Machine and plant manufacturers need a flexibly scalable migration path to develop their IoT offerings. It is an advantage if application-ready and scalable platforms are available that can both integrate existing sensor technology and support new solutions. Modular embedded computer technology based on computer-on-modules is ideal for such solutions, as it is very flexible in terms of application requirements and performance, and customized carrier boards can also be implemented extremely cost-effectively if required.

However, modules and suitable carrier boards alone do not make an IoT gateway solution. Application-ready, hardware-abstracting and standardized middleware is also required. It therefore makes sense for embedded manufacturers to also offer their OEM customers the appropriate connection logic (glue logic), which OEMs can use to implement their IoT solutions from the first 'sandbox' to the fully converted cyber-physical factory as required. Standardizing middleware in this way ensures that applications can be used on hardware designed to meet requirements without having to change the hardware access logic.

Standardize connection logic

It makes sense for embedded computing providers not to go it alone. This would be proprietary and could tie the machine manufacturer and automation provider too closely to one embedded computing supplier. This is because such glue logic may well require investments in the upper five-figure range. Solutions that are implemented either via open source projects or directly via standardization bodies such as SGET, PICMG or newly established bodies are therefore much more interesting.

As always, however, someone has to make the start. Congatec has therefore developed a special application programming interface (API) for connecting to clouds for devices, machines and systems that are to receive a flexible IoT gateway. It can integrate both smart sensor networks and existing smart peripherals. Users use it as a framework to implement the gateway functionality for their machines and systems based on application-ready logic. The hardware abstraction creates standardization for the application software, which also ensures its portability.

APIs standardize access

The Congatec Cloud API for IoT gateways enables the universal integration of heterogeneous sensor networks and various database implementations in IoT clouds such as Azure or Amazon Web Services.

© Congatec

The new cloud API has an application-ready and open design. This makes it possible to integrate a wide variety of wireless sensor connections such as Bluetooth LE, ZigBee, LoRa and other LPWANs as well as wired protocols for building and industrial automation. Even heterogeneous protocol configurations and communication with other gateways are possible. Typical applications for this can be found in Industry 4.0-networked machines and systems as well as in intralogistics systems. OEMs are provided with all the necessary software modules in C++ source code on request, which makes it much easier to develop their own IoT applications for Linux and Windows based on this application-ready reference design.

If required, additional software services for the cloud API and the cloud connection are offered. Providing the code is the first step that Congatec is taking towards manufacturer-independent standardization.

The second step involves the acquisition of cooperation partners such as Iesy or Technagon as well as the introduction of such concepts or concepts coordinated with other partners in cross-manufacturer initiatives such as SGET. It has also set itself the goal of defining further standards above the board and module level in order to further simplify the use of embedded computer technology for OEMs.

The cloud API currently being presented can be integrated into dedicated Congatec gateways as well as customer-specific designs and existing hardware platforms based on Congatec hardware. Real-time capable hardware virtualization is supported for this purpose. Existing solutions include the IoT gateways from Technagon, Iesy, Expemb and Congatec.

Wide range of IoT gateways

The IoT gateway from Technagon with the new Intel Atom Celeron or Pentium processors is based on modules according to the latest SMARC 2.0 standard and uses the new eNUC standard from SGET for a standardized box PC design. Despite its small footprint of just 104 × 104 mm², it supports up to three wireless standards with up to six antennas. In order to meet the different requirements in industrial environments, the Box PC is available in numerous housing variants for wall, top-hat rail or Vesa mounting as well as an IP54-protected outdoor version.

Four IoT gateways that are suitable for use with the new cloud API for IoT gateways come from Congatec, Technagon, Iesy and Expemb (from right to left).

© Congatec

Iesy's IoT gateway with Qseven computer-on-modules is also based on the eNUC standard for the carrier board and housing. Modules with ARM and x68 technology can be used. The entire range of current technologies is available here: from modules with the particularly energy-efficient i.MX6 ARM processors to the graphics-strong AMD Embedded G-Series APUs and the latest Intel Atom processors. This allows OEMs to scale their gateway across an extremely wide range of software, performance and cost targets. With four serial UART interfaces, RS232, two TTL and three USB interfaces as well as two GbE interfaces, the range of interfaces is classically industrial and therefore suitable for connecting existing, mostly wired installations.

The Flexgate gateway from Expemb is also based on Qseven modules - but specially developed for the LPWA protocol LoRa (LPWA stands for Low Power Wide Area) for IoT networking. It is a concentrator for up to 62,500 wirelessly connected smart LoRa sensors and devices. The gateway can communicate with the central cloud via 1 Gbit Ethernet, WLAN, 3G/4G or Bluetooth. All these connection options are available simultaneously on the gateway and a fallback can be set individually according to various scripts if a connection fails. A wide range of I/Os towards the field - such as two USB ports, a serial interface, GPIOs and Modbus fieldbus support - also enables the connection of additional local devices and networks for every requirement.

Machine and plant manufacturers who need an even more flexible gateway for their IoT sensor networks will also find the right dedicated hardware platform in the Congatec IoT gateway. It supports up to six modules for a wide range of wireless interfaces - from LTE, WLAN, Bluetooth and Zigbee to LPWA networks such as Sigfox or LoRa - and can therefore be used particularly flexibly in heterogeneous applications and can consolidate numerous gateways in use onto one platform.

If server performance and real-time communication are required for Industry 4.0 applications, smart industrial servers with real-time communication via 10 Gbit Ethernet can also be implemented on the basis of COM Express type 7. Up to four GbE interfaces also support redundant and therefore fault-tolerant communication for high-availability gateways; with up to 32 PCIe lanes, any peripherals can also be flexibly connected.

This means that OEMs already have a wide range of IoT gateways available that are recommended for use with the new Cloud API for IoT gateways. If this selection is not sufficient, application-ready designs can optionally be produced via Congatec's Embedded Design and Manufacturing Services. With extended support through standardization initiatives, the cloud API for IoT gateways will also be supported by other manufacturers. As the source code is also provided in C++, there is already no investment risk. Machine and plant manufacturers and automation providers should therefore evaluate whether they can use the Cloud API to connect their solutions to clouds, as this will save them valuable time and many lines of code when developing their specific solutions.

Author:
Christian Eder is Director Marketing at Congatec.