The main contributions of the paper:
- In this paper combining both the technologies, blockchain and NB- IoT, the approach provides distributed data authentication while, simultaneously creating blockchain security with additional traceability and review functions, it is the optimal solution for safe transportation.
- Unlike the existing conventional and proposed method of Intelligent supply chain with IoT and blockchain system facilitates the security, immutability, and authentication in the agriculture sector carried out revenue sharing profits among the entities; producer, wholesaler, and retailers are based on optimized business activities automatically without involving third parties using mathematical models are analysed every stage of the supply chain management.
- Unlike conventional schemes the proposed multi-layered blockchain structure combined with Narrowband IoT explains the compatibility of various levels of security, scalability, power dissipation, and use cases in agriculture and supply chain management.
- Analysed and optimized multilayer simulation results in graphical representation of power versus bit error rate (BER), frame error rate (FER), and symbol error rate (SER) for OFDM over 16-QAM modulation technique is obtained for single-layer, two-layer, and multi-layer systems.
Paper Organization
The structure of the paper is as follows: Section I discussed IoT in the Introduction. Section II deals with Blockchain Technology and the NB-IoT Section. III deals with the Background of Literature. Section IV deals with Methodology. Section V. Deals with deals with a Mathematical model for supply-chain to implement smart contracts. VI Results and Analysis VII. Deals with the Results. Section VIII. Deals with Conclusion.
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY WITH NB-IoT
Blockchain technology is an innovative technology that has gained pace over the past few years, with organizations in a wide range of sectors adopting it. It is a distributed and decentralized digital ledger [6-11] that operates an increasing number of records. Blockchain is just a digital decentralized database that allows for efficient and safe data exchanges [7].
Because of its intrinsic safety, blockchain is usually connected to the financial industry. However, there is still more to be discovered about the technology’s numerous potential applications in other fields [12]. One area where blockchain has the potential to have a big influence is logistics in the food supply chain. Every block of transactions on a blockchain is connected to the block before it, creating a distributed ledger [13].
A flat file can be used instead of a complex database as one method of storing the blockchain. The task of the Sha256 cryptographic hashing method is to provide a distinct hash for the blockchain’s block headers, enabling the identification of specific blocks [6]. The "prior block hash" element in the block header points to the parent block of a block. Stated differently, the hash of the parent block is contained in the header of each child block as shown in Fig.1 Generic blockchain. Every block’s hash sequence is linked to its parents’ hash sequences, creating a chain that can be traced back to the first block [6, 7]. The first stone of the foundation has been placed. The four primary categories of blockchain networks are hybrid, private, consortium, and public blockchains [13–20]. Encryption is used to safeguard sensitive data when it is being stored on a computer system, sent over the internet, or transferred over other computer networks. [9]. Decryption aims to make secret information understandable [9]. encrypting data to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing it.
The study of techniques to guarantee that a message may only be read by the intended recipient and sender is known as cryptography. There are three types of these pieces. Certificate Authority Digital (CA) comes first. Furthermore, Accreditation Organizations Thirdly, a public key infrastructure (PKI) is made up of the Registrar’s Office hardware, software, policies, procedures, and techniques for administering, distributing, utilizing, preserving, and canceling digital certificates and public keys [21].
In asymmetric encryption, communication is encrypted and decrypted with the aid of two keys: a public key and a private key [19]. Symmetric encryption uses a single key for both the encryption and decryption procedures (a secret key).
Narro Band IoT
The Radio technology created especially for Internet of Things applications is called NB-IoT, or narrowband Internet of Things. It can be immediately installed in GSM or LTE networks to reduce implementation expenses [8]. However, advancements in wireless connectivity make the Internet of Things possible.
Repeatedly sending the same control signals and data is the main way that the 3GPP plans to expand NB-coverage IoTs. Other NB-IoT proposals consider this new capacity of repeating. The strategy will consider a two-dimensional space, much like standard LTE systems do. Specifically, it will consider the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) level and repetition number gumption to perform a link adaptation for resource management, which will improve energy data rate and coverage efficiency.
