This topic describes common terms for the IoT Platform.
General terms for the IoT Platform
Console
Term | Description |
Home page | The home page provides access to all console features. |
Project | Each project has a unique ID, and data is isolated between projects. You can create different projects for different customers or authorize an Alibaba Cloud account to access a specific project. This facilitates multi-party collaboration or independent delivery by an operations hub. |
Configuration Center | The Configuration Center, also known as the development center, provides a series of configuration and development interfaces. These include project management, product development, app development, and cloud debugging. |
Mass Production Center | The Mass Production Center is used for mass-producing devices and generating device activation codes (device certificates) in batches. It also records and manages activation code data for mass-produced devices within a project. |
Operation Center | The Operation Center provides features such as real-time monitoring, Voice Service, and operations management. |
Operations Hub | The Operations Hub provides a complete solution that includes basic features for device data analysis and user operations. These features, such as device lists, logs, firmware upgrades, and data charts, can be directly delivered to the operators of smart devices. |
Member Management | Member Management is used to manage authorized accounts, which are the members who can use a project. The IoT Platform lets you grant other users (Alibaba Cloud accounts) permissions on an entire project or a specific product. The scope of authorization can be the development center, Configuration Center, or Operations Hub. |
Cloud Settings | Cloud Settings is used to configure cloud-related information. This includes basic parameters for calling cloud APIs, the URL for data push, and a list of APIs. |
Legacy products | In the previous version of the IoT Platform, Tmall Genie ecosystem projects and self-branded projects were separate, and products were not interchangeable between project types. After the platform was upgraded to merge these projects, products from the old projects are now considered legacy products. Products created before April 15, 2023 are also considered legacy products. |
Product
Term | Description |
Function definition | The platform provides standard functions for each product category. These are standard Thing Specification Language (TSL) model properties, events, and services. If the standard functions do not meet your needs, you can also define custom functions. |
Human-computer interaction | The platform lets you configure human-computer interaction for products. This enriches the product's interactive experience and enables smart life scenarios. |
Device debugging | Products connected to the platform require various types of device debugging. This includes online device debugging, voice debugging, and panel debugging. |
Product publishing | After product development is complete, publish the product. Users can then search for and use the product in the marketplace. |
Device
Term | Description |
Standard device | A standard device on the IoT Platform is any device connected to the platform that is not a video device. |
Test device | A test device is a virtual device provided by the IoT Platform for debugging during product development. A test device includes a device certificate (ProductKey, DeviceName, and DeviceSecret). Each product is limited to 50 test devices, which cannot be used for mass production. |
Device activation code | A device activation code is for non-video devices. It is a device certificate issued after pre-registration in the cloud and includes a ProductKey, DeviceName, and DeviceSecret. You can download the code as an Excel file for batch programming on the production line. The device uses this credential for authentication when it goes online. To mass-produce standard devices, you must purchase device activation codes. |
Video activation code | A video activation code is for video devices. It is a device certificate issued after pre-registration in the cloud and includes a ProductKey, DeviceName, and DeviceSecret. You can download the code as an Excel file for batch programming on the production line. The device uses this credential for authentication when it goes online. To mass-produce video devices, you must purchase video activation codes. |
First-party chip | This is a chip launched by the IoT Platform. Products developed with this type of chip are better adapted to the platform's features and services, providing a better user experience. |
App
Term | Description |
Interactive client | This refers to interactive clients such as Tmall Genie smart speakers with screens, the Tmall Genie app, and Tmall Genie for vehicles. |
Tmall Genie app | The Tmall Genie app is provided by the IoT Platform. It connects directly to smart IoT devices on the platform and uses the Tmall Genie ecosystem. End users can use the Tmall Genie app to control their smart IoT devices. Consumers can download the Tmall Genie app directly from app stores. |
Cloud Intelligence app | The IoT Platform provides the Cloud Intelligence app, which is available in Global, China, Outside China, and Developer editions. The Developer edition is used for control and debugging during product development. The user editions are Global, China, and Outside China. Consumers can download the user editions of the Cloud Intelligence app directly from app stores. Note The Cloud Intelligence app was formerly known as the Public App. All references to the Public App on the platform now refer to the Cloud Intelligence app. |
Self-branded app | This is an app for your own brand. You must develop it yourself and list it in app stores. |
General IoT terms
Term | Description |
Product | A collection of devices, typically a group of devices with the same features. The IoT Platform issues a globally unique ProductKey for each product. |
Device | A specific device that belongs to a product. The IoT Platform issues a unique DeviceName for the device within the product. A device can connect directly to the IoT Platform or connect as a sub-device through a gateway. |
Gateway | A device that can connect directly to the IoT Platform cloud. It has sub-device management features and can act as a proxy for sub-devices to connect to the cloud. |
Sub-device | A sub-device is also a type of device. It cannot connect directly to the IoT Platform and must connect through a gateway. |
Device certificate | A device certificate is a combination of a ProductKey, a DeviceName, and a DeviceSecret.
