title	permalink
Getting Started	/getting-started/

Introduction

IoTivity is an open source framework that implements the OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation) protocol for easy, secure device-to-device communication for IoT devices. IoTivity includes the following:

• A reference implementation of client software (e.g., a OTGC Linux client or Android app for controlling a smart home device)
• A reference implementation server software that runs on the actual IoT device
• Tools that generate code for the server software, based on a JSON file that you will create to describe your device’s capabilities

Learning to Use IoTivity

These 15-30 minute tutorials walk through installing, building, and using client and server software applications that rely IoTivity capabilities. Then, the Digging Deeper section provides the how-to and reference information needed to implement IoTivity on your own device.

[Getting Started with IoTivity (Device Simulation)](GSG-sw 190619.md)

• Quickly simulates smart device usage by running client and server apps on the same PC, using the OCF protocol to communicate over loopback.

[Getting Started with IoTivity (Raspberry Pi Kit)](GSG-kit 190619.md)

• Experience realistic smart device usage with a Raspberry Pi kit (purchase here, under Development Resources and Solutions). The kit lets you use an Android client app to control a Raspberry Pi with an add-on board that contains colored LEDs and capacitive touch buttons.

[Digging Deeper: Next Steps for Development](GSG-dig 190619.md)

• Find information about IoTivity development workflow, protocol details, code-generation software, GitHub repositories, and other reference information.