Operation at Low Power
To cut down on upkeep costs, battery powered IoT sensors should last at least a decade before needing to be replaced. This is an essential requirement for the Internet of Things and Machine-to-Machine designs. Most studies show that battery life is significantly affected by several factors, including comparison of various IoT and progress towards 5G technology seen in Fig. 3. including network design, duty cycle, and workload distribution between end devices and base stations. When the NB-IoT system contains a large number of widely dispersed nodes, the "bottleneck problem" shows congestion at any one node in the network. This is because traffic directed to a gateway over many hops leads certain devices, depending on their location or network traffic patterns, to become increasingly crowded than others. Due to dwindling battery life, the network has a finite number of remaining months or years until it ceases to function entirely. Because the majority of NB-IoT systems feature a star network topology, where end devices link directly to base stations, there is often no need for a substantial and expensive switch and gateway deployment. This strategy conserves a great deal of energy. In a star topology, nodes conserve energy by not checking for incoming connections to relay continuously.
Most LPWAN techniques, and NB-IoT systems in particular, employ a major(star) topology in which the base station is always on and ready to provide immediate access to end devices anytime they request it. Even though the vast majority of LPWA technologies use a star topology, it’s crucial to note that certain LPWA technologies employ a tree or mesh topology. To attain the same energy efficiency performance as a star network architecture, however, these latter network architectures often require substantially more sophisticated protocol designs. Duty Cycle Management: To make NB-IoT systems run more efficiently on power, this method involves opto- tonetically turning off high-power M2M/IoT components, the radio transceiver circuit, for instance. By turning on the radio transceiver circuit only when data has to be sent or received, it has proven possible to significantly reduce the network’s power usage. Several studies on NB-IoT systems have looked at the effects of extra PHY layer parameters based on how much energy the system uses. This study suggests more research into how channel coding and modulation scheme selection affect the NB-IoT system’s overall energy usage and comparison of various IoT and progress towards 5G technology shown in Fig.2.
Blockchain Technology with Supply Chain Management
A blockchain is a distributed ledger that links several data blocks chronologically utilizing cryptographic techniques to pro- duce amazing outcomes. Blockchain was created to solve two main problems with digital currency: the double spending problem and the Byzantine generals’ dilemma. Supply chain blockchain applications have to be valued right away [12].
Blockchain technology makes it possible for the supply chain to expand, strengthen, and grow quickly. Think of it like a massive ledger. Unlike conventional databases, a central authority does not own the blockchain. However, the blockchain can accept new additions or upgrades if a majority of its members, or more than half of them, concur. Other benefits of a blockchain include its capacity to handle enormous amounts of documents and its ability to expedite procedures while maintaining uniform control over all parties involved [21]. Blockchain can change several aspects of the supply chain. Every transaction on the blockchain is kept on a block. These entries are subsequently spread over a larger number of devices as a
result of the enormous number of copies on the ledger, improving accessibility [22]. Only the block that comes before it is related to every other block, and so forth. Blockchain security is therefore difficult to breach. The goods’ data is moved and stored by the supply chain. Blockchain technology is an open, secure, and private way to store data.
According to Decker and Yeomans (2018), the blockchain is made up of blocks that hold transaction data and can only be modified by user consensus. The adoption of blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the supply chain by enabling companies to track their goods more effectively and guarantee that they reach their destination without incident. Businesses in the grocery market are required to monitor their items from their origins to the final consumer due to their extreme perishability and enhanced transparency [19]. For example, the supply chain management system enhanced by blockchain technology can easily monitor the source, handling, and delivery of every item [22].
Additionally, the operation becomes more efficient overall when it is sold. As a result, the final consumer benefits from higher quality service. In "Blockchain: The Future of Supply Chain Management," author Kate Mitchelmore explains how tracking an item’s lifecycle can be done using blockchain technology.
"Using blockchain technology, manufacturers may promptly identify product faults and communicate them directly to suppliers, who can then recall products without waiting for government regulators to intervene or for consumers to report issues." Using blockchain technology for supply chain management can lower costs by eliminating intermediaries, which is the first advantage12]. For instance, if you wanted to purchase flowers from a flower store, you would be required to pay for this service, as someone would have to deliver it. However, if you were utilizing blockchains, there would be no need for a third party to supply this service because everything is provided by the network itself (Peirce, 2016). inapparency is increased among all system participants, which is an additional advantage of utilizing blockchain technology in supply chain management. This means that all parties will know precisely where and when their products were generated or made (Ramirez-Lopez & Soto-Acosta, 2018). Customers will be able to see exactly what they are purchasing, as opposed to depending on someone else’s word on the product’s ingredients and manufacturing process (Ramirez-Lopez & Soto-Acosta, 2018) Included among the downsides is the difficulty of scaling a blockchain. There may be an absence of data access limitations, and the blockchain may not be fully compliant with the laws of some nations [24]. Converting a conventional supply chain into a global supply chain is effortless. Since it relies on a network of computers having access to the same database, the technology may not be as safe as it seems [25].