# RFC 9880 and the IoT Validation Problem

DevFeed: [RFC 9880 and the IoT Validation Problem](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/rfc-9880-and-the-iot-validation-problem-18924.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.frankel.ch/rfc-9880-iot-validation-compiler/>)

Author: Stefano Fago

Published: 2026-07-26T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Nicolas Fränkel](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/nicolas-frankel.md>)

Topics: [Internet of things](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/iot.md>), [SDF](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/sdf.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/data.md>), [JSON](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/json.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [CoAP](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/coap.md>), [MQTT](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mqtt.md>), [HTTP](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/http.md>), [TLS (Transport Layer Security)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/tls.md>)

Tags: [architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architecture.md>), [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/data.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [iot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/iot.md>), [json](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/json.md>), [protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/protocol.md>), [sdf](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/sdf.md>), [standards](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/standards.md>), [validation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/validation.md>)

## AI overview

This article examines RFC 9880 and its Semantic Definition Format (SDF) as an ecosystem-neutral, JSON-based way to describe IoT devices. It argues that SDF validation is best understood as a compilation problem and discusses how different IoT ecosystems represent the same physical concepts incompatibly.

## Source excerpt

The IoT/IIoT world has a data model problem and the concept of Digital Twin has made this issue more important. Plenty of people have tried to fix it. RFC 9880 and its Semantic Definition Format (SDF) are a serious attempt: a JSON-based, ecosystem-neutral way to describe what a device is and what it does. I have had some experiences with this specification, and I've understood that the format shows its full value once you treat it as source code, something you compile.