Review

Internet of Things: A Comprehensive Overview on Protocols,

Architectures, Technologies, Simulation Tools,
and Future Directions
Mohammad Mansour 1 , Amal Gamal 1 , Ahmed I. Ahmed 1 , Lobna A. Said 1 , Abdelmoniem Elbaz 2 ,
Norbert Herencsar 3,∗ and Ahmed Soltan 1

1 Nanoelectronics Integrated Systems Center (NISC), Nile University, Giza 12588, Egypt;
[email protected] (M.M.); [email protected] (A.G.); [email protected] (A.I.A.);
[email protected] (L.A.S.); [email protected] (A.S.)
2 El Sewedy Electrometer Group, Cairo 12451, Egypt; [email protected]
3 Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication,
Brno University of Technology, Technicka 12, 616 00 Brno, Czech Republic
* Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT) is a global network of interconnected computing, sensing,
and networking devices that can exchange data and information via various network protocols.
It can connect numerous smart devices thanks to recent advances in wired, wireless, and hybrid
technologies. Lightweight IoT protocols can compensate for IoT devices with restricted hardware
characteristics in terms of storage, Central Processing Unit (CPU), energy, etc. Hence, it is critical to
identify the optimal communication protocol for system architects. This necessitates an evaluation
of next-generation networks with improved characteristics for connectivity. This paper highlights
significant wireless and wired IoT technologies and their applications, offering a new categorization
for conventional IoT network protocols. It provides an in-depth analysis of IoT communication proto-
Citation: Mansour, M.; Gamal, A.;
cols with detailed technical information about their stacks, limitations, and applications. The study
Ahmed, A.I.; Said, L.A.; Elbaz, A.; further compares industrial IoT-compliant devices and software simulation tools. Finally, the study
Herencsar, N.; Soltan, A. Internet of provides a summary of the current challenges, along with a broad overview of the future directions
Things: A Comprehensive Overview to tackle the challenges, in the next IoT generation. This study aims to provide a comprehensive
on Protocols, Architectures, primer on IoT concepts, protocols, and future insights that academics and professionals can use in
Technologies, Simulation Tools, and various contexts.
Future Directions. Energies 2023, 16,
3465. https://doi.org/10.3390/ Keywords: Internet of Things; communication protocols; application layer protocols; network
en16083465
simulation tools; IoT comparison; IoT hardware; IoT challenges; hybrid IoT protocols
Academic Editors: Chun-Yen Chang,
Teen-Hang Meen, Charles Tijus and
Po-Lei Lee
1. Introduction
Received: 3 March 2023
Revised: 31 March 2023 The Internet of Things has become vital to sustained economic development [1]. It
Accepted: 12 April 2023 turns buildings, such as homes, workplaces, factories, and even whole cities, into au-
Published: 14 April 2023 tonomous, self-regulating systems that do not need human help. They communicate with
the physical world via actuation, sensing, and management, using current internet pro-
tocols to facilitate data transmission, analytics, and decision-making [2]. At present, it is
almost impossible to think of a domain of life where IoT technology is not applicable [3]. IoT
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. is powered by the growth of smart systems, which are enabled by a broad range of wireless
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. technologies, such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Zigbee, and Bluetooth, as well as integrated
This article is an open access article actuators and sensors. This results in the development of enormous volumes of data, which
distributed under the terms and must be processed, stored, and displayed in a way that is effective, simple, and seamless [4].
conditions of the Creative Commons
The Internet of Things has matured beyond its infancy and is transitioning from the present
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
conventional internet to the fully comprehensive internet of the upcoming decades. The
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
IoT revolution has increased connections among things, at a size and speed that have never
4.0/).

Energies 2023, 16, 3465. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083465 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies

Energies 2023, 16, 3465 2 of 39

before been possible, to produce an intelligent environment [5]. Such applications’ various
requirements and limitations (extensibility, accessibility, and power) lead to an overall
heterogeneity. Furthermore, many studies, industries, and businesses are working on
different IoT features to meet the growing technological needs of such rapid growth. There-
fore, several protocols have been developed to accommodate various purposes, whereby
each vendor endeavors to dominate the market for the suggested devices and protocols.
Manufacturers are always under market demand to provide their services in the shortest
time. Therefore, rapid development is necessary to launch items early, pushing security
into the future. Furthermore, these items are applied in the modern environment, living
spaces, and essential infrastructural facilities (healthcare, transportation, and industrial) [6].
One of the primary areas of investigation is the need for reduced power utilization among
the devices used in IoT-based systems. In addition, examining potential communication
protocols has revealed promising opportunities for improvement [3].

1.1. Motivations
Multiple protocols have recently emerged due to the expansion of IoT applications
and operations. Each protocol aims to either satisfy the needs of a single use case or
communicate effectively throughout the whole IoT ecosystem. This evolving series of
protocols produces several sets of rules and guidelines. Unfortunately, many of these
documents are complicated; some may even be private and inaccessible to the general
public. Therefore, it is difficult to pick the optimal communication protocol for a new design,
and a poor choice might result in late production and increased design expenditure [7].
Additionally, the fundamental protocols of IoT are constantly developing, either due to
the introduction of new protocols or the updating of existing versions. This results in
heterogeneous deployments, where either various protocols are utilized on IoT layers or
future protocols are used in conjunction with obsolete protocols. On the other hand, a
limited number of studies provide a convenient simulation tool to evaluate recent versions
and the required hardware for evaluation and implementation.

1.2. Related Work

Numerous articles offer comparative methodologies and analyze multiple aspects
of the IoT, including its different architectures and techniques. According to a recent
meta-review, the IoT and its subtopics are of intense interest to scientists working in both
academic and industrial institutes [8]. Identified trends divide recent publications in this
field into the following eight novel categories: IoT applications, security technologies, data,
communication, communication networking, protocol standards, and development. In this
section, surveys and their coverage, related to our work, are discussed.
Concerning architectures and techniques, an overview of the IoT model is provided
in [9], which outlines its essential concepts and highlights critical developments in relevant
studies and technological contexts. Furthermore, several security issues were investigated,
followed by a brief discussion of potential IoT applications and their effects on various areas.
A few applications that could be realized using IoT technology were investigated in [10].
Several IoT platform designs were examined, and a generic IoT standard paradigm was
developed in [11]. Another overview of technologies was provided in [12], which studied
potential conceptual models, communication technologies, difficulties, and unanswered
questions. Additionally, a new six-layer design was introduced to protect the IoT infras-
tructure. Throughout the analysis of each protocol’s specifications, a comprehensive survey
of the application layer protocols, in terms of their characteristics, was presented in [7].
The results analyzed how well each protocol served the specified categories of various
applications and their respective communication needs. A review of the essentials of the
IoT ecosystem and communication protocols, developed primarily for IoT technology, was
provided in [13]. An overview of current IoT models, techniques, and critical open-source
platforms and applications was provided in [14].
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 3 of 39

Regarding the IoT protocols, the unique qualities of wireless technologies and issues
with their IoT integration were presented in [15]. The study focused on Bluetooth low
energy, ZigBee, Long Range (LoRa), and several other Wi-Fi variants. The problem of
selecting the best technology for a particular application was investigated in [16], which
compared the standard IoT communication protocols utilizing various parameters. The
following are some of the criteria to be considered in selecting the best technology: topol-
ogy, cryptography, power consumption, standards, frequency ranges, data rate, features,
security, and coverage. The constraints and deficiencies of present security techniques were
studied in [17]. Link, transport, networking, and session layers for IoT communications
protocols were the main focus in [18]. Insights into the various administrative and security
mechanisms for machine-to-machine (M2M) and IoT devices are provided. The study
focused on specific aspects of Internet of Things networks, including communication and
security protocols. An extensive summary was provided in [19] of recent developments
in the application layer of the IoT and the lightweight protocols required for them to
function. Nevertheless, the scope of the survey was limited to communication protocols in
the IoT application layer. A description of a number of standardized protocols at a variety
of networking abstraction levels, especially those designed for embedded devices with
constrained resources, was offered in [20]. However, the protocols are developing and the
most recent versions need to be reviewed.

1.3. Research Gaps and Contributions

Motivated by the points mentioned in Section 1.1, this work was conducted so as to
cover the research gaps and to develop a unified framework wherein to compare different
IoT protocols and outdated discussions on the current challenges and future directions
of the IoT. This paper investigated the IoT paradigm’s significant components, including
its architecture, protocols, tools, and applications. A presentation is provided for wireless
protocols, including the following: Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Z-wave, Wi-Fi,
IPv6 over Low-power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN), Wi-SUN, LoRa, Long
Range Wide Area Networks (LoRaWAN), NarrowBand-Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Wired
protocols, such as Power Line Communication (PLC), in addition to hybrid technology,
are also presented. Furthermore, a general method for comparing the IoT protocols’ stack,
based on the basic Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) stack, is offered. Moreover, we pro-
vide additional guidance on protocol choice and application to round out the comparison.
We then compare the professional IoT hardware modules and simulation tools for various
IoT protocols. Finally, a detailed discussion is provided on future directions in reshap-
ing the IoT paradigm in the Sixth Generation (6G) era to address the present challenges.
Overall, this work aims to provide a valuable overview for researchers and professionals
interested in learning more about IoT methods and protocols to use in several applications.

1.4. Outline
The study is organized as shown in Figure 1. An overview of IoT, including its defini-
tion and functional building elements, is presented in Section 2. An investigation of the
IoT system architecture and stack is introduced in Section 3. The different application layer
protocols are investigated in Section 4, The infrastructural protocols, including wireless,
wired, and hybrid communication technologies, are provided in Section 5. Industrial
IoT-compliant devices for the different protocols are compared in Section 6. Simulation
tools used in IoT and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are discussed in Section 7. The
current challenges and open issues facing the IoT are summarized in Section 8. The state-
of-the-art technologies that can be integrated into the IoT paradigm to tackle the challenges
in the 6G era are introduced in Section 9. A discussion of the study’s findings, including
forward-looking insights, is provided in Section 10. Finally, in Section 11, the conclusions
of this work are presented.
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 4 of 39

Figure 1. Article structure.

2. IoT Overview
The Internet of Things has facilitated discoveries, inventions, and interactions between
things and people. These advancements enhance human quality of life and the exploitation
of finite resources. Various IoT definitions and functional building blocks are discussed in
this section.