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ProductSecret | A product secret issued by the IoT Platform. It is usually paired with the ProductKey and can be used for per-product authentication. This parameter is important. Keep it secure and do not disclose it. |
Topic | A topic is a UTF-8 string that acts as a transport medium for publishing (Pub) and subscribing (Sub) to messages. You can publish messages to or subscribe to messages from a topic. |
Topic category | A topic category is a collection of topics for different devices under the same product. The wildcards ${productkey} and ${deviceName} represent a unique device. A topic category is common to all devices under a ProductKey. |
Publish | A permission type for operating on a topic. The corresponding English term is Pub. This permission lets you publish messages to this category of topics. |
Subscribe | A permission type for operating on a topic. The corresponding English term is Sub. This permission lets you subscribe to messages from this category of topics. |
RRPC | Stands for Revert-RPC. Remote Procedure Call (RPC) uses a client/server model that lets users request services remotely without understanding the underlying protocols. RRPC allows the server-side to send requests to the device and enables the device to respond. |
Tag | Tags are divided into product tags, device tags, and group tags.
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Alink protocol | The Alink protocol is a communication protocol defined by Alibaba Cloud for communication between devices and the cloud. |
Thing Specification Language model | A Thing Specification Language model describes a device's features in the cloud, including its properties, services, and events. The IoT Platform uses a JSON-formatted language, Thing Specification Language (TSL), to define this model. You can use TSL to structure the data that your device reports. |
Property | A property is one of the device's functional models. It is generally used to describe the device's runtime status, such as the current environmental temperature read by an environmental monitoring device. Properties support GET and SET request methods. An application can send requests to read and set properties. |
Service | A service is one of the device's functional models. It is a capability or method of the device that can be called externally. You can set input and output parameters for a service. Compared to properties, services can implement more complex business logic with a single instruction, such as executing a specific task. |
Event | An event is one of the device's functional models. It represents a runtime event of the device. An event usually contains notification information that needs to be perceived and processed externally and can include multiple output parameters. Examples include information that a task is complete, or the temperature when a device fails or an alert occurs. Events can be subscribed to and pushed. |
Data parsing script | For devices that use a pass-through or custom data format, you must write a data parsing script in the cloud. The script converts binary data or custom JSON data reported by the device into the Alink JSON format supported by the IoT Platform. The script also converts Alink JSON data sent from the platform into a format that the device supports. |
Scene orchestration | Scene orchestration is a visual programming method for developing automated business logic. You can visually define interaction rules between devices and deploy the rules to the cloud or the edge. |
Per-product authentication | All devices under the same product can be programmed with the same product certificate (ProductKey and ProductSecret). When a device sends an activation request, the IoT Platform authenticates the product certificate information it carries. If authentication is successful, the platform issues the information required for the device to connect. The device then uses this information to establish a connection with the IoT Platform. |
Per-device authentication | Each device is programmed with its unique device certificate (ProductKey, DeviceName, and DeviceSecret). When the device establishes a connection with the IoT Platform, the platform authenticates the device certificate information it carries. |