Engineers Garage

  • Electronic Projects & Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • Arduino Projects
      • AVR
      • Raspberry pi
      • ESP8266
      • BeagleBone
      • 8051 Microcontroller
      • ARM
      • PIC Microcontroller
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
      • Audio Electronics
      • Battery Management
      • Brainwave
      • Electric Vehicles
      • EMI/EMC/RFI
      • Hardware Filters
      • IoT tutorials
      • Power Tutorials
      • Python
      • Sensors
      • USB
      • VHDL
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Product News
    • Business News
    • Company/Start-up News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • DigiKey Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • Learn
    • eBooks/Tech Tips
    • Design Guides
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars & Digital Events
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • EE Training Days
    • LEAP Awards
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • White Papers
    • Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
    • DesignFast
  • Guest Post Guidelines
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

What is AWS IoT Core and when should you use it?

By Nikhil Agnihotri June 15, 2025

In the previous tutorial, we discussed Internet of Things (IoT) platforms. As IoT solutions scale in size and complexity, these tools become essential for managing devices, data, and overall system performance. However, not all platforms serve the same function.

Generally speaking, they fall into categories such as device management, connectivity management, application enablement, cloud integration, analytics, hardware-specific systems, and industrial IoT (IIoT) solutions. Among these, IoT cloud platforms are the most commonly used.

These platforms support the entire development and management process for IoT solutions. They bring together device control, data management, analytics, application development, and cloud services in one place. This combination makes it easier to develop, deploy, maintain, and scale IoT systems, even as new devices, features, and services are added.

One well-known example is AWS IoT Core, which we’ll examine before beginning the hands-on work.

What is AWS IoT Core?

AWS IoT Core is a managed cloud service that connects Internet of Things (IoT) devices to the broader AWS ecosystem. It supports device communication, data management, analytics, and application development, providing a full-stack solution for building and scaling IoT systems.

Devices can connect to AWS IoT Core using standard protocols, including MQTT, HTTPS, WebSockets, and LoRaWAN for low-power wide-area networks. The platform supports mutual authentication and end-to-end encryption, ensuring secure data exchange between devices and the cloud.

Data from connected devices can be filtered, transformed, and routed through other AWS services, such as Amazon S3, DynamoDB, Kinesis, and Lambda, for storage, processing, or real-time analysis. The platform also includes tools for organizing, monitoring, and managing large fleets of devices.

One notable feature is Device Shadows, which creates a persistent virtual representation of each device, allowing the system to store and retrieve the last known state, even when the device is offline.

In short, AWS IoT Core provides a comprehensive foundation for secure, scalable IoT applications, enabling seamless device integration, data collection, real-time processing, and remote device control.

Features of AWS IoT Core

AWS IoT Core comprises a suite of services designed to connect, secure, process, and manage IoT devices and their associated data.

Key features include:

  • Device Gateway. Enables devices to connect to AWS IoT Core using standard protocols, including MQTT, HTTPS, and WebSockets. Communication is secured using X.509 certificates. The gateway acts as a central entry point for all device data and is a core messaging component of the platform.
  • Message Broker. A high-throughput publish/subscribe (Pub/Sub) messaging system that facilitates data exchange between devices and the cloud. It supports MQTT directly or over WebSockets. Devices and cloud applications can publish messages to specific topics while others subscribe to receive them, enabling scalable and decoupled communication.
  • Rules Engine. Connects incoming data from the message broker to other AWS services. Using SQL-like syntax, it allows users to filter, transform, and route messages to services such as S3, DynamoDB, and Lambda for processing, storage, or analytics.
  • Device Registry. A control service that assigns and manages unique identities for connected devices. Each device is represented by a “thing object” that stores metadata and attributes. Certificates and policies define how a device authenticates and what actions it can perform. Templates help provision large numbers of devices efficiently.
  • Authentication and Authorization. Supports mutual authentication and end-to-end encryption between devices and the cloud. Devices authenticate using X.509 certificates, and AWS IoT policies define permitted actions. Custom authorizers are also supported, including strategies like bearer token verification, JWT, and OAuth callouts.
  • Device Shadow. This core data service creates a virtual representation of a device’s state, known as a device shadow, which is stored as a JSON document in the cloud. Even when the device is offline, applications can access its last reported state or define a desired future state. Once the device reconnects, it automatically synchronizes with its shadow.
  • AWS IoT Device SDK. This software development kit helps developers connect devices to AWS IoT Core. It includes open-source libraries, porting guides, and documentation for a wide range of hardware and programming languages. The SDK simplifies provisioning, connectivity, and security across diverse platforms.
  • Device Advisor. A fully managed test suite is used during development to validate IoT devices before deployment. It provides pre-built tests to ensure devices can securely connect and communicate with AWS IoT Core.
  • AWS IoT Device Defender. A security service that continuously audits device configurations to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities. It issues real-time alerts when it detects risks such as revoked certificates or duplicate device identities attempting to connect.