2.1. IoT Definition

The business and academic worlds have recently become very interested in IoT, pri-
marily due to the capabilities that IoT provides. It creates a world where all smart devices
and technologies are linked to the Internet and capable of communicating with one another
with the least amount of human interference [21]. Unfortunately, there is no agreed-upon
definition for the term “IoT”, since definitions are introduced from many interpretations
and viewpoints. The following definitions come from several researchers:
• Definition I: Things that are interconnected and actively involved in what can be
referred to as the future internet [22].
• Definition II: There are two terms in this expression: Things refers to all devices
interconnected to a network relying on identical protocols, whereas the Internet is
described as the global network of many networks [5].
• Definition III: The IoT concept is any device that is always available to be accessed
by anyone, at any moment, from any location, via any application, and over any
network [23].
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 5 of 39

2.2. The IoT Functional Building Elements

There are several fundamental building blocks in the IoT that make it easier for
smart devices to perform tasks, including sensing, actuation, identification, organization,
and networking.
Sensing Devices: The core components of the IoT system are smart devices capable
of carrying out a wide range of tasks, including sensing, monitoring, controlling, and
actuation activities. Any IoT unit requires a variety of interfaces to connect to other smart
devices, such as the following: interfaces for Internet access, Audio/Video (A/V), sensing
Input/Output (I/O), and memory and storage ports are among these. In addition, IoT
devices vary depending on the purpose for which each device is used, including the
following examples: Smartwatches, wearable sensors, vehicles, industrial equipment, Light
Emitting Diode (LED) lights, etc. [23].
Management: Remote management, either with or without human intervention, is the
primary characteristic of an IoT device that sets it apart from conventional devices that are
handled and controlled through mechanical switches or buttons. Additionally, IoT devices
can send and receive data so that a suitable decision can be made [24].
Services: IoT applications range from workplace automation and household appliances
to production lines and product tracking, among many other uses. These services can
be identity-related, information-aggregating, device modeling, device discovery, device
control, collaborative awareness, ubiquitous, data analytics, and data publishing services.
Security: Network data, particularly that of wireless networks, is vulnerable to a wide
range of attacks, including denial of service, spoofing, eavesdropping, and so on [25]. In an
attempt to counteract these assaults, IoT systems include security features, such as content
integrity, message integrity, privacy, authorization, and authentication [26].
Application: The application layer offers interfaces to IoT users so they may monitor
and manage various IoT applications. Furthermore, they allow users to assess and view
the status of IoT systems at any time and from any location to take appropriate actions.

3. The IoT Architecture

The IoT paradigm was initially developed in largely heterogeneous situations where
information could be collected from several resources and handled by various technologies
in a heterogeneous environment [27]. Therefore, similar approaches, functionalities, and
services can be grouped into the same layer in each proposed IoT model. This makes
it easier to develop and improve the architecture of each layer in the future. Although
the three-layer design adequately captures the overall concept of the IoT, it is insufficient
for research on the IoT, which often concentrates on the deeper points of the Internet
of Things [28].

3.1. IoT Stack Architecture

The IoT stack is divided into five layers: physical, data link, network, transport, and
application layers. These layers are depicted in Figure 2.
The physical layer is also known as the “perception layer” or “recognition layer” in
the context of the IoT. The primary function of the physical layer is to sense the physical
characteristics of the surrounding objects. It relies on various sensing technologies, such as
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), WSN, and the Global Positioning System (GPS) [12].
Additionally, it is in charge of turning the information into digital signals, which are easier
to transmit via a network. Nanotechnologies and embedded intelligence are crucial to the
physical layer [29]. The first produces smaller chips inserted into everyday objects, such as
nano-integrated wearable devices [30]. The second one provides them with the computing
power that any upcoming applications need. The Data Link Layer’s primary features
are packet boundary distinction, frame synchronization, sender and distinction address
management, error detection in the physical media channel, and colliding prevention [31].
In addition, each protocol has unique features ensuing from its design and implementation,
including media access control mechanisms, transfer speeds, communication topology
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 6 of 39

among units, coverage distance, power utilization, and many more. The network layer pro-
vides data routing channels so that data can be sent as packets throughout the network [32].
It includes all network equipment, such as switches and routers, necessary for proper Third
Generation (3G), Fourth Generation(4G), Fifth Generation (5G), Wi-Fi, infrared technology,
ZigBee, and communication and routing protocols. The transport layer collaborates with
the application layer to transmit and receive data without errors. It offers capabilities
including packet delivery order, congestion avoidance, multiplexing, byte orientation, data
integrity, and reliability for the sent data [33]. The application layer serves as the IoT
architecture’s front end, where most of the technology’s potential is realized. It provides
IoT developers with access to the platforms, interfaces, and tools they need to build IoT
applications, such as those for smart homes, intelligent transportation, smart health, etc.

Figure 2. IoT Stack Architecture.

3.2. Cloud Computing

The IoT paradigm integrates data and connectivity infrastructure into our surround-
ings. This results in the creation of enormous amounts of data, which must be displayed,
interpreted, and maintained in a format that is effective, convenient, and simple to recog-
nize. In the cloud model, data processing is delegated to a network of remote servers in
the cloud [34]. In this centric design, the cloud is considered the heart, with applications
built on top and a network of smart devices below. Cloud computing is preferred for its
ability to provide flexibility and scalability, offering infrastructure, platforms, software,
and storage services. Moreover, the cloud allows programmers to exchange resources
for high-performance applications, deep learning models, and analytical tools. It offers
a high-performance platform in dynamic resource allocation, universal accessibility, and
composability, all of which are critical for the success of upcoming IoT extensions. This
platform performs a variety of functions, including receiving information from smart ob-
jects, acting as a computer that analyzes and interprets various sorts of data, and providing
web-based visualizations.
Several studies have attempted to build a descriptive architecture to define the cloud
computing model [35]. Three levels make up this paradigm, with the first being the base
layer, which has a database that contains information on every smart device. Following this
comes the component layer, which contains the software necessary to communicate with
all IoT elements, to utilize some of them to carry out a task or to monitor their condition.
Finally, there is the application layer, which is responsible for delivering the desired services
to end users.
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 7 of 39

IoT architecture built on the cloud computing model primarily consists of the physical
layer, gateway layer, and cloud services. The physical layer is used to collect data from
networked devices [36]. The gateway layer contains network data, such as Local Area
Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), etc. It transforms data and prepares the
supplied raw data for cloud services. Cloud services are the central and crucial component
of cloud-based architecture [37], responsible for applying data analytical algorithms to
execute the data. The essential elements of cloud services are broker and message queues,
databases, servers, and event administrators.
The key benefits of the cloud computing paradigm are still the “enormous” storage and
processing capabilities, lower capital costs, and smaller ecological footprint. Nevertheless,
there are significant challenges associated with this technology, including security concerns,
delayed service, and limited bandwidth, in addition to increased latency and jitter when
portable devices load the resources computing services [38].

3.3. Edge and Fog Computing

“Edge computing” and “fog computing” are frequently considered synonyms. How-
ever, “edge computing” is a more general term and precedes “fog computing” [36]. Recently,
there has been a trend toward adopting edge computing as an alternative type of system
architecture [39]. Edge computing can be defined as a computing approach that makes use
of resources at the periphery of a network, while fog computing is a hybrid computing
approach that makes use of both on-site resources and cloud services [40], wherein sensors
and gateways play a role in data computation and analysis [41]. The major advantage of a
distributed fog model over a centralized cloud architecture is its ability to support real-time
and latency-sensitive IoT systems that make instant decisions, including autonomous cars,
augmented and virtual reality (VR) equipment, and security tools. Owing to the delays en-
countered, these systems cannot accept transference of their data to be handled on a cloud
platform. Edge computing brings the computation closer to the nodes at the network’s
edge to provide a minimal delay [42]. Fog architecture involves several layers, including
monitoring, pre-processing, storing, and security, that are placed between the physical
and transport layers [43]. The monitoring layer tracks power, availability, performance,
and status. The pre-processing layer filters, processes, and analyzes cloud-let data. Data
backup, redistribution, and caching are all services provided by the short-term storage
layer. Lastly, the security layer handles decryption and encryption, protecting sensitive
information and preventing unauthorized access. Both monitoring and pre-processing
occur at the cloud-let before the data is transmitted to the cloud. Edge resources differ
from cloud resources in that they include inherent heterogeneity, a non-deterministic load,
continuously scaling data, unpredictable links, and multi-tenancy among end users. These
challenges need unique approaches to management [44]. Managing the process becomes
even more difficult when real-time scenarios compete for busy resources amid unbalanced
workloads. Resource management includes activities such as allocating and scheduling
resources, offloading tasks, deploying services where they are most needed, and balancing
workloads [45].
With edge computing, machine learning (ML) can be deployed closer to the edge
of the network, where the raw data is being produced. Improvements in fog computing
productivity and efficiency can be achieved by employing edge intelligence and analytical
tools [46]. Edge computing that is driven by artificial intelligence may cause significant
shifts in several industries. By 2025, the International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates
there will be 150 billion smart edge devices available worldwide [47]. Although some kinds
of edge computing are currently in use, analysts predict that this volume will increase [48].
There has been remarkable advancement in the use of artificial intelligence (AI), instead of
heuristic and meta-heuristic methods, to enhance task scheduling [49]. A more detailed
discussion of AI and edge computing integration is provided in Section 9.
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 8 of 39

4. IoT Application Layer Protocols

4.1. Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT)
The MQTT protocol enables messages to be transmitted and received without the
sender or recipient being aware of who is sending or receiving the data. Three primary
components make up the MQTT: a publisher, a subscriber, and a broker [50]. In MQTT, the
publisher (server) and subscriber (clients) do not need to be aware of the identities of one
another. Since MQTT supports server-side processing, it is suitable for IoT devices with
constrained processing and storage capabilities. Due to its ability in controlling large and
small devices, MQTT is flexible and straightforward to utilize [51]. Two agents are present
in every MQTT connection: clients and the broker, which acts as a server. Devices used for
communication are known as “clients”. The subscriber (client) requests a message from
the publisher (server) to get information. Then, a client can connect to the specified server
with the broker’s help. The client in this scenario might be anything, including a sensor, a
mobile device, etc. The broker controls the flow of information and is primarily responsible
for collecting all publisher messages, sorting them, choosing the subscribers, and sending
the messages to all customers who have subscribed. Healthcare applications frequently
utilize MQTT.

4.2. Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP)

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Constrained RESTful Environments Work-
ing Group created the CoAP as a web transfer protocol for constrained devices with limited
capabilities [52]. The CoAP takes advantage of a portion of Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP) features. The resource limitations of many IoT devices have led to reconsidering
certain HTTP functionalities. The IoT application-specific protocols can be developed by
modifying HTTP’s underlying technologies. Many IoT devices, including cellphones and
RFID sensors, act as CoAP clients. The COAP server receives the data produced by these
clients ubiquitously. The CoAP server transmits this data to the REST CoAP Proxy. A
firewall connection is created to enable communication between the CoAP environment
and the rest of the Internet. The CoAP is commonly used in smart home applications.

