Azure IoT device and service SDKs

The following tables list the various SDKs you can use to build IoT solutions.

Device SDKs

The Azure IoT device SDKs contain code that facilitates building applications that connect to and are managed by Azure IoT Hub services. These SDKs can run on a general MPU-based computing device such as a PC, tablet, smartphone, or Raspberry Pi. The SDKs support development in C and in modern managed languages including in C#, Node.js, Python, and Java.

The SDKs are available in multiple languages providing the flexibility to choose which best suits your team and scenario.

The Java device SDK includes samples for Android.

The C device SDK includes samples for iOS that use CocoaPods.

Use the device SDKs to develop code to run on IoT devices that connect to IoT Hub or IoT Central.

Embedded device SDKs

These SDKs were designed and created to run on devices with limited compute and memory resources and are implemented using the C language.

The embedded device SDKs are available for multiple operating systems providing the flexibility to choose which best suits your scenario.

Use the embedded device SDKs to develop code to run on IoT devices that connect to IoT Hub or IoT Central.

To learn more about when to use the embedded device SDKs, see C SDK and Embedded C SDK usage scenarios.

Device SDK lifecycle and support

This section summarizes the Azure IoT Device SDK lifecycle and support policy. For more information, see Azure SDK Lifecycle and support policy.

Package lifecycle

Packages are released in the following categories. Each category has a defined support structure.

1. Beta - Also known as Preview or Release Candidate. Available for early access and feedback purposes and is not recommended for use in production. The preview version support is limited to GitHub issues. Preview releases typically live for less than six months, after which they're either deprecated or released as active.

2. Active - Generally available and fully supported, receives new feature updates, as well as bug and security fixes. We recommend that customers use the latest version because that version receives fixes and updates.

3. Deprecated - Superseded by a more recent release. Deprecation occurs at the same time the new release becomes active. Deprecated releases address the most critical bug fixes and security fixes for another 12 months.

Get support

If you experience problems while using the Azure IoT SDKs, there are several ways to seek support:

• Reporting bugs - All customers can report bugs on the issues page for the GitHub repository associated with the relevant SDK.

• Microsoft Customer Support team - Users who have a support plan can engage the Microsoft Customer Support team by creating a support ticket directly from the Azure portal.

IoT Hub service SDKs

The Azure IoT service SDKs contain code to facilitate building applications that interact directly with IoT Hub to manage devices and security.

To learn more about using the service SDKs to interact with devices through an IoT hub, see IoT Plug and Play service developer guide.

IoT Hub management SDKs

The IoT Hub management SDKs help you build backend applications that manage the IoT hubs in your Azure subscription.

Alternatives to the management SDKs include the Azure CLI, PowerShell, and REST API.

DPS device SDKs

The DPS device SDKs provide implementations of the Register API and others that devices call to provision through DPS. The device SDKs can run on general MPU-based computing devices such as a PC, tablet, smartphone, or Raspberry Pi. The SDKs support development in C and in modern managed languages including in C#, Node.js, Python, and Java.

The following table lists the device SDKs available for each supported language.

DPS embedded device SDKs

These SDKs were designed and created to run on devices with limited compute and memory resources and are implemented using the C language.

DPS service SDKs

The DPS service SDKs help you build backend applications to manage enrollments and registration records in DPS instances.

DPS management SDKs

The DPS management SDKs help you build backend applications that manage the DPS instances and their metadata in your Azure subscription.

Next steps

Suggested next steps include:

• Device developer guide
• Service developer guide