What does IoT Central raw data mean?

Keith Guo2026-10-27 9:24

In Azure IoT Central , "raw data" refers to the original telemetry data sent from a device before IoT Central processes, transforms, or interprets it.

🧠 Simple Explanation

Raw data = exactly what your device sends to the cloud (unchanged).

It is the low-level payload, typically JSON, coming directly from your device firmware.

📦 Example

Device sends telemetry:

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{
  "temperature": 25.3,
  "humidity": 60,
  "ts": "2026-05-06T01:00:00Z"
}

👉 This is raw data.

🔄 What IoT Central Does After Receiving Raw Data

IoT Central doesn't just store raw data --- it also:

✅ Maps it to a device template
✅ Converts it into structured telemetry
✅ Displays it in charts, dashboards
✅ Triggers rules/alerts

🧩 Raw Data vs Processed Data

Insights	Aggregated, visualized, or analyzed data

🔍 Where You See Raw Data in IoT Central

You'll encounter raw data in:

1. Raw Data View

Debugging device communication
Verifying payload format

2. Data Export

When exporting to:
- Azure Blob Storage
- Event Hubs
- Data Lake

👉 In exports, raw data may appear as:

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{
  "body": {
    "temperature": 25.3
  },
  "enqueuedTime": "...",
  "deviceId": "device-001"
}

⚙️ Why Raw Data Matters

✅ Debugging

Check if device is sending correct JSON
Catch schema mismatch issues

✅ Integration

Feed downstream systems (analytics, ML, etc.)
No dependency on IoT Central templates

✅ Flexibility

Supports evolving payloads without breaking app logic

🆚 Raw Data vs Telemetry in IoT Central

Aspect	Raw Data	Telemetry (IoT Central)
Format	Original JSON	Structured fields
Processing	None	Parsed via model
Use case	Debug/export	Dashboard, alerts
Dependency	Device payload	Device template

🧠 Key Takeaway

Raw data in IoT Central is the unprocessed telemetry payload sent directly from the device, before it's interpreted or visualized by the platform.