4.3. Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP)

The AMQP is a global standard International Organization for Standardization/Inter-
national Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 19464, created by OASIS, that offers queu-
ing, message orientation, point-to-point routing, publish/subscribe, security, and depend-
ability. A stable and effective message queue is the foundation of the publish/subscribe
mechanism known as AMQP [53]. By utilizing the name of this exchange, publishers and
customers may locate one another. The consumer then creates a “queue” and connects it
to the exchange.

4.4. HTTP
The text-based and web-based HTTP is a communication protocol that provides
request/response RESTful features where the client communicates with the server by
sending an HTTP request message [54]. Since HTTP depends on Transmission Control
Protocol (TCP) as a transport protocol and TCP as a transport protocol and Transport Layer
Security/Secure Sockets Layer (TLS/SSL) as a security protocol, communication between
the server and the client is connection-based. On the other hand, an IoT connection using
the HTTP protocol consumes many network resources and incurs overheads because it
requires the sending of several tiny packets.

4.5. Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)

The XMPP is a communication protocol built on eXtensible Markup Language (XML).
Developed to expand HTML, XMPP enables the insertion of unique tags and online features.
It offers extensionality and data organization mechanisms as a part of HTML. For real-time
communication, such as instant messaging, presence, multi-party chats, phone and video
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 9 of 39

calls, collaboration, content syndication, etc., XMPP has traditionally been utilized. The
IoT real-time and scalable networking between devices or objects is made possible by the
utilization of XMPP [55]. The objects (devices) have one or more nodes, and each node
has several fields (of information). Each field has a value that may be read and written.
The nodes must send and accept friendship requests from one another. One node can start
receiving updates from another node after the other node accepts the friendship request
from the first node. If a second node wants to receive updates from the first node, it
must issue a friendship request and acquire approval. A dual subscription is used when
both nodes become friends with one another over the network; otherwise, a single-sided
subscription is used. One node can read or write field values in the other node, and data is
exchanged between them on a one-to-one basis [56].

5. IoT Communication Technologies

In some IoT applications, the available technological options are constrained by the
hardware capabilities, the need for low-power consumption, and the total cost of the device.
Achieving low power consumption is a crucial prerequisite for developing the IoT. In
addition to reduced power consumption, there are additional needs that must be taken
into account. Cost of technology, security, ease of use and management, and wireless
data rates and ranges, among other factors, are just a few examples of crucial needs that
need to be taken into consideration. Many developing wireless technologies, like ZigBee
and Bluetooth, compete to offer the IoT a low-power wireless communication option.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11ah, LoRa, and
6LoWPAN protocols, among others, are emerging as other wireless technologies. Figure 3
compares the distance coverage, rates, ranges, and power consumption of various wireless
communication systems. In this section, IoT Protocol stacks are introduced and compared,
based on their performance criteria. The reduced OSI stack is used for categorization,
wherein the presentation and session layers are omitted as they have no role in IoT akin to
the ones in Information Technology (IT) networks.

Figure 3. Power consumption, coverage distance, and data rate for the different protocols.

5.1. ZigBee
ZigBee was created when the IEEE 802.15.4 standard was approved in 2004, to be
utilized in Personal Area Networks (PAN). Therefore, ZigBee is more suitable for sensors
and control devices. It uses 868 MHz in Europe, 915 MHz in the United States, and 2.4 GHz
everywhere else. The protocol stack’s physical layer (PHY) and Media Access layer (MAC)
are defined by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. In contrast, the ZigBee Alliance determines the
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 10 of 39

network and application layers, as shown in Figure 4. It provides a data rate of 20 kbps at
868 MHz, 40 kbps at 915 MHz, and 250 kbps at 2.4 GHz [57]. ZigBee uses Direct Sequence
Spread Spectrum (DSSS) as one of its key modulation techniques to transmit data wirelessly.
DSSS works by spreading the signal across a wide range of frequencies, using a unique code
to encode each bit of the data. It ranges to 100m and provides low power consumption. The
Zigbee PRO Standard expands the capabilities of Zigbee networks to include child device
management, enhanced security, and alternative network topologies [58]. The process of
adding new devices to connectivity has been made, additionally, more streamlined and
consistent thanks to Base Device Behavior (BDB). Moreover, Zigbee 3.0 bundles all profile
clusters into a single standard, Zigbee Cluster Library (ZCL) v7. To prevent collisions in
the shared communication medium, ZigBee employs Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
the Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) technique. This ensures that the signal detects an idle
channel before transmitting data, reducing the probability of collisions and enhancing the
overall reliability of the network [59]. ZigBee requires the usage of a block cipher that uses
the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and a 128-bit key. ZigBee has many applications,
such as home automation, industrial control systems, and medical data collection [60].
Figure 5 shows the three primary Zigbee system structure devices: coordinator, router,
and end device. The coordinator is responsible for information management during data
transmission and reception. The router serves as an intermediary device, allowing data
to pass through. The end device and the parent node have only a few features to use
to communicate using battery power. A ZigBee network can have a star, tree, or mesh
network topology [61]. The features of ZigBee are low power consumption, low cost, fast
response, less interference, self-organization, multiple topologies, and high security. The
main advantage of ZigBee is the low data rate and small memory size.

5 Application layer
ZCL
APF ZDO

4 Transport layer APS

Security service
provider

3 Network layer NWK layer

2 Data-Link layer

IEEE 802.15.4

1 Physical layer

Figure 4. Comparing ZigBee stack with OSI stack.

5.2. BLE
In 1994, Bluetooth was originally invented by Ericsson, and the first description was
published in 2001. The IEEE gave it the 802.15.1 standard in 2002 [62]. Bluetooth has
evolved through multiple generations from 2.0, passing from the introduction of the low
energy (LE) in Bluetooth version 4.0 to the current Bluetooth version 5.3 [63]. The BLE
version 4.0 has a coverage distance of up to 100 m, whereas it can reach up to 400 m in
version 5.0 [64]. Furthermore, BLE provides encryption and authentication techniques
based on 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard-Counter with CBC-MAC (AES-CCM) and
Connection Signature Resolving Key (CSRK), respectively. It enforces two main security
modes, along with a mixed security mode [65].
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 11 of 39

Figure 5. Zigbee Network.

The first generation of Bluetooth Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) was
exclusively intended for sharing files via an asynchronous connectionless method. Its
connection is a single point-to-multiple point connection that can accommodate both
symmetrical and asymmetrical connections and is used for data broadcasting [66]. Figure 6
shows the protocol stack of Bluetooth BR or EDR. There are 79 channels, each with a 1 MHz
bandwidth, making up the Bluetooth Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band at
2.4 GHz. Bluetooth Class protocol’s Radio frequency (RF) layer Frequency Shift Keying
(FSK) is a modulation method representing a digital 0 and 1 by changing through two
unique frequencies inside the assigned band. BR uses a variation of this method, called
Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK). EDR was introduced in Bluetooth 2.0, and High
Speed (HS), also known as “Alternative MAC/PHY” (AMP), was introduced in Bluetooth
3.0 [67]. The modulation mechanism used by EDR is Differential Phase Shift Keying (DPSK).
Piconet and Scatternet are two different forms of Bluetooth communication typologies.
Piconet is a collection of ad hoc connections among Bluetooth-enabled devices. A piconet
begins with two connected devices and can expand to eight, one master, seven active slaves,
and 255 parked slaves. A piconet is an architecture based on stars topology, in which
the slave communicates only with the master, as shown in Figure 7. Figure 8 represents
coexisting piconets, with each piconet utilizing the frequency sequence determined by the
master [68].
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) introduced BLE in version 4.0. It was designed
for a low-power wireless network that does not need high throughput and for use in
scenarios where Bluetooth was not traditionally appropriate. The link layer, PHY layer,
and packet formats were remodeled to obtain lower energy consumption. Furthermore,
BR/EDR is only intended for two-way communication [69]. Due to its accessibility in
smartphone devices, its low cost, and power consumption, BLE technology has evolved
into an effective alternative. It is completely IoT-ready [70,71].
Table 1 represents the two major categories of Bluetooth technology: Bluetooth classic
refers to older Bluetooth versions, primarily intended for file transmission and audio
streaming, and BLE, which refers to newer Bluetooth versions for IoT applications with
low power usage. Both BLE and BR/EDR are becoming more popular as consumers desire
low power and high throughput. BLE makes use of 37 general purpose physical channels,
as well as three advertising channels. In various applications, one of the shortcomings
of the initial version of Bluetooth was that the data rate was insufficient relative to many
other wireless protocols, such as 802.11. However, the Bluetooth wireless communication
standard has been updated to version 5.0, doubling the previous version’s transmission
rate [72]. BLE 4.2 and BLE 5 have data speeds of 1 kbps and 2 kbps, respectively. On the
other hand, a BLE system would have substantially lower throughput. It must take into
consideration a variety of protocol overheads, as well as adaptive RF connection changes
to preserve reliable links in the presence of noise. Protocol restrictions, depending on
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 12 of 39

BLE data transfer processes and strategies, such as connectivity duration, frame size, and
acknowledgement technique, are also required.

Bluetooth
BR/EDR stack BLE Stack

5 Application layer
Application Application

4 Transport layer
GAP

Controller
RFCOMM SDP GATT

3 Network layer
ATT SM

L2CAP L2CAP
2 Data-Link layer HCI HCI
Link Manager Link

Host
1 Physical layer BR/EDR PHY LE PHY

Figure 6. Comparing Bluetooth BR/EDR and BLE stacks with OSI stack.

Figure 7. Different network topologies.

Figure 8. An example of a Bluetooth Scatternet.

Energies 2023, 16, 3465 13 of 39

Table 1. Comparison of Bluetooth versions.

BLE
Bluetooth Classic
Specifications
BR/EDR Bluetooth 4.x Bluetooth 5
Radio freq. (MHz) 2400 to 2483.5 2400 to 2483.5 2400 to 2483.5
Channels 79 (1 MHz) 40 (2 MHz) 40 (2 MHz)
Distance (m) Up to 100 Up to 100 Up to 200
Latency (ms) 100 <6 <6
Data rate (Mbps) 1, 2, 3 1 0.5, 0.125, 1, 2
Max active nodes 8 Unlimited
Massage size (bytes) Up to 358 31 255
Max payload (bytes) 1021 37,255 255
Peak current (mA) <30 <15 <15

5.2.1. BLE Mesh

In its early stages, BLE was designed around a star topology, where the master module
was at the network’s epicenter, and the slaves were at its periphery. Therefore, the master
was the only point of contact for all messages. In 2017, Bluetooth SIG announced that mesh
topology is supported with Bluetooth standard 5.0. This transformation has led to the
development of several mesh network mechanisms, and, consequently, to the classification
of the various types of BLE mesh networks [73]. Bluetooth mesh networking provides
many-to-many (m:m) device connections. Most BLE mesh protocols are built as layers
on top of a standard Bluetooth star network. The networking can be used in a variety of
industries, such as the smart building industry, notably in commercial lighting systems and
sensor network solutions in various applications. In addition, it is suitable for large-scale
device networks and IoT technologies with multiple devices communicating with each
other. This BLE stack was modified to support encrypting and authenticating all mesh
messages using provisioning data and the application key, and relaying them. It is also
responsible for segmenting and reassembling mesh communications as needed. Therefore,
the Mesh topology of Bluetooth is highly profitable for smart homes/offices and industrial
controls. Although ZigBee is perfect for home automation, Bluetooth may eventually take
over because Bluetooth is available on all computers and mobile phones, making it simple
for users to operate so as to manage their home offices using their smart devices.

