In the IoT process example, which parts require programming?

• A. Soil sensor to microcontroller to the Cloud to microcontroller to fertilising mechanism
• B. Soil sensor and Microcontroller
• C. Microcontroller and Cloud
• D. Soil sensor and fertilising mechanism

Answer: (C)

In an IoT setup, the software that makes things smart runs where data is collected, processed, and decisions are made. The soil sensor is just hardware that measures a physical quantity; it doesn’t run logic by itself. To read its value reliably, you program the microcontroller with firmware that interfaces with the sensor, converts the reading into usable data, and communicates that data to the cloud. The fertilising mechanism is an actuator that executes commands; it doesn’t run software on its own—the microcontroller sends it signals, and those signals are produced by the microcontroller’s code. The cloud hosts software that stores and analyzes data, applies rules or automation, and can send commands back to the device.

So, the parts that require programming are the microcontroller (firmware) and the cloud (cloud-side logic). The soil sensor and the fertilising mechanism themselves are hardware that rely on that software to function.