Service categories 

AWS IoT services are organized into four main categories:

  1. Core services: Device Gateway, Message Broker, Rules Engine, AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN, Device Provisioning Service, Custom Authentication, Device Registry, Group Registry, Jobs Service, Security & Identity Services, Device Shadow, and Sidewalk Integration.
  2. Device software: Device and Mobile SDKs, Device Tester, ExpressLink, AWS IoT Greengrass, and FreeRTOS.
  3. Control services: AWS IoT Core, Device Advisor, Device Defender, and Device Management.
  4. Data aervices: Amazon Kinesis Video Streams, AWS IoT Analytics, AWS IoT FleetWise, AWS IoT SiteWise, AWS IoT Events, and AWS IoT TwinMaker.

How AWS IoT Core works

The workflow of AWS IoT Core follows the typical lifecycle of an IoT device. Development begins with the device itself, defining its role, operations, and hardware and software requirements. Once the physical circuit is assembled, the software is developed to connect the device to AWS IoT Core and use its services.

Provisioning
This is the first step in registering a device with AWS IoT Core. Provisioning assigns a digital identity to the physical device. There are several provisioning methods:

  • Manual provisioning is suitable for a small number of devices. It involves manually creating a “Thing” in the AWS console, generating X.509 certificates and private keys, attaching policies, and securely loading the credentials onto the device.
  • Just-in-Time Registration (JITR) or Just-in-Time Provisioning (JITP) is used for larger fleets. It requires registering a Certificate Authority (CA) with AWS IoT. Each device is preloaded with a certificate signed by this Certificate Authority (CA). Upon connecting to the internet, AWS automatically registers the device, creates its “Thing,” attaches the certificate and policy, and activates the device.
  • Fleet provisioning is another scalable method. It uses a claim certificate and provisioning template. When a device connects for the first time, AWS IoT Core uses the template to generate a unique certificate, private key, and Thing record.
  • Bulk registration is used for existing devices. A CSV file is uploaded to register many Things and link them to existing certificates.

Connecting
After provisioning, the device uses its certificate and private key to establish a secure TLS connection with the AWS Device Gateway. It can then publish data to MQTT topics and subscribe to others to receive commands or updates. The device also interacts with its Device Shadow by updating reported and desired states.

Applications can read from or write to the shadow to manage the device state asynchronously, even while the device is offline. Data sent by the device flows through the Rules Engine, where it can be filtered, transformed, and routed to other AWS services.

Monitoring
Once devices are online, they must be monitored for health, performance, and security. The Device Registry provides a central place to store metadata, attributes, and types for each device. AWS IoT Device Management allows indexing and searching across the fleet. AWS IoT Core publishes connection events and metrics to Amazon CloudWatch, which helps track connectivity and troubleshoot issues.

For security, AWS IoT Device Defender can audit configurations, monitor traffic, and raise alerts for anomalies. Over-the-air (OTA) updates, remote reboots, and configuration changes are also supported. Device Advisor helps validate device behavior and secure communication.

Decommissioning
When devices are no longer needed, they can be removed from the system. This involves revoking certificates, detaching policies, and deleting entries from the Device Registry. After decommissioning, the device can be recycled or retired for reuse.

Throughout development and operation, the device’s credentials and metadata, established during provisioning, are used by the firmware and AWS-hosted applications to enable secure communication and service integration.

Advantages

There are many advantages to using AWS IoT Core for connecting and managing IoT devices. Some of the key benefits include:

  • Scalability. AWS IoT Core supports billions of connected devices and trillions of messages, making it suitable for fleets of any size and complexity.
  • Reliability. The platform offers high availability and dependable performance. It handles message brokering, device connectivity, and cloud communication with minimal manual intervention.
  • Security. End-to-end encryption and mutual authentication, using X.509 certificates, ensure secure data exchange. Device permissions can be finely managed through AWS IoT policies.
  • Ease of use. Provisioning, managing, and processing data from devices is streamlined through a well-integrated interface and supporting services.
  • Integration. Devices can leverage AWS services, such as S3 (storage), DynamoDB (database), and Lambda (serverless compute), among others, to build robust cloud-based applications.
  • Support. Supports multiple communication protocols, including MQTT, HTTPS, WebSockets, and LoRaWAN, enabling compatibility with a wide range of devices.
  • Device management. Device Registry and Device Shadows allow centralized organization and state management for large-scale device fleets.
  • Data processing and analytics. Data can be filtered, transformed, and routed using the Rules Engine. AWS IoT Analytics supports deeper analysis of IoT data.
  • Security. Device Defender provides ongoing audits of device configurations and raises alerts for any detected security vulnerabilities. Device Advisor offers tools for testing and validating devices during development, ensuring secure and reliable operation at scale.

