It’s been a long time since cars were simply about getting people from point A to point B. Today, our vehicles are more like smartphones or computers, packed with the very latest connected technology to make driving easier, safer and more relaxing.
But, this shift to intelligent always-on tech comes with complex issues concerning communication infrastructure. Live traffic updates, autonomous driving, real-time telematics data, even simple infotainment usability – they all require fast, reliable and efficient over-the-air messaging to operate. That’s where Internet of Things specialist EMQ is changing the game.
Using advanced MQTT ‘over’ QUIC messaging protocols (don’t worry, we’ll come back to this in a moment), EMQ’s latest product, EMQX, acts as a scalable, reliable and secure broker, helping connected technology in our cars communicate with the wider automotive infrastructure to keep cars up-to-date and receiving the data they need.
In this article, we’ll break down exactly what MQTT messaging is, what its benefits are and why EMQX could help your products communicate faster and more reliably than ever before. To find out more about how MQTT messaging can work for your business, download EMQ’s comprehensive research paper below.
Download EMQ’s full report here
What is MQTT messaging and what are its benefits?
Let’s start with covering some basic terminology. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to any device with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet or other communications networks.
Today’s cars are packed with so much connected technology that they even have their own phrase: Internet of Vehicles (or IoV for short). As we’ve covered, the tech in IoVs can cover anything from infotainment and live traffic updates to full autonomous driving and smartphone connectivity (such as the ability to lock and unlock your car from the comfort of your home).
For years, Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) has been the de facto messaging protocol used to allow these devices to communicate with each other and the wider automotive network. MQTT effectively acts as a server between these devices, ensuring that the correct messages are sent to the correct devices at the correct time.
MQTT is based on a publish-subscribe model. This means that devices, such as sensors in your car, can either publish and send data to another device, or subscribe and receive data from another device. Or, a device can be both a publisher and a subscriber, both sending and receiving data. Simple.
MQTT is used by the majority of Internet of Vehicles devices because it offers lightweight messaging for fast delivery and reliable control with advanced fault-tolerance mechanisms to ensure data reaches its intended target. Below, we’ve broken down the benefits in greater detail: