Preparing IT Experts for the OT Environment

As industries worldwide embrace IT technology, IT technicians are seeking products and solutions that can facilitate the connection between their operational OT systems and IT networks. While IT specialists are well-versed in various IT protocols for data transmission over networks, they may lack familiarity with the numerous OT protocols commonly used in industrial operations.

Challenges Encountered in Data Transmission from OT Systems to the Cloud

Given the unique traits and constraints of OT systems, what challenges might IT professionals face when integrating data with the cloud and how can these obstacles be surmounted?

Unfamiliarity with OT Protocols

Protocols function as languages for devices rather than humans. Without the ability to interpret various OT protocols, IT engineers will struggle to analyze data and transform it into valuable insights.

IT Experts’ Limited Skills in Programming OT Devices

OT devices are tailored for specific operational requirements, limiting the range of functions they support and lacking the adaptability needed for customized solutions. Moreover, the programming languages commonly used by IT technicians may not be compatible with most OT products, as ladder logic, the primary language supported by PLCs, is specific to OT field applications.

Assistance from Moxa in Integrating OT Data into IT Cloud

Given that IT engineers typically lack familiarity with OT systems, are there readily available market solutions that fulfill the programming needs of IT professionals?

Moxa’s Offerings

Moxa’s remote I/O devices and intelligent remote I/O devices go beyond the expertise of OT engineers by supporting IT protocols beneficial for OT purposes. For example, the ioLogik E1200 Series, ioLogik E2200 Series, and ioLogik 2500 Series were developed based on best practices endorsed by IT experts.

With Moxa’s solutions for bridging OT and IT realms, the necessity of investing in additional gateways is eliminated. These solutions provide engineers with enhanced flexibility by supporting a user-friendly programming environment. Two specific form factors are detailed below.

Integration of IT Protocols Reducing Gateway Costs

The ioLogik E1200 Series and ioLogik 2500 Series from Moxa are equipped with multiple protocols, including IT protocols like RESTful APIs, SNMP Trap, and MXIO library. Whether users opt for using a Network Management System (NMS) for system management, performing RESTful API requests for data exchange, or executing predefined commands for tailored development, all these functionalities can be achieved using a single I/O device.

RESTful APIs: Effective for diverse topologies and applications as they leverage the HTTP protocol, offering great accessibility and convenience for IIoT device-to-cloud communications.
SNMP Trap: Supports SNMPv1/v2c enabling network and I/O device monitoring with SNMP Network Management software, useful for building automation and telecom applications.
MXIO Library: The Moxa MXIO library supports WinCE and Linux, along with C++, VB/VC, and .NET development platforms, facilitating easy I/O device management and data transfer operations over an Ethernet or RS-485 network. Linux developers can seamlessly create custom applications for transparent communication between the host and the entire ioLogik product family.