Concepts & Terminology

Common terms used in IoTBackend documentation.

• Device UID: Unique identifier of a registered device.
• Device credentials: Per-device MQTT username and password.
• Telemetry: Data sent by the device to the cloud (status and runtime values).
• Event: A user-defined signal sent by a device when something important happens, for example a mode change, alarm, button press, or threshold crossing. Events are different from telemetry because they describe discrete occurrences rather than continuous runtime values.
• Command: Message sent from cloud to device, for example reboot.
• OTA update: Firmware update delivered remotely.
• PlatformIO board configuration: Build configuration in template platformio.ini for selected hardware.
• Managed mode: Firmware includes IoTBackend integration and supports Dashboard control.
• Unmanaged mode: Firmware does not include IoTBackend integration.

Presence states

Devices can appear in three states:

• ONLINE: Fresh telemetry is being received.
• RECONNECTING: Device is reconnecting or telemetry is temporarily delayed.
• OFFLINE: No telemetry for too long.