Azure IoT Device Library

2.14.0 · active · verified Wed Apr 15

The Microsoft Azure IoT Device Library provides an easy-to-use API for Python applications to connect to Azure IoT Hub or Azure IoT Edge. It allows devices to send telemetry, receive commands, update device twins, and handle direct methods. The library is actively maintained with frequent releases, currently at version 2.14.0, with release candidates often preceding major updates.

Warnings

breaking Python 3.7 support was dropped in `v2.14.0`. Applications on Python 3.7 must upgrade to 3.8+ or pin `azure-iot-device<2.14.0`.
Fix: Upgrade your Python environment to 3.8 or newer. For upcoming `v2.15.0`, Python 3.8 will also be dropped, requiring 3.9+.
breaking Breaking Python version changes are frequent. Python 3.6 was dropped in `v2.13.0`, and 2.7/3.5 in `v2.11.0`. Always check release notes for your Python version.
Fix: Refer to the release notes for your target version and ensure your Python environment meets the minimum requirements.
gotcha Dependency churn for `requests-unixsocket`: `v2.14.0` switched to `requests-unixsocket2` due to the original being abandoned. However, `v2.15.0rc1` indicates a return to the original `requests-unixsocket` after it was updated. This may cause unexpected dependency conflicts or behavior if directly managing sub-dependencies.
Fix: Rely on `pip` to manage sub-dependencies. If experiencing issues, verify the specific `requests-unixsocket` package version installed and check its compatibility with your OS/environment.
gotcha The upcoming `v2.15.0rc1` switches `Paho-MQTT` dependency from 1.x to 2.x. This could introduce breaking changes or require code adjustments if your application directly interacts with `Paho-MQTT` or relies on specific behaviors from version 1.x.
Fix: Review the `Paho-MQTT` 2.x release notes if you encounter issues after upgrading to `azure-iot-device >=2.15.0`.

Install

pip install azure-iot-device Install stable version

Imports

IoTHubDeviceClient
wrong:
```
from azure.iot.hub.protocol.iot_hub_device_client import IoTHubDeviceClient
```
correct:
```
from azure.iot.device import IoTHubDeviceClient
```
The core client for connecting devices to IoT Hub. Ensure to import from the top-level `azure.iot.device` package, not internal protocol modules.
IoTHubModuleClient
wrong:
```
from azure.iot.device import ModuleClient
```
correct:
```
from azure.iot.device import IoTHubModuleClient
```
The client for connecting IoT Edge modules. `ModuleClient` was an older naming convention or internal detail.
ProvisioningDeviceClient
```
from azure.iot.device import ProvisioningDeviceClient
```
Used for device provisioning through Azure Device Provisioning Service (DPS).
Message
```
from azure.iot.device import Message
```
Represents a message to be sent to Azure IoT Hub or Edge.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to connect an Azure IoT Device Client to IoT Hub using a connection string from an environment variable and send a basic JSON telemetry message. Ensure the `IOTHUB_DEVICE_CONNECTION_STRING` environment variable is set with your device's connection string before running.

import os
from azure.iot.device import IoTHubDeviceClient, Message

# NOTE: Environment variables are used for security and ease of management.
# Replace with your actual connection string from Azure IoT Hub device details.
CONNECTION_STRING = os.environ.get("IOTHUB_DEVICE_CONNECTION_STRING", "")

def main():
    if not CONNECTION_STRING:
        print("Error: IOTHUB_DEVICE_CONNECTION_STRING environment variable not set.")
        print("Please set it to your device's connection string.")
        exit(1)

    print("Connecting to IoT Hub...")
    client = IoTHubDeviceClient.create_from_connection_string(CONNECTION_STRING)
    client.connect()
    print("Client connected!")

    # Send a simple telemetry message
    telemetry_msg = Message('{"temperature": 25.0, "humidity": 60.5}')
    telemetry_msg.content_encoding = "utf-8"
    telemetry_msg.content_type = "application/json"

    print("Sending message...")
    client.send_message(telemetry_msg)
    print("Message sent!")

    # Disconnect
    client.shutdown()
    print("Client disconnected.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

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