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This IoT learning roadmap is laid out for the beginner who is looking to start a hobby or career in the exciting field of Internet of Things, Robotics & Automation.
On this page I frequently refer to everything as IoT but everything you learn here can be applied to robotics too.
This page is constantly in ‘a work in progress’ state and I’ll keep it updated on a regular basis.
Why not follow me through the usual social channels (Gab, Minds, Twitter) for my latest IoT and Robotics info.
The following roadmap doesn’t include every blog post on installtekz.com and so feel free to browse all posts on the website in any order you please.
However, this roadmap DOES include all of my IoT posts!
Where To Begin Learning IoT: Diagram
The following image shows a high-level overview of many technologies associated with IoT and how these technologies interact with each other.
Please note that this image may not cover every possibility but is here to act a guide:
IoT Learning Topic Examples
The following image shows many sub-topics that you will need to gain familiarity with in order to become efficient in IoT:
Contents
1. Certification
The best way to gain entry into any Information Technology field and to prove your knowledge is by passing exam certifications.
One of the greatest things about many of these certifications is the fact that we can study the material at home and in our own time.
All we need is the exam outline/blueprint to show us the path!
Many of the following certifications offer their exams through Pearson Vue. To sit one of these exams, you will be required to travel to your nearest Pearson Vue test center.
These test centers are located all over the world.
Linux
Two of the top entry level certification paths in linux are:
Of course there are other operating systems that you will need to be familiar with in order to succeed in IoT.
However linux is an excellent starting point as it’s entirely free and is possible to run on old and new laptops and PC’s.
This makes linux an excellent entry point into IoT operating systems for the beginner who can study practical skills from home at little to no additional cost.
Networking
Two of the top entry level certification paths in networking are:
Wireless Communication
cwnp.com (Certified Wireless Network Professionals) provide many vendor-neutral certifications covering wireless communication as well as specific IoT certifications.
CWNP offer a range of learning options such as study guides, eLearning and training classes.
The following entry-level certifications cover wireless (WLAN 802.11):
- CWS (Certified Wireless Specialist) [Link to CWNP.com]
- CWT (Certified Wireless Technician) [Link to CWNP.com]
- CWNA (Certified Wireless Network Administrator) [Link to CWNP.com]
- CWS-100 is the latest exam for CWS and the official study guide can be found on Amazon here.
- CWT-100 is the latest exam for CWT and the official study guide can be found on Amazon here.
- Although there is no prerequisite to sit the CWNA exam (currently CWNA-108) it is recommended to study the CWS and CWT exams before-hand. Because this exam was only released in September 2020 there are very few study guides available right now. The kindle version can be found on Amazon here or a physical book study guide for the previous exam (CWNA-107) can be found here.
Once you’re familiar with WLAN 802.11 wireless then CWNP.com offer three IoT certifications that take you into other wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, cellular, Zigbee and so on.
However only one of these certifications would be considered as the entry level certification.. and that would be the:
- CWISA (Certified Wireless IoT Solutions Administrator) [Link to CWNP.com]
As CWISA is considered as a prerequisite of the next two certifications:
- CWICP (Certified Wireless IoT Connectivity Professional) [Link to CWNP.com]
- CWIIP (Certified Wireless IoT Integration Professional) [Link to CWNP.com]
IoT Practitioner (CertNexus)
CertNexus is a leading certification provider in the ‘Internet of Things’ space and offer the Certified Internet of Things Practitioner (CIoTP) ITP-110 exam as well as many others.
The shear amount of topics that this certification covers are huge and knowing every topic here could be considered as the ultimate goal of your IoT knowledge.
FREE Download: CIoTP Checklist!
The ‘Certified Internet of Things Practitioner’ Certification provided by CertNexus is an excellent blueprint to begin learning IoT.
To download your CIoTP PDF CheckList file Click Here
2. Overview: Getting Started
This section provides general information about “Internet of Things”.
It’s designed to help you understand some broad topics before diving into anything specific and is a great place to start if you’re a beginner.
Some of these subjects focus on home automation. “Why is this?” you may ask yourself.
Well home Automation is a sub-category of IoT and is an excellent place for beginner’s to start learning practical skills.
By creating your own devices and designing/building a personalized home automation system you have full control of your very own IoT ecosystem.
- Why Home Automation? Q&A Guide
- Are Smart Homes Dangerous?
- What Is The Best Way To Learn IoT At Home?
- Why Open Source Home Automation?
- What Are IoT Sensors?
- How Home Lighting Automation Works
- What Can Home Automation Control?
- How To Build An IoT System At Home
- Common IoT Attacks on Security & Privacy
- How To Power IoT Devices In DIY Home Maker Projects
- What Is IoT Software?
- Sigfox For Dummies: The 0G Cellular Network For IoT
3. Beginning Electronics
All of our technology stems from electronics and so understanding the basics here will give you the foundation you need to build upon with IoT & robotic projects.
4. Microcontrollers
Once we have some basic knowledge of electronics it’s now time to incorporate some microcontrollers into our projects.
These little devices will take our electronics to the next level and help us to automate some cool IoT & robotic projects.
5. Networking
It isn’t going to be an “internet” of things device without the internet!
This section covers networking that will not only allow our IoT & robotic projects to be controlled over the internet but through local networks such as home Wifi too.
6. Web & App
Sometimes we want our IoT projects to be fully automated without any human interaction at all.
Other times we want full control. That’s where web and app developing knowledge and skills will come into the equation.
Not only will this frontend software help us control devices but will allow us to view statistics and other helpful data.
7. Linux
It is said that if an electronics device can support an operating system then it can support linux!
With a fully-fledged linux operating system embedded into our “Internet of Things” & robotics projects we have so much more functionality at our disposal.
This section will help you know and understand the fundamentals of using the linux operating system for everyday tasks.
Linux: Getting Started & Certified
I have created a post on How To Learn Linux which will guide you through a quick and simple way to get linux up and running for a beginner.
In section 5 (near the bottom) of the post I have created a table which is essentially a learning roadmap for you to follow along with.
This roadmap covers the Linux Professional Institute certification (LPIC-1) in which I will continue creating these course topics here.
8. Project Ideas
The purpose of learning IoT & robotics is to ultimately build our very own devices and systems.
These project ideas can give you some inspiration for your next project or help you understand what is possible to achieve through automation and open source platforms.
