We all know that everything is connected nowadays. Just a few years ago, the thought of having regular household objects connected to the internet seemed almost impossible. Yet here we are now. Cars, watches, and even fridges are now using the internet. And that’s what we call the IoT. When it comes to developers, dashboards are critical, because they make the IoT functional. So let’s talk about how to build your own IoT dashboard.
But first, let’s have a better understanding of IoT dashboards.
What Is an IoT Dashboard?
Well, by definition an IoT dashboard is a data visualization tool that transforms, displays, and organizes data collected and transmitted by network-connected devices.
In other words, an IoT dashboard basically acts as an IoT control panel that can achieve different goals for a business, such as collect data, enhance data, and monitor processes remotely.
Why Should You Build an IoT Dashboard?
First off, with the help of a dashboard, you get to learn how your customers behave, therefore granting you the ability to guide your product development based on that information.
Secondly, both users and operators can access and control specific processes and assets remotely. And finally, an IoT dashboard lets you monitor the performance of both hardware and software components, meaning that it allows you to reduce operating and maintenance costs, as well as minimize downtime by predicting potential product failures in advance.
How Do You Build One?
1. Planning
First off, before heading straight into the development process, you need to ask yourself a few questions in order to get a better understanding of what you actually want to do. Think about where your data will be processed and received. What components will your dashboard contain? What sort of gateways and protocols will you use? Do you even need an IoT dashboard? And so on and so forth.
2. Choose A Network
An IoT network is made from three major components that connect with each other: the devices, gateways, and the data systems, such as private clouds or public clouds.
Now, these components need to connect, and for that, you need to choose a network to support them. The type of network you need depends on your goals and the scale of your ecosystem. So, let’s take a look at a few types of networks.
Let’s start with nanonetworks. They are typically used in the agricultural, biometric and military fields where data is computed and sent by microchips and small sensors, hence the name.
Then there comes NFC. I’m sure you’ve heard about it. It’s used for contactless payment most of the time. NFC is used for connecting devices that are in close proximity to each other.
And finally, a LAN network connects devices within one building, while a MAN network can cover an entire region of a city.
3. Choose a Protocol
By choosing a protocol, you will get to choose how the devices connect to each other and the applications to which they send the data.
Bluetooth is one of the examples of such a protocol. Then there’s the DDS, most suitable for advanced IoT monitoring systems and for cloud computing as well.
4. Add The Right Components
Now, it’s time to figure out what your dashboard is going to actually contain. For example, let’s say that you’re creating a system designed to regulate the temperature of a house.
Your dashboard must contain information about the current temperature, and maybe an alarm for when a sensor fails.
Featured image by Andres Urena on Unsplash
