IoT Domain
Layer 3: Domain Constraints
Domain Constraints → Design Implications
| Domain Rule |
Design Constraint |
Rust Implication |
| Unreliable network |
Offline-first |
Local buffering |
| Power constraints |
Efficient code |
Sleep modes, minimal alloc |
| Resource limits |
Small footprint |
no_std where needed |
| Security |
Encrypted comms |
TLS, signed firmware |
| Reliability |
Self-recovery |
Watchdog, error handling |
| OTA updates |
Safe upgrades |
Rollback capability |
Critical Constraints
Network Unreliability
RULE: Network can fail at any time
WHY: Wireless, remote locations
RUST: Local queue, retry with backoff
Power Management
RULE: Minimize power consumption
WHY: Battery life, energy costs
RUST: Sleep modes, efficient algorithms
Device Security
RULE: All communication encrypted
WHY: Physical access possible
RUST: TLS, signed messages
Trace Down ↓
From constraints to design (Layer 2):
"Need offline-first design"
↓ m12-lifecycle: Local buffer with persistence
↓ m13-domain-error: Retry with backoff
"Need power efficiency"
↓ domain-embedded: no_std patterns
↓ m10-performance: Minimal allocations
"Need reliable messaging"
↓ m07-concurrency: Async with timeout
↓ MQTT: QoS levels
Environment Comparison
| Environment |
Stack |
Crates |
| Linux gateway |
tokio + std |
rumqttc, reqwest |
| MCU device |
embassy + no_std |
embedded-hal |
| Hybrid |
Split workloads |
Both |
Key Crates
| Purpose |
Crate |
| MQTT (std) |
rumqttc, paho-mqtt |
| Embedded |
embedded-hal, embassy |
| Async (std) |
tokio |
| Async (no_std) |
embassy |
| Logging (no_std) |
defmt |
| Logging (std) |
tracing |
Design Patterns
| Pattern |
Purpose |
Implementation |
| Pub/Sub |
Device comms |
MQTT topics |
| Edge compute |
Local processing |
Filter before upload |
| OTA updates |
Firmware upgrade |
Signed + rollback |
| Power mgmt |
Battery life |
Sleep + wake events |
| Store & forward |
Network reliability |
Local queue |
Code Pattern: MQTT Client
use rumqttc::{AsyncClient, MqttOptions, QoS};
async fn run_mqtt() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
let mut options = MqttOptions::new("device-1", "broker.example.com", 1883);
options.set_keep_alive(Duration::from_secs(30));
let (client, mut eventloop) = AsyncClient::new(options, 10);
client.subscribe("devices/device-1/commands", QoS::AtLeastOnce).await?;
tokio::spawn(async move {
loop {
let data = read_sensor().await;
client.publish("devices/device-1/telemetry", QoS::AtLeastOnce, false, data).await.ok();
tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(60)).await;
}
});
loop {
match eventloop.poll().await {
Ok(event) => handle_event(event).await,
Err(e) => {
tracing::error!("MQTT error: {}", e);
tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(5)).await;
}
}
}
}
Common Mistakes
| Mistake |
Domain Violation |
Fix |
| No retry logic |
Lost data |
Exponential backoff |
| Always-on radio |
Battery drain |
Sleep between sends |
| Unencrypted MQTT |
Security risk |
TLS |
| No local buffer |
Network outage = data loss |
Persist locally |
Trace to Layer 1
| Constraint |
Layer 2 Pattern |
Layer 1 Implementation |
| Offline-first |
Store & forward |
Local queue + flush |
| Power efficiency |
Sleep patterns |
Timer-based wake |
| Network reliability |
Retry |
tokio-retry, backoff |
| Security |
TLS |
rustls, native-tls |
Related Skills
| When |
See |
| Embedded patterns |
domain-embedded |
| Async patterns |
m07-concurrency |
| Error recovery |
m13-domain-error |
| Performance |
m10-performance |