Device-to-Device communication with Device Connect
Introduction
Why device-to-device at the edge
Device Connect developer model
Set up D2D communication between a sensor and a monitor
Next Steps
Device-to-Device communication with Device Connect
Who is this for?
This is an introductory topic for developers wiring up heterogeneous edge fleets, where devices need a shared way to find each other and a shared way to be controlled by agents. Device Connect provides this communication protocol between agents and devices, and standardizes how devices from different vendors advertise themselves and exchange structured messages, so both peer devices and AI agents can discover and invoke them through the same driver model. You'll use a Raspberry Pi 5 as the example primary edge device, but the same flow works with another device or with your development machine acting as a simulated device.
What will you learn?
Upon completion of this Learning Path, you will be able to:
- Understand Device Connect Edge SDK primitives
- Set up a Python environment for Device Connect on an example edge device and a development machine
- Build two device runtimes, with the primary sensor runtime shown on a Raspberry Pi 5
- Use the Device Connect agent tools to discover both devices on the mesh and invoke their RPCs
Prerequisites
Before starting, you will need the following:
- Basic familiarity with Python and the command line
- A Raspberry Pi 5, another Linux device, or your development machine to use as the example primary device
- A development machine on the same local network if you run the example across two machines
Summary
This summary was drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.
DeviceDriver, annotating methods with SDK decorators, and bringing the driver online with DeviceRuntime. A Raspberry Pi 5 acts as the primary sensor device publishing temperature and humidity, while a threshold monitor on a development machine subscribes to those readings and raises an alert when a limit is crossed. Using Device Connect agent tools, you’ll discover both devices on the mesh, verify pub/sub traffic, and invoke exposed RPCs to confirm the runtimes are visible and controllable end to end.Frequently asked questions
These FAQs were drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.
DeviceDriver and annotate its methods and properties with the SDK’s decorators. Start a DeviceRuntime to bring the driver online for discovery, pub/sub, and RPC.