MSc Communications and Signal Processing / Course details

The unit’s primary focus is on the networking aspects of the Internet of Things (IoT). However, platforms and applications will also be covered, as will network modelling.

Introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT platforms: hardware and software.

Networking for IoT.

Protocol stack for energy-constrained nodes and ad hoc networks.

IoT applications.

IOT Security.

Network performance, modelling and simulation.

To provide a thorough introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT) in general and to those aspects of computer networks that underpin the IoT in particular. Students will gain some practical experience with typical IoT hardware and with networking tools.

ILO 1 Appraise the importance of IOT and its dependence on enabling technologies. scope and applications.

ILO 2 Identify the requirements, structure and implementation of IoT platforms, in terms of hardware and software.

ILO 3 Appraise the need of the protocol stack and the issues and techniques relevant at each layer.

ILO 4 Assess the networking requirements of different IoT applications.

ILO 5 Be able to reason about situations arising in the use of IoT in terms of MAC, routing and transport protocols.

ILO 6 Apply appropriate statistical and simulation tools to model and assess the behaviour and performance of IoT in different environments.

Introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT):
Wireline, ad hoc and sensor networks, PANs, LANs, WANs.
Node and network technology, applications and links to enabling technologies (e.g. DSP, machine learning).

IoT platforms: hardware and software:
Transceivers, microcontrollers, interfacing, operating systems and APIs, examples.

Networking for IoT:
Revision of basic networks: Wired vs wireless, protocols, state machines, the protocol stack, infrastructure vs ad hoc, channel access, reliable transmission, addressing, routing, congestion.

Protocol stack for energy-constrained nodes and ad hoc networks:
Wireless Physical Layer
Characteristics of the wireless channel, low-cost radio transceiver modules, physical layer software.
Medium Access Control
The need for energy efficiency in WAHSN, duty-cycle protocols, contention-based and contention-free protocols. Implementation issues. Example protocols.
Routing Protocols
Proactive and reactive routing revisited, energy-based routing, position-based routing, data-oriented routing
Transport Protocols
Issues with TCP, adaptations, alternatives
Application Layer Protocols
Purpose and examples e.g. MQTT and CoAP.

IoT applications

IOT Security:
Basic IoT security requirements, introduction to cryptography, securing different stack layers (e.g. LANs, network, transport).

Network performance, modelling and simulation:
Performance metrics, review of Markov chains, simple queuing theory and application to protocols, discrete event simulation.

Approaches to be employed will include:

Face-to-face lectures
Recorded lectures
On-line quizzes
Tutorials/problems classes

Unseen written exam (80%)

Online test (2%)

Network simulation (8%)

Lab exercise report (10%) 

Standard feedback on exam following Exam Board.

Immediate feedback on online test.

Network simulation - mark plus feedback 3 weeks after submission.

Lab report - mark plus feedback 3 weeks after submission.

P. Lea, ‘Internet of Things for Architects’, Packt (sic) Publishing, 2018.