Middleware Framework for Interoperability in Heterogeneous IoT Networks

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has resulted in the emergence of highly heterogeneous networks composed of diverse communication protocols, hardware architectures, and application domains. This heterogeneity, while beneficial for specialized use cases, poses significant interoperability challenges that hinder seamless data exchange, service orchestration, and cross-platform integration. Middleware frameworks serve as an essential architectural layer that abstracts heterogeneity and enables uniform communication between disparate IoT systems. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the design, implementation, and evaluation of a middleware framework for interoperability in heterogeneous IoT networks. The proposed framework incorporates a layered design with protocol translation, semantic data modeling, and dynamic service discovery to ensure interoperability across devices using MQTT, CoAP, HTTP, ZigBee, LoRaWAN, and BLE.

We review existing literature, outline a detailed methodology, and conduct simulation experiments in an NS-3 and iFogSim environment to analyze latency, throughput, and interoperability success rate. Statistical analysis demonstrates that the proposed middleware achieves a 23–38% improvement in cross-platform message success rate compared to existing middleware solutions, with minimal latency overhead. The findings confirm that middleware-driven interoperability can significantly enhance the scalability and reliability of heterogeneous IoT networks, particularly in smart city, healthcare, and industrial applications.