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IoT Product Specification Template
A structured IoT product specification covering device hardware, firmware, cloud backend, and companion app requirements.
Updated 2026-03-04
IoT Specification
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decide between Wi-Fi, BLE, LoRa, and cellular connectivity?+
Match connectivity to your use case. Wi-Fi works for stationary indoor devices with access to a router. BLE suits wearables and accessories that pair with a phone. LoRa covers long-range, low-power outdoor deployments (agriculture, infrastructure monitoring). Cellular (LTE-M/NB-IoT) works when no existing network is available and you can absorb the per-device data plan cost. The trade-offs are range, power consumption, data throughput, and recurring cost.
Should firmware be specified by the PM or the firmware engineer?+
The PM specifies firmware behaviors and constraints: boot time targets, OTA update requirements, power management modes, and communication protocols. The firmware engineer specifies implementation details: interrupt handlers, memory allocation, RTOS task priorities. This template covers the PM-level specification. The firmware team should produce their own detailed design document from these requirements.
How detailed should the cloud data model be at this stage?+
Detailed enough to estimate infrastructure cost and validate that the app can render the screens you have designed. Specify data types, expected volumes, retention periods, and access patterns. You do not need to finalize database schemas, but you need to know whether you are dealing with 100 messages per day or 100 million. For tracking IoT product metrics after launch, see the [product metrics library](/metrics).
When should I involve the regulatory and certification team?+
At the product overview stage, before hardware design review. Certification requirements (FCC, CE, UL) affect PCB layout, antenna design, enclosure materials, and labeling. Discovering a certification gap after tooling is a 3-6 month delay. The [product certification checklist](/templates) covers the full certification workflow.
How do I handle the chicken-and-egg problem of app development before hardware is ready?+
Build device simulators early. The cloud backend and companion app teams should work against a simulated device that publishes realistic telemetry data over MQTT. Define the device-cloud interface (message format, topics, authentication) in this spec so the simulator matches the real firmware. Hardware and app development can then proceed in parallel. For planning the overall delivery timeline, the [Technical PM Handbook](/technical-pm-guide) covers parallel workstream coordination. ---
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