5.2.2. Beacon Technology (iBeacon)

The advancement of either Near Field Communication (NFC) or Quick Response (QR)
code technology led to iBeacon technology. An iBeacon is a tiny device that uses BLE to
frequently transmit specific data across a predetermined area. It may be operated for a
maximum of two years by a coin cell due to BLE’s low energy consumption. However,
the transmission output power (TX power) and advertisement period selections impact
battery lifetime. Beacons have a maximum range of 70 m. Nevertheless, this may be
significantly diminished according to surrounding obstacles. Estimote, Kontakt, Gimbal,
and other vendors produce BLE beacons. A beacon comprises a Bluetooth chipset (including
firmware), a power supply battery, and an antenna. The main BLE chips’ current producers
are Texas Instruments, Nordic Semiconductor, Bluegiga, and Qualcomm.

5.3. Z-Wave
Z-Wave is a newer version of RF that is cheap, has low energy consumption, is accurate,
and is applicable for small-distance wireless communication systems [74]. It was originally
developed by a Danish company, called Zensys, based in Copenhagen in 1999 [75]. It is
a patented technology that merges sensors and actuators over RF to provide smart home
and office automation services. Although the protocol is publicly disclosed, details about
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 14 of 39

the network layer are still not ready for analysis. The Z-Wave routing protocol’s frame
forwarding and topological management aspects are reverse-engineered using a real-world
Z-Wave network [76]. It mainly uses strong AES 128-bit encryption for securing connected
devices. A Z-Wave network can handle up to 232 devices or up to 4000 nodes on a single
network [77].
As shown in Figure 9, Z-Wave is a reduced MAC protocol commonly used in home
automation systems. Other than home automation, it is used in various other IoT appli-
cations. It has a range of up to 100 m, allows point-to-point communication, and is ideal
for sending short messages. It employs CSMA/CA for accurate communication systems,
including a small acknowledgment message. A Master and slave system comprises the
Z-Wave infrastructure. The Master manages the network’s scheduling and commands all
slaves linked to it [78].

5 Application layer Z-wave command classes

4 Transport layer Transfer layer

3 Network layer Routing layer

2 Data-Link layer CSMA-CA

ITU G-9959
FSK/GFSK modulation
1 Physical layer
ISM band 908/860 MHz

Figure 9. Comparing Z-wave stack with OSI stack.

5.4. Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a subset of the IEEE 802.11 protocol family that enables users to establish
wireless connections to the Internet. It is a perfect option for many IoT applications, since its
utility is well-known and widely available, including in people’s homes, workplaces, and
other locations [61]. It utilizes various encryption protocols for security purposes, which
are Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and Wi-Fi Protected
Access Version 2 (WPA2) [79]. The IEEE 802.11 is a set of protocols for wireless LANs
(WLANs). It has evolved through multiple generations: 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n,
802.11ac, 802.11ah, 802.11ax, and, finally, the 802.11be. The Wi-Fi Alliance adopted a new
name strategy for the 802.11 protocols in 2018 to make them easier to memorize. Table 2
compares the old and updated naming conventions, along with the features of each one and
the utilized technologies. The range of possible data rates offered by these specifications is
11 kbps to 40 kbps. The communication range of Wi-Fi is roughly between 20 m (indoors)
and 240 m (outdoors) [80].
Among these amendments, the IEEE 802.11ah (Wi-Fi HaLow) is a solution that enables
better power consumption, better coverage quality of service, scalability, and affordability
for a variety of IoT applications. Wi-Fi HaLow is one of the Low-Power Wide Area Network
(LPWAN) technologies that operate at frequencies below 1 GHz [81]. It was developed
to connect large numbers of IoT and M2M gadgets [82]. However, the security features
of 802.11ah have a significant implementation problem in meeting the requirements of
resource-limited IoT nodes [83]. Although Wi-Fi HaLow was designed to facilitate long-
distance connectivity while using less energy, it still suffers from high power consumption
when compared to other IoT protocols like BLE and ZigBee. Wi-Fi has advanced to its
sixth generation with the release of IEEE 802.11ax, which outperforms its predecessor,
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 15 of 39

802.11ac [84]. Unlike the previous amendments, Wi-Fi 6 includes numerous significant
wireless advances that are especially useful for IoT applications. The adoption of 2.4 GHz
is the first major modification. Unfortunately, Wi-Fi 5 can only operate at 5 GHz. The
5 GHz range has less interference of RF; however, it has worse wall penetration and
longer battery drain than 2.4 GHz offers. The 2.4 GHz frequency remains the preferred
frequency for Wi-Fi-powered IoT devices. The usage of Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO)
is another key distinction between the two specifications, which expands the range of
IEEE 802.11ac’s multi-user (MU) communication. Wi-Fi 6 supports both downlink and
uplink MU-MIMO, while Wi-Fi 5 only supports downlink [85]. Similarly to how OFDMA is
exclusive to Wi-Fi 6, this feature is only accessible via that standard [86]. MU was developed
to accommodate a high number of interconnected devices while maintaining a minimal
collision rate and access time, and it permits numerous synchronous transmissions from
various sites. On the other hand, the next Wi-Fi 7 update will provide new capabilities
for time-sensitive networking (TSN) [87]. High quality of service (QoS) applications,
such as remote healthcare monitors and robotic management, will be supported by this
version thanks to the new suggested features [88]. Wi-Fi 6 adopted OFDMA to increase
spectrum effectiveness and enable large-scale operations, but Wi-Fi 7 is anticipated to
further optimize OFDMA efficiency with the inclusion of additional characteristics to
the OFDMA process [89]. Allocating spectrum resources employing an access point (AP)
for scheduling may have an impact on the latency. When it obtains the transmission
opportunity (TXOP) frame, the AP works as a scheduler and requests uplink transmission
from the stations. As a result, use of an optimum scheduling strategy is necessary to
get the best delay performance [90]. The definition of a low-latency access category (LL-
AC) has the potential to provide reliable operation at a predetermined latency [91]. This
will be extremely beneficial for a wide range of latency-sensitive applications, including
gesture recognition, object control tracking, healthcare monitoring, and other industrial IoT
applications [92].

5.5. 6LoWPAN
In 2007, the IETF working group developed the 6LoWPAN protocol [93]. Using
IEEE 802.15.4 standard radios, 6LoWPAN provides operation in the 2.4 GHz ISM band
across the globe, at 913 MHz in North America and 868 MHz in Europe. The signal
range is up to 100 m, and the highest data rate is 250 kbps [94]. The group has specified
encapsulation and header compression algorithms to send and receive IPv6 packets over
IEEE 802.15.4-based networks, as shown in Figure 10. This reduces the IPv6 header size
from 40 bytes to 7 bytes. 6LoWPAN uses a self-healing, time-synchronized, and self-
organizing mesh architecture [57]. Furthermore, 6LoWPAN integrates the most recent
generation of the Internet Protocol (IPv6) with LowPAN networks, allowing low-powered
devices to communicate remotely over short distances [95]. Therefore, it is necessary to
implement an adaptation layer employing header compression to transmit IPv6 packets
across IEEE 802.15.4 networks efficiently. Furthermore, because most of the routing methods
used on standard IPv6 networks are incompatible with the limited networks that 6LoWPAN
operates on, a new routing protocol, called IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy
Networks (RPL), was explicitly created for 6LoWPAN [93]. RPL is a popular routing
protocol due to its flexibility, energy-efficient routing capacity, and QoS support [96]. It is
based on source and distance vector routing protocols. Point-to-point, point-to-multi-point,
and multi-point-to-point topologies are all supported by RPL. RPL assembles nodes into a
Destination Oriented Directed Acyclic Graph (DODAG) topological structure [97]. Each
user receives an IP address in the range of 5:1028, and these addresses are distributed
independently to each device using the 6LoWPAN protocol. Regarding security, 6LowPAN
utilizes the strong AES-128 link-layer security mechanisms introduced by IEEE 802.15.4.
A typical 6LoWPAN device may have an average current consumption of a few tens of
microampers (µA) during normal operation and a sleep current consumption of a few
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 16 of 39

nanoampers (nA) when the device is in a low-power sleep mode [98]. Applications of
6LoWPAN include automation, industrial monitoring, smart grid, and smart home.

Table 2. Summary of the different features of 802.11 family amendments.

Naming Operating Max Max Data

Amendment Year PHY MAC
Convention Band Bandwidth Rate
802.11b Wi-Fi 1 1999 5 GHz 22 MHz 11 Mbps DSSS DCF 1
802.11a Wi-Fi 2 1999 2.4 GHz 20 MHz 54 Mbps OFDM DCF
802.11g Wi-Fi 3 2003 2.4 GHz 20 MHz 54 Mbps MIMO-OFDM DCF
DCF +
EDCA 2 , frame
802.11n Wi-Fi 4 2008 2.4/5 GHz 40 MHz 600 Mbps OFDM
aggregation,
BA 3
256-QAM,
DCF + EDCA,
OFDM, DL
frame
802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 2014 5 GHz 40 MHz 6.39 Gbps MIMO,
aggregation,
channel
BA
bounding

Wi-Fi OFDM, EDCA, TWT,

802.11ah 2017 sub-1 GHz 16 MHz 347 Mbps
HaLow DL-MU MIMO RAW 4

DCF + EDCA,
OFDMA, frame
2019 2.4/5 GHz,
UL/DL MIMO, aggregation,
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 2020 6 GHz for 160 MHz 9.6 Gbps
channel BA, TWT 5 ,
(6E) Wi-Fi 6E
bounding MU channel
access
HARQ 6
4096-QAM,
multi-link
Coordinated
802.11be Wi-Fi 7 2024 2.4/5/6 GHz 320 MHz 40 Gbps aggregation,
OFDMA,
Multi link
UL/DL MIMO
operation, . . .
1 Distributed Coordination Function; 2 Enhanced Distributed Channel Access; 3 Block Acknowledge; 4 Re-
stricted Access Window; 5 Target Wake Time; 6 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request.

Application
5 Application layer
MQTT/CoAP/...

4 Transport layer ICMP UDP

IPv6
3 Network layer
6LoWPAN Adaptation

2 Data-Link layer

IEEE 802.15.4

1 Physical layer

Figure 10. Comparing 6LoWPAN stack with OSI stack.

