Learning IoT by Doing: Ts. Dyg Khayrunsalihaty Bariyyah Abang Othman’s Troubleshooting Journey

Ts. Dyg Khayrunsalihaty Bariyyah Abang Othman’s experience offers a powerful reminder that real learning in IoT begins the moment things stop working as expected.

Inspired by a technical sharing from Dr Mazlan Abbas, she chose not to remain a passive reader or observer. She took the initiative to build the entire solution herself, from configuring devices to visualising data and controlling actuators, using FAVORIOT as the MQTT broker. That decision alone reflects a mindset that values understanding over convenience.

As with most real-world IoT projects, the process was not smooth. Device creation issues, dashboard updates that did not appear, payload mismatches, and configuration uncertainties surfaced along the way. Instead of seeing these as roadblocks, she treated them as clues. Each issue became a question to be explored rather than a reason to stop.

Her troubleshooting approach shows what effective learning truly looks like. She broke the system into layers and examined each one carefully. Hardware readings were verified. Dashboard behaviour was checked. Payload structures were reviewed line by line. When the data failed to appear, she traced the flow from code to broker to panel settings until the exact mismatch was found. Once corrected, the system came back to life.

What emerged was not just a working prototype but also a deeper understanding of how IoT systems behave in real-world conditions. Sensors reported accurately. LEDs responded to commands. Graphs updated at regular intervals. Indicators reflected system states correctly. More importantly, every component made sense to her because she had tested, questioned, and fixed it herself.

This is the kind of experience that builds confidence. Tutorials can show what to type, but troubleshooting teaches why things work. By persisting through confusion and fatigue, she moved beyond imitation and into true understanding.