The Smart IIoT Gateway Solutions: Tomorrow’s Data Handling

The assessment of current industrial IoT solutions involves their capacity to adapt to diverse data acquisition requirements and how they convert data gathered from devices into valuable business insights for decision-makers. Furthermore, embedding local intelligence into IIoT gateways and edge devices can lead to quicker response times and decrease the data burden on an industrial network. However, for an IIoT solution to operate effectively, each clever gateway must be supported by robust software and a dependable, powerful industrial wireless network. Here, we pinpoint some key facilitators of a Smart IIoT Gateway Solution.

Specialized Applications for the Industrial IoT

An exemplary IIoT solution is one tailored to the specific IIoT needs, combining features of a controller, data recorder, router, and customized software to significantly reduce the time needed to enter the market. Moreover, an intuitive and user-friendly GUI that simplifies data capture can save both time and money, enabling IT professionals to handle popular Modbus protocols in industrial automation applications without extra coding. Integrators and IT professionals involved in implementing IIoT solutions must be acquainted with the crucial demands of industrial applications to create data solutions that align well with Industrial IoT requirements.

Smooth Data Merging

The amount of data produced by edge devices is growing rapidly. Industrial IoT solutions necessitate a plan to manage such large data volumes, ensuring the data collected from the edge devices is processed promptly and available in the appropriate place, at the right time, and in the right layout. Sending data to a centralized system for processing might take a few minutes, which could be too late if the application involves critical industrial processes. Instruments and applications facilitating local intelligence in edge devices can bridge this gap and deliver quicker response times.

On-Demand Connectivity

4G LTE technology, furnishing the network infrastructure needed for decisive industrial applications, stands as the most recent advancement in industrial wireless. Uniting 4G LTE with the IoT-specific protocol MQTT has the potential to provide uninterrupted connections, fostering on-demand communications within your IIoT systems.

Futuristic Solution

Considering the swift evolution in the Industrial IoT sector, an adaptable solution that can effortlessly embrace and implement new technology will yield handsome returns on your investment. Rather than waiting for change to happen, a more effective strategy would involve actively seeking out systems and solutions that are future-proof or require minimal alteration to implement or sustain newer technology. Embracing new technologies holds the promise of substantial benefits and can enhance the efficiency of your system beyond previous expectations. Some cutting-edge technologies suitable for adoption in IIoT deployments are:

• Built-in packet routing and logging service for wireless networks
• LTE management support for streamlined deployment and improved maintenance of devices
• MQTT support for machine-to-machine communication and enabling remote devices to communicate directly with the cloud
• RESTful APIs for data integration with other systems

Illustrative Example—The Power Utility Sector

The scenario of a power utility provider demonstrated above exemplifies how an intelligent IoT gateway or a smart edge device can expedite decision-making processes. Such a solution can be promptly put into effect through an Industrial IoT system comprising of an Industrial IoT gateway and sensing devices.

Moxa Solutions

The Moxa ThingsPro software suite reshapes the IIoT domain. ThingsPro, already integrated in select Moxa IIoT gateways*, offers:

• An easily configurable GUI for data acquisition with prevalent Modbus protocols and LTE-enabled routing capability
• Technologically advanced systems for local intelligence
• MQTT support, furnishing a lightweight, asynchronous data exchange protocol for diverse applications
• RESTful APIs for gateway configuration utilizing HTTP methodologies to offer application flexibility and insights into your IIoT gateway

To dig deeper, download our white paper, Establishing a Future-Ready Data-Processing Solution with Intelligent IoT Gateways.

For further insights on ThingsPro, visit this link.

*Presently, ThingsPro is supported on UC-8100-CG series computers. Moxa is committed to further expanding the ThingsPro suite by extending support to more of our edge-computing platforms, offering you the finest programmable IoT gateways for industrial automation applications.