Energies 2023, 16, 3465 17 of 39

5.6. Wi-SUN
The Wireless Smart Utility Network (Wi-SUN) protocol was developed in 2012 and
became an open standard, based on IEEE 802.15.4g [95]. The Wi-SUN is a mesh networking
protocol that supports bidirectional communication and operates in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz,
and 2.4 GHz frequency bands according to the region. The Wi-SUN is made up of a
border router that connects the mesh network and the backhaul network, and Wi-SUN
end-nodes [99]. Owing to its effectiveness in header compression, 6LoWPAN is integrated
into the Wi-SUN profile, so Wi-SUN provides complete IP packets with header compressing
to minimize bandwidth. Therefore, long-range connectivity is assured, and the battery
lifespan is extended. The Wi-SUN has a power consumption of less than 2 µA (resting) and
8 mA (listening). It has data rates of up to 300 kbps and latency in the tens of milliseconds
range [100]. It supports multiple modulation techniques for wireless communication,
including OFDM and DSSS. The Wi-SUN connectivity schemes are classified into three
types. [101]. Category “1” is a wide-area open space information sensing and monitoring
system. This category is based on fixed point-to-multipoint communication and has a
1–5 km range. Category “2” is a wide-area urban information sensing and monitoring
system. In this category, multi-hop operation between radio devices or via Wi-SUN routers
may be used. Category “3” is a wide area mobile communication information sensing and
monitoring system. The Wi-SUN technology offers a set of stacks, also known as profiles,
that are optimized for certain uses [102]. The profiles created by the working groups (WGs)
in the Wi-SUN alliance are summarized in Figure 11. The standards are currently developed
by the Home Area Network (HAN) WG, Field Area Network (FAN) WG, Resource-Limited
Monitoring and Management (RLMM) WG, and Japan Utility Telemetering Association
(JUTA) WG. Many applications utilize the Wi-SUN protocol, such as asset management,
environmental monitoring, agriculture, and structural health monitoring [103].

HAN
5 Application layer FAN
(ECHONET)
RLMM JUTA

802.1x PANA Transfer

4 Transport layer UDP UDP
layer
RPL
IPv6 U-BUS
IPv6
6LoWPAN
3 Network layer 6LoWPAN IEEE 802.15.10
IEEE 802.15.10 IEEE 802.15.10

CSMA/RIT/
CSMA CSMA F-RIT
2 Data-Link layer LE-SF
IEEE 802.15.4/4e

IEEE 802.15.4
1 Physical layer
SUN FSK

Figure 11. Comparing Wi-SUN different profiles with OSI stack.

5.7. LoRa
LoRa wireless technology sends low-power data packets over a long distance to
another receiver node [104]. It originated in 2009 when two friends, Nicolas Sornin and
Olivier Seller, from France decided to create a low-power, long-range modulation method.
The LoRa architecture employs a network server, an application server, a gateway that
manages numerous devices simultaneously [105], and other components, a majority having
different wireless communication designs, as shown in Figure 12. According to the LoRa
Alliance, LoRa wireless technology uses the LoRaWAN protocol designed for battery-
operated wireless devices. The LoRaWAN network architecture can be implemented as
a star topology with bidirectional communication between end nodes and gateways. Its
modulation technique is derived from Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) technology, as it uses
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 18 of 39

chirp pulses to encode information over radio waves. LoRa provides up to three miles
(five kilometers) of coverage in urban regions, and up to ten miles (15 km) or more (line
of sight) in rural areas [106]. It supports mutual authentication, integrity protection, and
confidentiality. It mainly relies on the standardized AES cryptographic algorithm. The
applications of LoRa include smart agriculture, industrial internet of things, smart supply
chain, smart environment, and smart buildings [107].

Figure 12. LoRa network stack.

5.8. LoRaWAN
The LoRa Alliance, which was founded in February 2015, created a layer on top of LoRa
technology called LoRaWAN. It establishes functionalities for communication [108] (shown
in Figure 13). LoRaWAN is one of the most widely-used low-power wireless technologies
for communication over long distances featuring low data rates. LoRaWAN is ideal for
sending small payloads, such as sensor data, over long distances. This offers a substantially
longer communication range while maintaining low bandwidths, compared with other
wireless data transmission technologies [109]. It also provides a coverage distance of up
to 25 miles in line-of-sight or 800 m through buildings. It mainly utilizes the Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES) 128-bit symmetric encryption as a security technique. Many
applications utilize the LoRaWAN protocol, such as smart agriculture, smart city, and smart
industrial control [110].

5 Application layer
Application
HTTP/MQTT/...
4 Transport layer

LoRa Net security

3 Network layer
LoRa MAC
MAC options

2 Data-Link layer Class A Class B Class C

Baseline Beacon Continuous

LoRa modulation DCSS

1 Physical layer
EU
Regional ISM band
EU US CA
868 433 915 785

Figure 13. Comparing LoRaWAN stack with OSI stack.

Energies 2023, 16, 3465 19 of 39

5.9. NB-IoT
Narrow-Band IoT is a mobile communications protocol with a bandwidth of 180 kHz
that the 3GPP standardization group specifically standardized in 2016 [111]. With each
3GPP version, NB-IoT improved in support for more data rate, higher network capacity,
better power utilization, better compatibility with 5G New Radio (NR), and more. In 2022,
Release-17 was standardized introducing 16-QAM in UL/DL, as well as support for up
to 14 HARQ processes. NB-IoT is increasingly being used to support machine-type 5G
and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) [112] communication by establishing other ultra-low IoT
devices that benefit from enhanced coverage, deep penetration, deployment flexibility, and
lower energy consumption. In addition, the variety of LTE networks’ frequency bands
can provide flexibility in deployment options [113]. NB-IoT has 3 distinct operational
modes. The narrowband is used inside an LTE carrier while operating in the in-band
option. The Guardband mode allows NB-IoT to take advantage of LTE’s spare bandwidth.
In the standalone configuration, the narrowband is used in its frequency band [114]. In
all deployment modes, NB-IoT offers strong penetrating power and the best coupling
loss performance. The NB-enhanced IoT’s indoor coverage, reduced latency, sensitivity,
ultra-cheap device cost, minimal power consumption, and inherited LTE security are other
remarkable features [115]. NB-IoT supports Standalone (SA), Guard-band (GB), In-band
(IB), and Hybrid topologies [116]. In SA topology, NB-IoT operates as a standalone network
without any interconnection to existing cellular networks. It is suitable for deployment in
remote or rural areas where no existing cellular infrastructure is available. In GB topology,
NB-IoT operates in the guard band of the existing cellular networks, using the unused
spectrum between the DL and UL frequency bands. It allows NB-IoT to coexist with
existing cellular networks and reuse the existing infrastructure, making it cost-effective. In
IB topology, NB-IoT operates in the same frequency band as the existing cellular networks,
sharing the same infrastructure. It is suitable for deployments in urban areas where the
existing cellular networks have high capacity and coverage. In Hybrid topology, NB-IoT
can operate in both the guard band and in-band modes simultaneously, allowing for more
flexibility in network deployment. It has a coverage distance of approximately 1km in
urban areas and 10km in rural areas. Common applications which utilize NB-IoT are,
for example, smart metering, smart buildings, and smart parking solutions. The network
structure of NB-IoT is based on five components: terminal, base station, core network, cloud
platform, and vertical business center [117], These components are shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14. NB-IoT network structure.

Energies 2023, 16, 3465 20 of 39

5.10. Wired Communication Protocols

5.10.1. PLC
The PLC protocol uses power transmission lines to send data [118]. It originally
emerged in 1838 when a remote measurement system was initially introduced for monitor-
ing the battery levels of sites far from a telegraph system. The PLC operates at a frequency
of 300–500 kHz, with a data rate of up to 10–500 kbps and up to 3 km. It is ideal for smart
grid communication in highly populated locations since it has a high throughput and low
latency. It can be employed in practically every aspect of a smart grid environment, from
low-voltage residential appliances to high-voltage grid control [119]. It utilizes the AES and
DES cryptographic mechanisms for security purposes. According to the current transferred
by the electric wires, PLCs can be categorized into PLC over AC (Alternative Current)
or PLC over DC (Direct Current) [120]. In PLC networks, the modem node modulates
the supplied data before injecting it into the transmission medium and sending it to its
target. [121]. The modulation methods that may be used with this system are spread-FSK,
binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), OFDM, and FSK [122]. The PLCs have been used in
a variety of domains, such as narrow-band PLC radio broadcasting, networking, and
transportation [123]. The PLC has three main categories; Narrowband PLC, Mid-band
PLC, and Broadband PLC. Narrowband PLC (NB-PLC) has a frequency of less than 148.5
kHz European (EU) and less than 4920 kHz Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
It has a low rate and massive communication of up to 1000, and a transmission distance
of more than 1 km. It is used in low-voltage power distribution network automation
and meter reading. Mid-band PLC has a frequency of 0.7 to 12 MHz. It has low latency
and high reliability of up to 99.99%. It is used in smart traffic lights and smart meters.
Broadband has a frequency of 1.8 to 30 MHz and 1.8 to 100 MHz. It has a large bandwidth
with a latency of less than 50 ms and a transmission distance of fewer than 200 m. It is
used in home broadband access and interconnection [124]. Table 3 illustrates that some
alliances have produced prominent standards for NB-PLC, such as Powerline Intelligent
Metering Evolution (PRIME) (ITU-T G.9904), G3 PLC (ITU-T G.9903), IEEE 1901.2–2013,
and ITU-T.G.hnem [125]. G3-PLC and PRIME are open and have been adopted as starting
points for the official ITU standard, G 9955 Narrow-band OFDM-based PLC transceivers
PHY specification [126].

Table 3. NB PLC Standards.

Standard Data Rate Frequency Range

X-10 - 95–125 kHz
KONNEX
1.2–2.4 kbps 125–140 kHz
EN50056-1
IEC61334 2.4 kbps 3–95 kHz
ISO/IEC 14,908–1 3.6–5.4 Kpbs 86–131 kHz
G3-PLC 5.6–46 kbps 3–490 kHz
PRIME 130 Kpbs 3–95 kHz
IEEE P1901.2 500 kbps 9–500 kHz
ITU-T G.hnem 1 Mpbs up to 500 kHz

PRIME: PLC technology called PRIME is based on the ITU G.9904 specification. It
takes advantage of already-existing medium and low-voltage power distribution networks
to efficiently connect the components of a smart grid through the use of OFDM technology.
The PRIME Alliance created PRIME technology, which the ITU has designated as an
international standard. Version 1.4 of PRIME is an improvement over version 1.3. (v.1.3).
The PHY and MAC updates are part of PRIME version 1.4. These changes have enabled
several enhancements, including increased resilience, faster data transfer rates, expanded
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 21 of 39

capacity, more band planning flexibility, and IPv6 capability for the convergence layer.
Additionally, these innovations are compatible with PRIME v1.3 products already on the
market. G3-PLC: The G3-PLC Alliance created an SG-oriented communication protocol that
includes the PHY, MAC, and 6LoWPAN network layers. With a high data rate, high-speed,
and long-range communication capacity over the current power-line grid, the G3-PLC
standard can also cross distribution-transformers [127].

