Welcome to the world of the Internet of Things (IoT)! This module will define IoT, exploring its profound impact on society and how technological trends have enabled its rapid growth. You'll understand how IoT is changing design and innovation. By the end, you'll be able to define IoT and describe its societal ramifications. To succeed, focus on understanding the core concepts as they form the foundation for future modules.

You’ll learn how IoT devices are implemented through embedded systems—computers designed for a specific purpose with tight constraints. You’ll identify core embedded system components, explain how sensors/actuators connect the digital and physical worlds, and reason about key design constraints (power, cost, reliability). By the end, you’ll be able to sketch a basic embedded system architecture for a simple IoT use case.

In this module, you’ll learn the core hardware and software elements that make up an IoT device. You’ll identify key hardware components such as microcontrollers and integrated circuits, and understand what role each plays in a device. You’ll also explore how software runs on these devices by comparing compiled and interpreted languages, and by examining how operating systems support tasks and resource management. By the end, you’ll be able to describe how hardware and software work together inside an IoT device and explain the basics of how code is executed on embedded platforms.

In this module, you’ll learn the networking fundamentals that enable IoT devices to connect and communicate. You’ll examine common networking components, explore how the Internet is structured, and learn how data moves across networks. You’ll also study the protocol stack and the purpose of different network layers, and review the basic ideas behind mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). By the end, you’ll be able to explain how IoT devices exchange data over networks and describe the key networking concepts that support Internet communication.