Connecting Devices

Devices connect to the intelliThings platform using MQTTS — MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) secured with TLS/SSL encryption. This ensures that all data transmitted between your devices and the platform is protected.

What is MQTT?

MQTT is a lightweight, publish/subscribe messaging protocol designed for IoT (Internet of Things) devices. Instead of devices polling each other directly, they publish data to topics and subscribe to topics they care about. A central broker handles the routing of messages.

Here's how it works at a high level:

• Your device publishes data to a topic (e.g., mycompany/fromDevice/SN12345)
• Your device subscribes to a topic to receive commands (e.g., mycompany/toDevice/SN12345)
• The intelliThings broker routes messages between devices and the platform

What is MQTTS?

MQTTS is MQTT running over a TLS/SSL encrypted connection. This adds two critical layers of security:

• Encryption — all data between your device and the platform is encrypted in transit
• Authentication — your device proves its identity using a certificate, preventing unauthorized access

Why Use MQTTS?

• Security — protects your data from interception and your device from unauthorized control
• Reliability — the intelliThings broker guarantees message delivery using configurable QoS levels
• Scalability — connect one device or an entire fleet using the same secure infrastructure

Supported Devices

MQTTS is the standard connection method for any device that sends or receives data through the intelliThings platform, including:

• Industrial machines — CNC machines, PLCs, production line equipment
• Smart home devices — sensors, controllers, thermostats
• Environmental sensors — temperature, humidity, air quality monitors
• Energy monitors — smart meters, power consumption trackers
• Custom IoT devices — any device that can run MQTT 3.1.1 and TLS 1.2+

Connection Overview

To connect a device to the intelliThings platform, you need three things:

1. Broker address and port — the server your device connects to
2. Certificates — proof of identity for your device
3. Topic configuration — the topics your device publishes to and subscribes from

The following articles cover each of these in detail:

• Supported Devices — list of hardware, development boards, and connectivity modules compatible with intelliThings
• MQTT Fundamentals — how MQTT works, the publish/subscribe model, and how data flows to Datastreams
• Certificates & Device Setup — how to generate and download certificates from the Device Template section
• Broker Connection — broker URL, port, topic structure, and how publishing/subscribing works