5.10.2. Ethernet
Ethernet was created to provide link-layer communication via packet switching. It
was originally developed by Bob Metcalfe at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in
1973 and initially supported by thick copper coaxial-type cables. It is commonly used in
connecting devices within local area networks and provides communication of up to 100 m.
Its modulation technique is based on Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) and supports
both bus and star topologies [128]. It translates datagrams from the top network layer
into frames for transmission across wireline networks. The IEEE 802.3 standard governs
Ethernet, which allows for nominal transfer rates of up to 400 kbps. Ethernet is divided
into numerous wiring and signaling versions of the OSI physical and data connection
layers [129]. Regarding power consumption, it varies depending on many factors, such
as Ethernet type, standard used, cable length, and involved device power efficiency. The
10BASE-T and 100BASE-T standards typically consume less than 5 Watts per port, while
newer standards, such as 1000BASE-T and 10GBASE-T, may consume up to 15 Watts or
more per port [130].

5.11. Hybrid Technology

G3-PLC Hybrid PLC and RF Profile
The G3 Alliance specification-based G3-PLC systems have been utilized in several
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and smart grid deployments across numerous
nations worldwide. In 2020, the G3-PLC Alliance decided to start work on defining the
G3-PLC Hybrid PLC and RF profile to expand G3-PLC’s versatility and relevance on global
markets [131]. The new hybrid protocol stack combines the primary G3-PLC media with a
supplementary channel made up of PHY and MAC RF lower layers depending on IEEE
802.15.4 and IEEE 802.15.4v Smart Utility Network (SUN) FSK RF technologies, as shown in
Figure 15. The first version of the G3-PLC Alliance hybrid companion standards supports
the spectrum range 863–870 MHz. Additionally, the adaptation layer uses the Lightweight
On-demand Ad hoc Distance-vector Routing Protocol – Next Generation (LOADng) routing
scheme to determine the transition between primary (PLC) and secondary (RF) media [132].

5 Application layer Application

4 Transport layer Transfer layer

IPv6
3 Network layer LOADng 6LoWPAN
Hybrid abstraction layer

IEEE 802.15.4 IEEE 802.15.4

2 Data-Link layer
G3-PLC MAC RF MAC

G3-PLC IEEE 802.15.4

1 Physical layer
PHY SUN FSK

Figure 15. G3-PLC Hybrid PLC and RF protocol stack.

Energies 2023, 16, 3465 22 of 39

By providing suitable interfaces, the hybrid abstraction layer links the 6LoWPAN
adaptation layer to the dual lower layer stacks. This increases the overall reliability of
the hybrid protocol stack by enabling communication via the alternative media if the
specified channel is identified in the routing table but fails during transmission [132]. The
LOADng routing protocol is a mechanism for assessing connection costs over RF networks,
generating optimum routes depending on the routing metric and keeping them up to date.

6. IoT Hardware Platforms

The power of IoT and computing abilities are reflected by the processing elements,
such as microcontrollers (MCUs), systems-on-chip (SoC), systems-in-package (SiP), and
field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). There are many different educational and eval-
uation boards available for running IoT applications, including Arduino, Raspberry PI,
UDOO, Intel Galileo, FriendlyARM, BeagleBone, Gadgeteer, and T-Mote Sky. The IoT is
also implemented using a wide range of devices and computerized systems. SoC and SiP
technologies are often used to create semiconductor options for IoT devices. While the
SoC technique enables semiconductor processes to combine analog, digital, mixed-signal,
and RF circuitry on a chip, SiP technology uses packaging processes to combine functional
elements created independently into a package, including MCUs, oscillators, and even
antennas. By using SoC technology, we may increase system stability and usability while
greatly decreasing overall system expenses. However, there are tradeoffs in device perfor-
mance and energy usage. The SiP devices, on the other hand, boost unit speed and improve
power utilization at the expense of reduced reliability and greater system cost, due to the
usage of a variety of materials and procedures in the fabrication of the functional units
included inside the packages [133]. Table 4 compares various industrial IoT-compliant SoCs
and SiPs from different vendors. Each hardware module supports one or many wireless
communication technologies. On the other hand, firmware is crucial to computational
platforms since it controls the execution of a device throughout its life cycle [134]. Some IoT
applications may be improved with the help of Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOSs) [135].
For instance, the Contiki RTOS has seen extensive use in IoT applications. Other embedded
IoT solution providers include TinyOS, RiotOS, and LiteOS [136]. One other essential
computational area for the IoT is cloud platforms. These solutions advocate for the use of
connected devices for data transmission to the Internet, for the periodic analysis of big data
sets, and for end-users to reap the most benefit possible from the insights gained from the
analysis of this data. The cloud platforms and accessible sites to deploy IoT services are
many, and a lot of them are provided at no cost and geared toward commercial use.
Table 4. Comparison of industrial IoT-compliant devices from different vendors.

Supported Wireless Transmit Current Receive Current

Vendor Hardware Model Sensitivity [dBm]
Technologies [mA] [mA]
Texas Instruments CC2651R3SIPA BLE, 802.15.4 −104 7.1 6.8
Texas Instruments CC2652PSIP BLE, 802.15.4 −103 7.9 7.3
Texas Instruments CC2651P3 BLE, 802.15.4 −104 7.1 6.4
Texas Instruments CC2652RSIP BLE, 802.15.4 −99 7.5 7.3
Nordic nRF5340 BLE 5.3, 802.15.4 −98 3.4 2.7

Nordic nRF52840 BLE 5.3, 802.15.4 –103 for BLE 5.3, 6.40 6.26
−100 for 802.15.4
NXP K32W041AM-A BLE, 802.15.4 100 12.1 4.3
Infineon CYW20736S BLE (SiP) −94 24–28 24–28
STMicroelectronics STM32WB30CE 802.15.4 −100 8.8 7.9
STMicroelectronics STM32WB35CC 802.15.4 −100 5.2 4.5

Texas Instruments CC3230S 802.11b/g/n −96 dBm at 1 DSSS, 223 59

−74.5 dBm at 54 OFDM
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 23 of 39

Table 4. Cont.

Supported Wireless Transmit Current Receive Current

Vendor Hardware Model Sensitivity [dBm]
Technologies [mA] [mA]

Texas Instruments CC3235MODAS 802.11a/b/g/n −94.5 dBm at 1 DSSS, 223 59

−89 dBm at 6 OFDM

21 at +10 dBm at
Texas Instruments CC1352P7 Wi-SUN −121 6.4 at 2.4 GHz
2.4 GHz
24.9 TX at +14 dBm at
Texas Instruments CC1312R7 Wi-SUN, 6LoWPAN −121 5.4 RX at 868 MHz
868 MHz
Wi-SUN, 6LoWPAN,
Texas Instruments CC1352X −121 8.0 at 868 MHz 5.8 at 868 MHz)
BLE 5.2, ZigBee
STMicroelectronics SPIRIT1 6LoWPAN −120 54 9
ROHM
BP35C0-J11 Wi-SUN −103 47 27
Semiconductor
STMicroelectronics S2-LP Wi-SUN, 6LoWPAN −130 10 7
Nordic nRF9160 LTE, NB-IoT –114 0.009 –
STMicroelectronics ST87M01 NB-IoT N/A N/A N/A
Silicon Labs ZGM130S Z-Wave −103.9 dBm 13.3 at 0 dBm 9.8
Silicon Labs ZGM230S Z-Wave −109.8 dBm 10.7 at 0 dBm 4.1
Microchip PL360 PLC N/A N/A N/A
Renesas R9A06G037 PLC N/A N/A N/A
Renesas PL3120 PLC N/A N/A N/A
STMicroelectronics STM32WL54CC LoRaWAN −148 15 at 10 dBm 4.82
STMicroelectronics STM32WL54JC LoRaWAN −148 15 at 10 dBm 4.82

7. IoT Simulation Tools

Due to increasing attention in regard to IoT and WSNs, modern simulators are be-
coming more and more widespread [137]. Selecting a reliable simulator is a challenging
and long-lasting endeavor, particularly in the WSNs arena, where several complicated
situations and various protocols need network simulators with specific functionality. Many
WSN simulators, including OpenDSS, Network Simulator-2 (NS-2), NS-3, OMNET++,
GridLab-D, and GloMoSim, are created to support the simulation operation of IoT setups.

7.1. OpenDSS
OpenDSS is a distributed simulation software that is free to use. OpenDSS was
created as an open-source power system simulator for the electric distribution system by
Microsoft [138]. General AC circuit analyzer, Annual load generation simulation, Wind-
power simulation, Annual power flow simulation, and Annual load generation simulation
are all supported by it. In addition, the simulation aids in handling fault analyses [138].

7.2. NS-2/NS-3
NS-2 is a network simulator that is free to use that simulates communication protocols
and network topologies. Both wireless and wired networks are supported. Users can play,
pause, forward, and stop the simulation using the network animator. However, it is not a
real-time simulation termed a virtual world [139]. NS-3 is an enhanced version of NS-2,
not a successor. NS-3 supports both parallel and emulation simulation [140].

7.3. OMNET++
OMNET++ is a free and open-source simulator that supports Mac OS, Windows, and
UNIX. OMNET++ consists of the unit and simple modules that emphasize the model’s
atomicity, allowing multiple unit modules to be integrated to create a complex module [141].
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 24 of 39

These unit modules are written in C++, but NEtwork Description (NED) is responsible
for integrating them into a network simulator setup. This tool covers a wide range of
areas, including ad-hoc networks, peer-to-peer networks, IPv6 networks, sensor networks,
storage area networks, and wireless networks [142].

7.4. GridLab-D
GridLab-D employs end-use models, such as the consumer, equipment and applica-
tion, operations and business simulation tools, retail market models, agent-based modeling
methodologies, and SynerGEE’s power distribution model [143]. In addition, it can incor-
porate third-party analysis software and data management [144].

7.5. MATLAB/Simulink
MATrix LABoratory (MATLAB), developed by MathWorks, comes with a visual
interface. Simulink is the name of the interface [145]. It provides many capabilities;
Algorithm Development, Graphics, Application Building, Parallel Computing, and Data
Analysis [146].

