download speeds on an industrial router.

CE Marking

Mandatory EU conformity mark for IoT hardware. Confirms compliance with radio, EMC, and safety directives - legally required for EU sale.

Chain of Custody

Documented record of who handled goods at each handoff. GPS bolt seals and container trackers log it automatically throughout a journey.

CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol)

Lightweight messaging protocol for IoT devices with limited RAM. Runs over UDP instead of TCP to cut connection overhead on constrained networks.

Cold Chain Monitoring

Wireless sensors tracking temperature from warehouse to delivery. Alerts when refrigeration fails before perishable goods are lost or rejected.

Construction Telematics

GPS trackers and sensors on site vehicles, plant, and equipment. Covers live location, engine hours, idle time, and after-hours theft alerts.

Container Tracking

GPS devices on shipping containers reporting live location and door status. Includes tamper alerts when containers are opened without authorisation.

Crash Detection

Accelerometer feature that saves speed, G-force, and GPS coordinates at the moment of a collision for insurance and accident reconstruction.

D

D2D Protocol (Milesight)

Milesight LoRaWAN extension letting sensors trigger controllers directly in 1-2 seconds - no cloud round-trip, no extra infrastructure needed.

D2D Protocol (Milesight Device-to-Device)

A Milesight protocol that lets sensors trigger controllers directly - bypassing the cloud entirely.

DDNS (Dynamic DNS)

Keeps a fixed hostname pointing at a device whose cellular IP changes on every reconnect. Essential for SCADA polling and remote VPN access.

DIN Rail

Standard 35mm mounting rail inside industrial panels. Devices snap on without tools - the mark of hardware built for permanent panel installation.

Direct Vision Standard (DVS)

London regulation requiring HGVs over 12 tonnes to hold a safety permit based on direct driver visibility through the cab windows.

DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment)

Formal risk assessment required before deploying fleet cameras or any system recording personal data under UK GDPR and ICO guidance.

Driver Behaviour Monitoring (DBM)

Scores harsh braking, acceleration, and cornering from accelerometer data. Used to reduce road accidents and lower fuel costs in vehicle fleets.

Dual SIM

Two SIM slots in a router or tracker. If one network fails the device switches automatically - ideal for unattended remote monitoring sites.

Duty of Care (Fleet)

Legal obligation on employers to manage road risk for drivers. Telematics creates an auditable record showing how safety was actively managed.

E

Edge Computing

Processing sensor data on a local gateway instead of sending raw readings to the cloud. Reduces latency, bandwidth costs, and cloud dependency.

E-ink Display

Screen holding a static image without power consumption. Standard on battery IoT sensors updating readings every few minutes for 7+ years.

Engine Hours

Running total of how long an engine has been running. Used for service scheduling on construction plant where mileage is not a useful measure.

ERPS (Ethernet Ring Protection Switching)

Ring network redundancy protocol restoring connectivity in under 50 milliseconds after a cable failure - far faster than Spanning Tree Protocol.

eSIM / MFF2

SIM soldered permanently to the PCB. No slot to corrode in harsh environments. Carrier profile can be switched remotely without a site visit.

Event-Triggered Recording

Camera system saving a clip automatically when a specific event is detected. No reviewing hours of footage - only timestamped exceptions to check.

F

Face Detection

Camera function that locates and photographs faces in a scene automatically. Captures timestamped stills at each detection for post-incident review.

Failover

Automatic switch to backup cellular when the primary WAN fails. Keeps remote monitoring sites connected without any manual intervention needed.

Fleet Dash Camera

Forward-facing vehicle camera that records road footage and uploads event clips over 4G automatically - no SD card retrieval needed for review.

Fleet Management

Systems for tracking location, driver behaviour, fuel, and maintenance across a vehicle fleet from a single real-time dashboard.

FORS (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme)

UK fleet accreditation scheme awarding Bronze, Silver, and Gold ratings across safety, fuel efficiency, and compliance. Required for many London contracts.

FOTA (Firmware Over-the-Air)

Pushing firmware updates to deployed devices wirelessly. Security patches and feature updates delivered without visiting each installation site.

G

Geofencing

Virtual map boundary that triggers an alert when a vehicle or asset crosses it. Supports entry, exit, after-hours, and route deviation alerts.

GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)

Collective name for GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou. Multi-constellation receivers produce more accurate positions than GPS alone in difficult areas.

