MQ Telemetry Transport
Encyclopedia
Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) is an open message protocol that enables the transfer of telemetry
-style data in the form of messages from pervasive devices, along high latency or constrained networks, to a server or small message broker. Pervasive devices may range from sensors and actuators, to mobile phones, embedded systems on vehicles, or laptops and full scale computers. The protocol was invented by Andy Stanford-Clark
of IBM
, and Arlen Nipper.
There are a number of implementations of client APIs for MQTT, and a number of MQTT server implementations. They range from Open Source, to technology inside commercial products.
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
-style data in the form of messages from pervasive devices, along high latency or constrained networks, to a server or small message broker. Pervasive devices may range from sensors and actuators, to mobile phones, embedded systems on vehicles, or laptops and full scale computers. The protocol was invented by Andy Stanford-Clark
Andy Stanford-Clark
Dr. Andrew James Stanford-Clark FBCS, CITP is a British information technology research engineer, specialising in telemetry and publish/subscribe messaging. He leads a research team at IBM, and is an IBM Distinguished Engineer, Member of the IBM Academy of Technology, and IBM Master Inventor...
of IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, and Arlen Nipper.
Specifications
There are a couple of specifications for the MQTT protocol.- MQTT v3.1 specification - the main MQTT specification. This protocol enables a publish/subscribe messaging model in an extremely lightweight way. It is useful for connections with remote locations where a small code footprint is required and/or network bandwidth is at a premium.
- MQTT-S v1.1 specification - MQTT for Sensors is aimed at embedded devices on non-TCP/IP networks, such as Zigbee. MQTT-S is a publish/subscribe messaging protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSN), with the aim of extending the MQTT protocol beyond the reach of TCP/IP infrastructures for sensor and actuator solutions.
There are a number of implementations of client APIs for MQTT, and a number of MQTT server implementations. They range from Open Source, to technology inside commercial products.
Real world applications
In the real world, there are a number of projects that implement MQTT. Some of these are:- Facebook Messenger iPhone and Android apps
- Say It, Sign It: Real-time avatar rendering of British Sign Language
- Location Aware Messaging for Accessibility: Making information accessible
- Andy’s Twittering House: The house that tweets
- Smart Lab: Monitoring experiments at the University of Southampton’s chemistry lab
- FloodNet: Monitoring river levels and environmental information to provide early warning of flooding