7.6. GloMoSiM
The Global Mobile Information System Simulator is written in Parsec and C and is
primarily used for parallel programming software. It supports a wireless satellite com-
munication system that supports thousands of notes with heterogeneous connectivity. In
addition, it includes a simulation library and a parsec compiler [147]. Figure 16 compares
various IoT simulators based on IoT criteria and features with justifications provided
for each chosen criterion, including availability, which represents if the simulation tools
are open-sourced or licensed, description of the simulator’s programming language and
how easily future hardware models will be able to utilize the simulated primitives. This
most significant network scale can be offered and simulated through simulator tests if the
simulator supports the emulator.

Figure 16. Simulation Tools.

8. IoT Challenges
Despite the advantages of IoT when it comes to many applications, such as Agri-
culture 4.0, Industry 4.0, and wearable devices, IoT faces various challenges [148]. In
this section, we discuss the IoT challenges in multiple aspects, such as standardization,
scalability, heterogeneity, interoperability, availability of services, power consumption, and
environmental concerns.
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 25 of 39

Standardization of the IoT is considered one of the main challenges to developing

IoT applications due to the diversity of technologies and standards. IoT architecture
and communication technology standardization are seen as the foundation for future IoT
growth [149]. These findings suggest that one of the essential elements for the successful
implementation of IoT is the use of open standards. Due to their accessibility to the general
public, these standards play a significant role in fostering innovation. A collaborative
consensus-based decision-making process is utilized to improve interoperability for IoT
systems using various technologies [12]. Additionally, IoT architecture must provide
interoperability and support full mobility to ensure uninterruptible service. Hence, using
an open and standardized architecture is considered one of the main challenges in IoT [150].
Interoperability and integration of IoT face critical challenges since the development
of IoT systems utilizes a range of protocols and technologies from different vendors. This
leads to significant heterogeneity and interoperability problems. Therefore, it is necessary
to employ a layered framework with a defined architecture to resolve this problem [151].
Considering the availability of service, coverage is a major obstacle that must be addressed
in order to successfully manage the dynamics of IoT systems. Availability refers to the idea
that every authorized item should have access to IoT applications at all times and from any
location [152]. Ensuring smooth connectivity and desired availability requires the linked
nodes to be adaptive and intelligent. Regardless of mobility, dynamic network topology
change, or currently employed technologies, the network’s availability and coverage area
must allow for the continued use of services. All of this necessitates the use of handover,
interoperability, intelligent offloading systems, and recovery procedures in the event of
some unattended operations [153].
Scalability of the IoT is the ability to expand the capacity of the IoT system while
maintaining the stable performance of its current services. Supporting a massive number of
different devices with memory, computation, bandwidth, and other resource limitations is a
major challenge in scalability [154]. Scalable procedures must be implemented for effective
device detection, as well as to make those devices interoperable. A layered framework and
architecture must be used to facilitate scalability and interoperability. Future IoT system
development will face significant challenges in designing IoT architectures that support
scalability, since they must manage a large number of system-connected devices [155].
The power and energy consumption in IoT systems is considered another challenging
area, especially when it is necessary to design low-power chipsets and supply reliable
power to sensors and devices [156]. This becomes more complex when the device’s battery
is located in distant places where it is restricted and costly to be replaced. Although the
development of wireless power technologies is still in its infancy, they have the potential
to send power over a considerable distance. More research should be conducted to lower
device costs and power usage while increasing device capabilities (such as processing and
networking), especially for edge computing nodes [157].
For edge computing nodes employed in industrial IoT (IIoT) systems, personalization
and responsiveness of service problems are raised as high-priority issues [158]. Therefore,
the implementation of adaptive devices to the specific needs of each connected node is
essential in order to provide reliable outcomes. Moreover, taking into account the dynamic
and non-deterministic nature of the industrial process, the service must be responsive,
more adaptable, and realistic to future scenarios [159].
When it comes to privacy preservation, secure data transfer to the distant cloud
is considered one of the most challenging issues [160]. The majority of device security
and privacy concerns concern inadequate authentication and authorization, a lack of
transport encryption, an insecure web interface, software, or firmware, etc. [161]. Security
and privacy must be taken into account from a variety of perspectives, including legal,
social, and cultural ones, to increase confidence in IoT systems. Every level of an IoT
architecture needs to include security functionalities, and effective trust management must
be implemented [162].
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 26 of 39

Regarding environmental issues, the environment is impacted by the Internet of

Things in both beneficial and harmful ways. Since there are more and more gadgets
being deployed every day, future research should pay more attention to the concept of
“environmental friendliness” [12]. The sustainability of the environment is one of the
biggest issues nowadays because of rising energy needs and electronic waste. To reduce the
carbon footprint and, in turn, various negative effects on human health, more work should
be conducted to reduce energy consumption, use renewable energy sources, and shrink the
size of equipment so as to use less non-biodegradable materials. With increasing demands,
the Internet uses up to 5% of global energy [163]. Therefore, this is another issue that will
need to be taken into account when developing IoT-based systems in the future. New green
ICT (Information and Communications Technology) enabling technologies that adhere to
general green ICT principles must be considered when developing IoT systems [164].

9. IoT Future Directions

By 2030, the 6G standard for wireless communications could make it possible for IoT
networks to have coverage everywhere [165]. In the 6G era, satellite-based communications
are seen as an auspicious way to meet the needs of IoT services. For IoT applications,
such as geo-location live tracking, eco-monitoring, and predicting of global disasters,
seamless coverage everywhere and interconnection are vital. However, geostationary IoT
networks like Sigfox, LoRa, and NB-IoT cannot satisfy the prerequisites of 6G IoT for
broad coverage and increasing reliability [166]. On the other hand, satellite-based systems
are available everywhere, can operate in any weather, and are very reliable. Therefore,
satellite systems must be integrated into 6G networks to fulfil new IoT needs. Hybrid
satellite–terrestrial relay network (HSTRN) technology has also been proposed to provide
fully reliable communication in both high and remote areas by using terrestrial stations as
relays to forward and enhance the satellite messages to the recipients [167,168].
The advance of 6G communications envisions a global, interconnected network of
satellites and aerial platforms powered by AI and big data to address challenges of scal-
ability, ultra-low-power consumption, minimal latency, privacy preservation, personal-
ization, responsiveness, and universal coverage, even in the most inaccessible corners of
the globe [169–171]. In this section, we present the most advanced research directions to
address the mentioned challenges.
The need for great spectral efficiency and vast connection requires the creation of
low-cost, dependable, and scalable networks [172]. The multiple access techniques used
in these networks have a significant impact on their effectiveness, making it necessary to
implement next-generation multiple access (NGMA) systems. Orthogonal multiple access
(OMA) systems, utilized in 1G to 4G cellular networks, will no longer be able to handle
the anticipated explosion in data traffic and device volume. To overcome this challenge,
efficient resource allocation should be used. Effective resource distribution techniques
allow for network enhancement in terms of coverage and performance. Many studies
have focused on developing multiple access mechanisms to handle the exploding data
traffic from IoT devices [173]. As a multiple access approach, non-orthogonal multiple
access (NOMA) has attracted much interest. NOMA is superior to OMA in many respects,
including its greater spectrum effectiveness, faster cell-edge performance, more relaxation
at channel feedback, and lower network delay [174].
Numerous studies and deployment constraints are created by the fact that the next
wave of IoT necessitates the network connectivity of a vast number of wireless devices [175].
Rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) is regarded as a viable strategy, as it allows sequential
decoding to realize the full capacity range of the multiple access network. It is a more
flexible and efficient transmission mechanism than NOMA. In particular, RSMA is a helpful
technique for decreasing collisions and IoT sensor networks that use random access (RA)
techniques [176]. Beyond its usage in obtaining high throughput, RSMA has the potential
to be used in massive IoT scenarios with a large number of connected devices [175].
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 27 of 39

Another promising technology is the re-configurable intelligent surface (RIS). For many
IoT networks, RIS has become a crucial transmission mechanism [177]. RIS comprises large
numbers of inexpensive passive antennas. The reflecting qualities antennas are manipulated
by pin-diodes or var-actors that can intelligently organize phase shifters and tune incoming
signals to target purposes [178]. The phase is adjusted to influence the radio propagation
conditions by reflecting the input electromagnetic wave in a different direction. The RIS
can increase the maximum user data rate. Due to these benefits, RIS has inspired much
research on RIS-enhanced networks.
Facing the challenges of long-distance and universal coverage, one of the technologies
that has received much interest over the last few decades is unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) [179]. Since UAVs are more flexible, portable, and adaptable in three-dimensional
space than cellular communications, they can better establish Line-of-Sight communication
and circumvent signal blocking and shadowing. From a technological standpoint, UAVs are
a potentially fruitful means of achieving genuinely pervasive connections for an IoT system.
On the other hand, the high cost and poor economic return of infrastructural development
in isolated and inaccessible locations means terrestrial and UAV networks are unable to
adequately cover the wide range of IoT devices (IoTDs) in both highly populated urban
areas and uninhabited distant regions, including smart cities, smart industries, emergency
tracking, and environment management [180]. To obtain universal coverage, a massive
number of connections, and high-speed communications for supporting IoTDs with a
broad range of services, the paradigm of a satellite and aerial-integrated network (SAIN)
has the potential to employ satellite and UAV networks as an interconnected solution [173].
Furthermore, situations requiring vast coverage cannot be handled by UAVs or Low Alti-
tude Platform Stations (LAPSs) in general. Meanwhile, the High Altitude Platform Station
(HAPS) has become increasingly crucial because of the broader coverage obtained by its el-
evated vertical position. It is distinguished from other communication structures servicing
a broad region by its low price, sensitivity to delay, rapid development and deployment,
and enormous capacity [181]. As a result, there is an impetus to adapt the XAPS paradigm,
which uses a single HAPS as a macro aerial base station, to provide extensive coverage, and
a number of LAPSs, as small aerial base stations, to improve connectivity in densely popu-
lated places, outlying regions, and other challenging environments. Moreover, to improve
network capacity and performance, cluster-NOMA (C-NOMA) can be integrated with the
XAPS model, where terminals in HAPS are divided into multiple groups, allowing for the
application of C-NOMA inside each cluster and OMA between them. Using C-NOMA
with fewer terminals in each cluster might drastically decrease the decoding difficulty in
comparison to NOMA [182]. This allows for more effective use of the available spectrum
while also simplifying the end-user experience.
To address the low-latency challenge, fog computing’s distributed and real-time
solutions can be integrated into recently implemented networks [183]. Research in this
area may focus on developing methods for real-time and distributed computing in fog
settings, as well as exploring novel applications of fog computing [184]. Moreover, machine
learning and optimization algorithms can be deployed at the edge nodes/gateways and
servers to provide the required awareness of the QoS. The load on the computing servers is
time-varying and nondeterministic because of the dynamic number of nodes accessing the
system, especially in the case of mobile nodes. Figuring out how and when the nodes decide
to offload the task by transferring the processing to the edge server presents a complicated
issue [185]. When it comes to AI, edge computing is often thought of as the “final mile”
because of the autonomous installation of smart services and on-edge nodes. Large numbers
of edge devices (miniaturized, distributed, and reduced-power) can implement precise
AI or, in coordination with other devices, for a variety of uses, such as networks of IoT
nodes [48]. The intelligence for such services can be distributed to the edge to handle the
task offloading challenge and satisfy the reliability and minimized-latency needs of data
transfer over networks. Lyapunov optimization [186], deep reinforcement learning [187],
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 28 of 39

