What does MQTT stand for?

MQTT stands for Message Queuing Telemetry Transport and is relatively simply protocol for exchanging messages between devices and principally Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The MQTT protocol is designed for large networks with low data traffic and is designed to minimise data volumes. MQTT uses TCP for data transfer and may be encrypted with SSL. The protocol uses a ‘publisher-subscriber’ data transfer model and requires an MQTT Broker to use as a central hub. An MQTT Broker acts as a central hub and is typically Cloud hosted. MQTT publishers send messages and MQTT subscribers receive them. Several subscribers can receive messages on the same ‘topic’. Within the topic, messages are exchanged as they are received by the MQTT Broker and sent to the subscribing devices. A device can also be a subscriber and publisher at the same tome for some topics. e.g. an electrical socket publishing measured values (Amps, Volts and kWh) whilst reacting to control commands.