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IoT Platform:Overview

Last Updated:Jun 15, 2026

If you develop products in C, you can use the C Link SDK from IoT Platform to simplify development and quickly connect devices to IoT Platform.

Instructions

Features

Type

Feature module

Description

References

Device connection

MQTT connection

Establish a connection over the MQTT protocol between a device and IoT Platform to enable communication.

Important

To have IoT Platform push messages to a device, connect the device over MQTT.

MQTT connection

HTTPS connection

Establish a connection over the HTTPS protocol between a device and IoT Platform to allow the device to report data to IoT Platform.

HTTPS connection

Device authentication

  • Authenticate devices using device secrets. Dynamic registration over HTTPS and MQTT is also supported.

  • Authenticate devices using X.509 certificates.

MQTT connection

HTTPS connection

Connect using an X.509 certificate

Message communication

RRPC

Devices support synchronous RRPCs from IoT Platform.

RRPC

Broadcast communication

A device can receive broadcast messages from the server without subscribing to broadcast topics.

Broadcast communication

Device management

File management

Upload files to an Alibaba Cloud IoT Platform server for storage.

In development

Device management

Thing Specification Language model

Manage devices based on TSL models, eliminating the need to handle data exchange formats between devices and IoT Platform and reducing development costs.

Thing Specification Language model

Device tag

Define custom IDs for devices to flexibly manage them.

Device tag

Device job

Initiate property settings, asynchronous service invocations, and custom tasks for multiple devices at the same time.

Device job

Device shadow

Cache device status so that online devices can obtain instructions directly from the cloud, and devices coming back online after being offline can actively pull instructions.

Device shadow

NTP service

A device obtains the current time from IoT Platform.

NTP service

Gateways and sub-devices

Connect a device through its gateway to IoT Platform, allowing devices without IP addresses to connect indirectly.

Gateways and sub-devices

Device distribution

Implement unified programming for devices in different regions and facilitate business migration.

Device distribution

File upload

Upload files to an Alibaba Cloud IoT Platform server for storage.

File upload

Monitoring and O&M

Log reporting

A device uploads logs in real time.

Log reporting

OTA update

A device performs device-side upgrades through IoT Platform.

  1. The device obtains upgrade messages from IoT Platform and downloads the upgrade package.

  2. Write the downloaded upgrade package to the device's Flash or ROM to apply it and complete the OTA upgrade.

OTA update

Remote Configuration

Remotely update configuration information such as system and network parameters without restarting or interrupting the device.

Remote Configuration

Device diagnosis

Check whether the device connection and communication latency are normal. When the connection latency is high or packet loss occurs, the device can send an alarm to the cloud.

None

Device forensics

Monitor the security status of a device.

Important

If you use one-type-one-secret authentication without pre-registration, configure this feature module.

None

Version guide

Version number

Description

Notes

References

4.x

  • Reduced RAM requirements.

  • Weakened dependencies between features.

  • Improved the development experience across different operating systems.

  • Implemented customization.

  • The APIs of this branch are not compatible with earlier versions.

  • Devices cannot be connected to the Lifestyle IoT Platform.

Important

This SDK version is regularly updated and maintained. Use this version.

3.x

Provides a code extraction tool for more convenient feature clipping.

  • Flexibly extract required feature code from this SDK version for easier porting.

  • This version is no longer upgraded and does not support some advanced features.

2.x

  • Compared with version 1.x, some IoT Platform features are added.

  • Compile in a Linux environment.

  • When you compile the SDK, use the proprietary compilation method defined by Alibaba Cloud. Clipping and porting the SDK are complex.

  • This version is not recommended.

Download the SDK

1.x

Initial version.

Not recommended.

None.