and graph convolution networks [188] are among the promising techniques to be integrated
with edge computing in order to achieve communication-aware-computation.
The situation becomes more complex when it comes to the Space–Air–Ground IoT
(SAG-IoT), in which the benefits of satellite infrastructure and aerial vehicles are integrated
to enhance network coverage [189]. In this heterogeneous situation, task offloading and
resource scheduling confront more difficulties due to the fact that the real SAG-IoT operates
in non-deterministic spatiotemporal-dynamic scenarios [190]. Considering the long-term
performance, the space–time-varying behaviors of the node task reception, transmission,
and handling are random processes within a time slot rather than a snapshot of the sys-
tem, due to network variation and heterogeneity characteristics. Moreover, SAG-edge
and cloud servers are used up by offloading jobs; therefore, it is important to distribute
them fairly because different parts of the network have varying computational needs and
are subject to multiple limitations [191]. In order to reduce the total operating expenses
of the network over time, real-time optimization algorithms and reinforcement learning
models can be deployed to coordinate the allocation of computing resources at the local
level, aerial vehicles, and edge nodes themselves [192,193]. The challenge can be addressed
by employing Lyapunov optimization where the problem is broken into its subcompo-
nents, allocating computer resources locally, reusing channels, and reusing communication
channels [191,194].

10. Discussion
To realize the IoT promise of ubiquitous connectivity, the Internet has to accommodate
a wide range of portable and wireless protocols for the linking of multiple devices. In
this study, we took a closer look at the different integrated layers of state-of-art protocols,
such as ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, BLE, LoRa, and Wi-Fi, supporting modern networks for the
Internet of Things. We emphasized how challenging it is to establish a set of universal
standards and an abstract framework for contrasting various IoT protocol stacks [195].
It is demanding to create a standard method to evaluate them since the documents and
rules for each protocol are not always easily accessible [196]. The issue was addressed by
mapping the different protocols’ layers to the basic OSI stack, making it easier to identify
the fundamental structure of each one. Furthermore, different parameters, including
coverage, data transfer rate, RF bands, capacity, power efficiency, and the IoT environment,
were used to assess and compare the performance of different technologies, as shown in
Table 5. A vast volume of traffic generated by an enormous quantity of devices linked to
the Internet must be managed via interoperable protocols, especially the ones exhibiting
minimum consumption characteristics, such as the systems investigated in this study. The
802.15.4-based protocols, Wi-SUN, LoRa, and ZigBee, all have low power consumption
characteristics. In regard to BLE, it can transmit data at a power of 1 to 10 mW [15]. The
transmission power of the Wi-Fi is about 100 mW. In contrast, in terms of power utilization,
IEEE 802.11ah spent higher energy for the complete transaction of a frame than IEEE
802.15.4, especially in the event of a few nodes in a low traffic scenario [197]. Nevertheless,
it was shown that the power consumption of IEEE 802.11ah was comparatively greater than
that of IEEE 802.15.4 in dense environments [198]. When it comes to latency-sensitive and
real-time applications, current communication technologies simply cannot keep up with
the ever-changing requirements imposed on infrastructure by this developing field. The
infrastructure and software for the 6G Internet of Things are still in their infancy. As a result,
6G is expected to radically change the current IoT architectures and bring in a whole new
era of possibilities for low-latency and high-speed applications, including upgraded service,
life comfort, and user experience. Soon, the Internet of Things will be more heterogeneous,
combining many complementary networks to be implemented at various times, and it will
require simultaneous coping with obsolete protocols and a variety of alternative protocols.
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 29 of 39

Table 5. Summary of IoT protocols.

PLC
Characteristics Bluetooth LE Z-Wave ZigBee LoRa 6LoWPAN Wi-Fi G3 PRIME
ITU-T ITU-T
Standard IEEE 802.15.1 ITU G-9959 IEEE 802.15.4 IEEE 802.15.4g IEEE 802.15.4 IEEE 802.11
G-9903 G-9904
Network WPAN WPAN WPAN WAN WPAN WLAN WAN
Topology Star, mesh Mesh Star, mesh, tree Mesh Star, Mesh Mesh
Power Low Low Low Ultra-low-power Low Medium Low
868 MHz (EU),
Frequency 868 MHz–
2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz 869/915 MHz 915 MHz (USA), 2.4/5/6 GHz 3–490 kHz 3–95 kHz
Bands 908 MHz
2.4 GHz (Global)
Data Rate 1–2 Mbps 40 kbps 250 kbps 50 kbps 250 kbps 11–9600 Mbps 33.4 kbps 130 kbps
15–30 m 30 m (indoors), 10–100 m Urban (2–5 km) 10–100 m
Range 100m 10 m–100 Kms
Short Range 100 m (outdoors) Short Range suburban (15 km) Short Range
Spreading FHSS - DSSS CSS DSSS DSSS
E0 stream,
Security AES-128 AES-128 AES-128 AES-128 WPA2/3
AES-128
Air Pollution Monitoring. Mobile,
Audio Controlling and Agriculture Processing. Business,
Home Monitor and
Common applications Home Animal Tracking. Home,
Monitoring Control via Smart Grid
Applications and Wireless industry Fire Detection. Computerized,
and Control internet
headsets monitoring Fleet Tracking. Automotive,
Home Security. Browsing

11. Conclusions
The concept of the IoT has quickly spread throughout modern society with the pur-
pose of improving the quality of life by integrating intelligent devices, applications, and
technologies that automate everything around us. This paper discussed the most important
elements of the IoT paradigm, as well as its protocols, technologies, and applications. The
discussion provided examples of the various operational and efficiency properties of every
protocol. Thereby, this should serve as a solid groundwork for scholars and practitioners
keen on learning more about the IoT techniques and protocols to comprehend the IoT’s
general structure and the function of the various parts and protocols, which makes it easier
to select the suitable protocol and its simulation tool for any application. In conclusion,
we believe that the next IoT generation will be universal in its coverage, intelligent in its
offloading and resource allocation decisions, aware of the QoS, and more secure against
cyber-attacks, facilitating efficient communication between the physical and cloud levels.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, A.S. and L.A.S.; methodology, M.M., A.G. and A.S.;
formal analysis, L.A.S., N.H. and A.S.; investigation, L.A.S., N.H. and A.S.; resources, M.M., A.G.
and A.S., writing—original draft preparation, M.M., A.G. and A.I.A.; writing—review and editing,
L.A.S., N.H., A.S. and A.E.; visualization, M.M. and A.G.; supervision, A.S., N.H. and L.A.S.; project
administration, A.S. and L.A.S. funding acquisition, A.S and N.H. All authors have read and agreed
to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research was funded by Information Technology Academia Collaboration (ITAC)
grant number CFP207.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: There are no available data to be stated.
Acknowledgments: Authors would like to thank El Sewedy Electrometer Group (EMG) company
for supporting the research done in this work.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 30 of 39

Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in this manuscript:
3G Third Generation
3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project
4G Fourth Generation
5G Fifth Generation
6G Sixth Generation
6LoWPAN IPv6 over Low-power Wireless Personal Area Networks
A/V Audio/Video
AC Alternative Current
AES Advanced Encryption Standard
AI Artificial Intelligence
AMI Advanced Metering Infrastructure
AMP Alternative
AMQP Advanced Message Queuing Protocol
AP Access Point
APF Application Framework
APS Application Sublayer
BLE Bluetooth Low Energy
BR Bluetooth Basic Rate
BPSK Binary Phase-Shift Keying
CA Collision Avoidance
CoAP Constrained Application Protocol
CPU Central Processing Unit
CSMA Carrier Sense Multiple Access
DC Direct Current
DODAG Destination Oriented Directed Acyclic Graph
DPSK Differential Phase Shift Keying
FAN Field Area Network
EDR Enhanced Data Rate
FPGAs Field Programmable Gate Arrays
FSK Frequency Shift Keying
GFSK Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying
GPS Global Positioning System
HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request
HAN Home Area Network
HS High Speed
HSTRN Hybrid Satellite–Terrestrial Relay Network
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
I/O Input/Output
IDC International Data Corporation
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IETF Internet Engineering Task Force
IIoT Industrial Internet of Things
IoT Internet of Things
IoTDs IoT devices
IPv6 Internet Protocol version 6
IT Information Technology
ISM Industrial, Scientific, and Medical
ISO International Organization for Standardization
JUTA Japan Utility Telemetering Association
LAN Local Area Network
LAPS Low Altitude Platform Station
LE Low energy
LEDL Light Emitting Diode
LL-AC Low-Latency Access Category
LOADng On-demand Ad hoc Distance-vector Routing Protocol–Next Generation
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 31 of 39

LoRa Long Range

LoRaWAN Long Range Wide Area Network
LPWAN Low-Power Wide Area Network
LTE Long-Term Evolution
HAPS High Altitude Platform Station
MAC Media Access layer
ML Machine Learning
M2M Machine-to-machine
MQTT Message Queue Telemetry Transpor
MU-MIMO Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output technology
NB-IoT NarrowBand-Internet of Things
NB-PLC Narrowband PLC
NFC Near Field Communication
NGMA Next-Generation Multiple Access
NOMA Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access
OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access
OMA Orthogonal multiple access
OSI Open Systems Interconnection
PAN Personal Area Network
PHY Physical layer
PAM Pulse Amplitude Modulation
PLC Power Line Communication
PRIME Powerline Intelligent Metering Evolution
QoS Quality of Service
QR Quick Response
QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
RA Random Access
RF Radio frequency
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
RIS Re-configurable Intelligent Surface
RLMM Resource-Limited Monitoring and Management
RPL Routing Protocol
RSMA Rate-Splitting Multiple Access
SAIN Satellite and Aerial-Integrated Network
SIG Special Interest Group
SiP systems-in-package
SoC Systems-on-Chip
SSL Secure Sockets Layer
UAVs Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
SUN Smart Utility Network
TCP Transmission Control Protocol
TLS Transport Layer Security
TSN Time-Sensitive Networking
TX Transmission
TXOP Transmission Opportunity
WAN Wide Area Network
WGs Working Groups
Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
Wi-SUN Wireless Smart Utility Network
WLANs Wireless LANs
WSN Wireless Sensor Network
VR Virtual Reality
XML eXtensible Markup Language
XMPP Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
ZCL Zigbee Cluster Library
ZDO Zigbee Device Object
Energies 2023, 16, 3465 32 of 39

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