Cloud to Device (C2D) covers everything /IOTCONNECT™ sends down to your device — commands, firmware updates, and AI models. Use these to control devices remotely, push over-the-air updates, and deploy edge AI.
Cloud to Device (C2D) is the direction of data flowing from the /IOTCONNECT™ platform down to your device. It is how you act on a device remotely — send it a command, push a firmware update, or deploy an AI model. The cards below link to each C2D capability.
An application initiates an operation through IoTConnect™. The platform delivers the corresponding message to the target device, which processes the request and, when supported, sends an acknowledgement containing the execution status or result.
Initiate an operation: An application or authorized user requests a command, configuration change, or firmware update.
Deliver the message: /IOTCONNECT™ routes the request to the intended device using the supported communication mechanism.
Process the request: The device receives the message and performs the requested operation according to its implementation.
Report the result: The device sends an acknowledgement or status update to report progress or the outcome of the operation, when supported.
Send commands to connected devices to perform supported actions, such as changing an operating mode, controlling an output, restarting a component, or requesting a device-specific operation. The actual actions available depend on the device firmware and its command implementation.
Commands allow applications to respond to operational requirements and manage devices remotely. Devices can report whether a command was acknowledged, executed, or failed, depending on the supported acknowledgement workflow.
Update supported device settings and operating parameters remotely.Configuration updates help maintain device behavior without requiring every change to be performed locally. The device must support the relevant configuration fields and apply the received values.
Over-the-air (OTA) updates allow devices to receive firmware update instructions and download firmware packages remotely. This helps manage firmware releases across deployed devices without requiring manual access to each device.
An OTA workflow can include an update request, firmware download, installation or application, and status reporting. The device should report the appropriate acknowledgement status as it progresses through the supported update process.
Acknowledgements provide visibility into how a device handles a cloud-initiated request. Depending on the message type and supported workflow, the acknowledgement can indicate execution, download progress,completion, or failure.
Command and OTA acknowledgements use different status definitions. Applications should interpret the message type and status fields according to the applicable device message specification rather than assuming that the same status value means the same thing in every workflow.
Successful C2D communication depends on the device being provisioned correctly and using the supported connection and messaging mechanism. Devices must be able to receive the applicable messages and process them according to their firmware implementation.
Applications should also account for device connectivity, command acknowledgement handling, and operation failures when designing remote device management workflows.
C2D is data going down (cloud → device). The reverse direction — telemetry and data the device sends up — is covered under Device to Cloud.
