MachNation has just published a quantitative whitepaper comparing the in-lab performance of LwM2M and MQTT protocols on a typical Internet of Things (IoT) device.
By choosing the right technology protocol, IoT developers will help enterprises bring their IoT solutions to market faster, save ongoing development and management costs, and future-proof their IoT solutions.
One of the most important technology protocols is the one that facilitates platform-to-device communications and, in some cases, supports management of IoT devices. LwM2M and MQTT are two of the most common protocols that enterprise IoT developers consider to solve these challenges.
To help developers and enterprises make fact-based choices when selecting technology, MachNation, with technology support from AT&T and AVSystem, designed and completed a set of hands-on tests to investigate the relative efficiencies of LwM2M and MQTT protocols.
Key whitepaper findings
1. LwM2M showed efficiency and performance benefits over MQTT in almost all in-lab test categories.
LwM2M shows efficiency and performance benefits over MQTT in almost all test categories including amounts of data transferred during the initial device-to-platform connection (or after device reboot), the steady ongoing state of a device connection, device observations at 2 updates per minute, and a single platform-to-device message push.
In addition, a LwM2M-equipped device consumes less power than a similarly-equipped MQTT device irrespective of the update interval, although it is possible that such differences stem from the device client framework rather than protocol used.
Finally, LwM2M requires more forethought during the design and development process, but yields several important technical advantages.
MQTT shows slight efficiency and performance benefits over LwM2M in the amount of data transferred during an OTA firmware update.
LwM2M vs MQTT – measured :
- LwM2M is 72% more efficient than MQTT at delivering data during the initial connection between IoT device and platform.
- LwM2M is 17% more efficient than MQTT at delivering data during a single platform-to-device message.
- However, MQTT is 4% more efficient than LwM2M at delivering data during an over-the-air (OTA) firmware update.
2. MQTT is more readily available, easier to procure, and easier to trial than LwM2M.
MQTT is easier and faster to deploy on an IoT device, though allows many important device integration questions to go unresolved during initial deployment and roll-out, possibly creating unknown, future costs for enterprises.
For enterprises that are looking to quickly and easily create a proof-of-concept (POC), today’s ecosystem around MQTT makes it much easier than the ecosystem around LwM2M.