GPS Bolt Seal

Container lock with built-in GPS that sends an immediate alert when cut or opened, logging the exact time and location of the breach.

H

H.265+ / HEVC

Video compression halving storage and bandwidth vs H.264. H.265+ cuts further by only encoding parts of the frame that actually changed between frames.

Harsh Event

Driving event detected when G-force exceeds a set threshold - typically harsh braking, sharp cornering, or rapid acceleration recorded by a telematics device.

HGV Safety Permit (London DVS)

Permit required for lorries over 12 tonnes to enter Greater London. Vehicles below 3-star DVS must fit an approved Progressive Safe System first.

I

ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)

UK data protection regulator. Fleet camera operators must follow its guidance on footage retention, access controls, and driver notification requirements.

Idle Time Monitoring

Tracks how long an engine runs while the vehicle is stationary. Identifies fuel waste and helps target driver coaching where it has the most impact.

IGMP Snooping

Switch feature forwarding multicast video streams only to ports that requested them - prevents camera traffic flooding every device on the network.

IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things)

Connecting industrial machines, sensors, and meters to networks for remote monitoring and automated control in factories, energy, and utilities.

Industrial Computer

Ruggedised computing platform with watchdog timers and solid-state storage for continuous, unattended operation in harsh industrial environments.

IoT Gateway

Bridges local sensor networks to the cloud. Translates LoRaWAN, Modbus, and BLE into MQTT or HTTP over a single cellular or Ethernet uplink.

IP Rating (Ingress Protection)

Two-digit enclosure protection code. First digit rates dust resistance, second rates water. IP67 means dust-tight and 1 metre submersion for 30 minutes.

IPsec (Internet Protocol Security)

Encrypts network traffic between two endpoints using tunnel mode. Standard protocol for site-to-site VPN on industrial routers and SCADA networks.

J

Jamming Detection

Detects deliberate GPS or cellular signal blocking. Alerts before a theft is discovered, even when the tracker temporarily cannot transmit.

L

Live Video Streaming (Fleet)

View any vehicle's camera feed in real time over 4G from the fleet platform. No need to wait for a trip to end to check what is happening on the road.

LoRa (Long Range Radio Modulation)

Radio modulation technology giving 2-5 km urban range at very low power. The physical radio layer that LoRaWAN network protocols are built on top of.

LoRaWAN

Network protocol connecting battery-powered sensors over kilometres. Covers AES-128 encryption, device classes A/B/C, ADR, and EU duty cycle rules.

LoRaWAN Device Classes (A, B, C)

Three operating modes controlling when a device listens for commands. Class A uses least power; Class C gives the lowest possible response latency.

LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network)

Category of wireless technologies - LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, LTE-M - for IoT devices needing kilometre-scale range on a battery that lasts for years.

LTE-M / Cat-M1

Cellular IoT standard that keeps connection alive as a device moves between towers. The right choice over NB-IoT for any mobile tracking application.

M

Managed Switch

Network switch with full VLAN, QoS, ERPS, and SNMP support. Mandatory wherever OT and IT traffic share the same physical network infrastructure.

MDVR (Mobile Digital Video Recorder)

Records from up to 8 cameras simultaneously on buses, HGVs, and plant. Event clips upload over 4G - no manual SD card retrieval required.

Modbus

Serial protocol connecting PLCs, meters, and sensors to control systems. Published in 1979 and still the most widely deployed industrial protocol globally.

MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport)

Lightweight publish-subscribe protocol for sending IoT sensor data to the cloud. Used by AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT Hub, and all major IoT platforms.

MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)

Hours-based reliability rating. Industrial IoT hardware targets 100,000+ hours - around 11 years of continuous unattended operation before a failure.

Multi-Drop Delivery

Delivery route with many short stops at different addresses. Creates specific telematics needs around dwell time, event calibration, and camera coverage.

N

NAT (Network Address Translation)

Lets multiple devices on a LAN share one public IP. Port forwarding creates specific inbound routes for SCADA polling or remote camera access.

NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT)

Cellular standard for fixed sensors needing deep indoor coverage and years of battery life. 20 dB better building penetration than standard 4G LTE.

NDAA Compliance

Confirms no components from manufacturers banned under US security law. Standard requirement for UK critical infrastructure and government procurement.

NFC (Near Field Communication)

Tap-to-configure technology working within 4 cm. Set up IP67-sealed sensors using a smartphone app - no cables, no tools, no opening the enclosure.

Node-RED

Visual flow editor running on IoT gateways and routers. Build edge data processing by connecting blocks on a canvas - no coding required for most tasks.

NVR (Network Video Recorder)

Records IP camera streams to local storage with remote access via browser or app. Compatible with cameras from any ONVIF-certified manufacturer.

O

OBD-II

Diagnostic socket under every vehicle dashboard since 2001. Plug-in GPS trackers use it for quick fleet deployment with no hardwiring required.

Occupancy Sensor

Detects whether a room is occupied. Used to cut heating and lighting automatically in empty zones for measurable energy savings in commercial buildings.

ONVIF

Interoperability standard for IP cameras and NVRs. Devices with matching profile certification work together regardless of brand or manufacturer.

OTAA (Over-the-Air Activation)

Recommended LoRaWAN activation where fresh encryption keys are generated each time a device joins. Keys rotate per session - more secure than ABP.

P

People Counting

Camera software counting entries and exits across a defined zone. Outputs occupancy totals, peak hour reports, and dwell time data automatically.

Plant Tracking

GPS tracking for construction plant - excavators, generators, access platforms. Live location, engine hours, and after-hours theft alerts included.

PoE (Power over Ethernet)

Delivers DC power over Ethernet. IP cameras need only one cable run. Check the switch's total power budget before planning large installations.

Progressive Safe System (PSS)

Camera and sensor package for HGVs below London's DVS threshold. Required to operate legally in Greater London since October 2024.

Pulse Counter

Connects to a meter's pulse output and sends readings over LoRaWAN. Turns any legacy meter into a connected smart meter without replacing it.

R

RS232 / RS485

Two serial wiring standards in industrial equipment. RS232 is point-to-point; RS485 supports 32 devices on one bus up to 1,200 metres.

RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator)

Signal strength measurement in dBm - less negative means stronger. Always check alongside SNR to accurately diagnose LoRaWAN coverage problems.

S

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)

Industrial control software monitoring and operating physical processes - power grids, pipelines, water treatment - from a central control room.

SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable)

Hot-swappable module defining a switch port's connection type. Swap between copper Gigabit Ethernet and single-mode fibre up to 100 km without tools.

Solar Harvesting (IoT)

Small solar panel continuously recharging an asset tracker's battery. Correctly specified, the tracker operates indefinitely without battery replacement.

Spreading Factor (SF)

LoRaWAN parameter trading transmission speed for range. Higher SF means longer range but 44x more channel airtime - managed automatically by ADR.

Store-and-Forward

Switching method buffering the full frame before forwarding and discarding corrupted frames. Protects industrial network integrity over cut-through switching.

Subject Access Request (SAR)

Legal right to request personal data held about you - including fleet camera footage. Operators must respond within 30 calendar days under UK GDPR.

Sub-metering

Secondary meters on individual circuits showing exactly where energy is used. Required for ISO 50001 certification and accurate tenant cost allocation.

T

Tamper Detection

Alert triggered when a device is removed, opened, or physically displaced. Fires immediately on detection - not at the destination when it is too late.

Telematics

Combines GPS, accelerometer, and cellular data to monitor vehicles remotely. Covers location, driver behaviour, fuel use, and engine status in one platform.

Tow Alarm

Fires when a vehicle starts moving with the ignition off. Detects unauthorised overnight towing before the theft is discovered the next morning.

TTFF (Time To First Fix)

Time from powering on a GPS receiver to its first valid position. Hot start takes 1-3 seconds; cold start without AGPS typically takes 24-60 seconds.

U

UK GDPR

UK data protection law applying the moment a fleet camera records a driver. Updated significantly by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 in February 2026.

Unmanaged Switch

Plug-and-play switch with zero configuration. Suited only for simple trusted networks - no VLANs, ring redundancy, or traffic monitoring available.

V

Vehicle GPS Tracker

Hardwired to a vehicle's power supply, reporting location, speed, and engine status continuously over cellular to a fleet management platform.

Video Telematics

Camera system linked to GPS and sensor data. Event clips upload automatically over 4G - no SD card retrieval needed to review any driving incident.

VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)

Splits one physical switch into isolated logical networks. Keeps IoT sensor, SCADA, and camera traffic separate on shared hardware without extra cabling.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Encrypted tunnel over the internet connecting remote sites as one private network. IPsec for legacy SCADA; WireGuard for new deployments.