Limitations 

Despite its capabilities, AWS IoT Core has its potential drawbacks:

  • Complexity. For new users, the initial setup — provisioning, certificate handling, policy creation, and rule configuration — can be a steep learning curve.
  • Limited customization. Although flexible, the platform has constraints in areas such as the Rules Engine, which utilizes a specific SQL-like syntax with limited extension options.
  • Third-party integration. While integration with AWS services is seamless, connecting to non-AWS platforms or external services may require additional effort or custom solutions.
  • Vendor lock-in. Extensive reliance on AWS-specific services may make future migration to another provider more difficult and resource-intensive.
  • Cost management. Although pricing is based on a pay-as-you-go model, expenses can increase rapidly with high device volumes or high data throughput. Costs apply to messaging, connectivity, shadow operations, and rule actions.
  • Service limits and quotas. Pre-defined quotas may require careful planning, especially when deploying large-scale or high-frequency systems.

Conclusion

AWS IoT Core is a robust and widely adopted platform for building and managing large-scale IoT solutions. It supports the full development lifecycle, starting with device provisioning and continuing through integration with AWS services for data processing, storage, analytics, and remote management.

By offering a comprehensive suite of tools, AWS IoT Core simplifies the deployment and operation of connected devices across diverse use cases. Its scalability, security features, and integration capabilities make it a strong foundation for developing reliable and future-ready IoT applications.

 

You may also like:


  • A Complete Hardware Tool Guide for Design Engineers

  • What is an IoT platform and when is one useful?

  • A Designer’s Guide to IOT

  • How to use IoT-based D2D automation

  • What AI acceleration techniques are used for embedded devices?

  • What are the top edge AI chips of 2025?

  • What are the different types of AI ASICs?

  • The top mobile app development tools for IoT and electronics

  • How to choose the ideal connectivity technology for an IoT…

  • What are different types of IoT networks?

Filed Under: Tech Articles
Tagged With: aws, awsiotcore, industrialinternetofthings, IoT, techarticle
 

Next Article

← Previous Article
Next Article →

Questions related to this article?
👉Ask and discuss on EDAboard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com forums.



Tell Us What You Think!! Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

EE TECH TOOLBOX

“ee
Tech Toolbox: 5G Technology
This Tech Toolbox covers the basics of 5G technology plus a story about how engineers designed and built a prototype DSL router mostly from old cellphone parts. Download this first 5G/wired/wireless communications Tech Toolbox to learn more!

EE Learning Center

EE Learning Center
“engineers
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for EE professionals.

HAVE A QUESTION?

Have a technical question about an article or other engineering questions? Check out our engineering forums EDABoard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com where you can get those questions asked and answered by your peers!


RSS EDABOARD.com Discussions

  • Collector Current Low side Has a large drop respect High Side during Miller during Double Pulse Test
  • Diode recovery test Irrm timing.
  • The Analog Gods Hate Me
  • How best to synchronise the UCC38C45?
  • floating node warning in LTSpice

RSS Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • The Analog Gods Hate Me
  • Display TFT ST7789 (OshonSoft Basic).
  • Fixing board, Easy question HEX SCHMITT
  • Can I make two inputs from one??
  • Home Smoke detectors are all Beeping Batteries are not dead.???

Featured – LoRa/LoRaWan Series

  • What is the LoRaWAN network and how does it work?
  • Understanding LoRa architecture: nodes, gateways, and servers
  • Revolutionizing RF: LoRa applications and advantages
  • How to build a LoRa gateway using Raspberry Pi
  • How LoRa enables long-range communication
  • How communication works between two LoRa end-node devices

Recent Articles

  • How to monitor temperature and humidity on a TFT display with graphics
  • Tria modules integrate edge AI processing with multi-core processors
  • pSemi introduces RF switch with 52 dBm PMAX,PEAK and 90-dBm IIP3 linearity
  • XP Power launches 1.3 kW power supply with 58.9 W/cm³ density
  • How to enable Wi-Fi provisioning in ESP32-based IoT products

EE ENGINEERING TRAINING DAYS

engineering

Submit a Guest Post

submit a guest post
Engineers Garage
  • Analog IC TIps
  • Connector Tips
  • Battery Power Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • EE World Online
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • EV Engineering
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips
  • 5G Technology World
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy

Search Engineers Garage

  • Electronic Projects & Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • Arduino Projects
      • AVR
      • Raspberry pi
      • ESP8266
      • BeagleBone
      • 8051 Microcontroller
      • ARM
      • PIC Microcontroller
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
      • Audio Electronics
      • Battery Management
      • Brainwave
      • Electric Vehicles
      • EMI/EMC/RFI
      • Hardware Filters
      • IoT tutorials
      • Power Tutorials
      • Python
      • Sensors
      • USB
      • VHDL
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Product News
    • Business News
    • Company/Start-up News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • DigiKey Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • Learn
    • eBooks/Tech Tips
    • Design Guides
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars & Digital Events
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • EE Training Days
    • LEAP Awards
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • White Papers
    • Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
    • DesignFast
  • Guest Post Guidelines
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe