Industrial automation technology supplier Moxa has launched an industrial internet of things starter kit which it says has built-in support for Amazon Web Services.
The company says the IIoT Gateway Starter Kit is aimed at the needs of system integrators and engineers developing applications for IIoT.
Moxa says the kit is data-acquisition ready, and provides a “reliable ready-to-use platform that simplifies development of IIoT solutions by providing all the essentials needed to get data from edge devices to cloud services, and with little to no programming required”.
This results in faster development, integration, and time to market, giving system integrators the boost they need, adds Moxa.
The kit has three components, software, hardware and integration, or connectivity.
The software: ThingsPro Gateway
The first main component of the starter kit is ThingsPro Gateway, a ready-to-run data-acquisition software platform that simplifies the complex task of transferring edge data to the cloud.
To simplify getting your data, ThingsPro Gateway provides a Modbus framework to easily connect with Modbus RTU/TCP devices and supervisory control and data acquisition systems.
It also includes extensive network support for 4G connectivity, wireless failover, firewalls, and virtual private network to ensure that your data can be securely retrieved from remote field sites.
To get your data into the cloud, it has built-in client support for services such as AWS IoT and Cirrus Link Sparkplug. By integrating the AWS IoT Device SDK, ThingsPro Gateway lets you set up tags and devices on AWS IoT.
Users can then transfer field data to various AWS cloud services – such as Amazon Kinesis, AWS Lambda, and Amazon S3 – to collect, process, and store data.
The starter kit also supports running AWS Greengrass to perform computing, messaging, data caching, and sync functions locally.
Additionally, with the built-in Cirrus Link Sparkplug SDK, users can easily connect your IIoT Gateway to the Inductive Automation Ignition Platform or another MQTT server.
Johnny Fang, a product manager in Moxa’s embedded computing division, says: “The value of IIoT gateways is in connecting edge devices and taking the necessary data to the cloud.
“To enable faster integration between things in the field and services on the cloud and to help users to get their solutions to market sooner, we’re actively working to add support for more and more cloud services such as Microsoft Azure, Google IoT Core, and Schneider Wonderware in the coming releases.”
Also, for those who need more customized solutions, ThingsPro Gateway includes C and Python APIs to accelerate application development and create a tailored solution that meets specific needs.
The hardware: the UC-8112 edge computer
The other main component is the UC-8112 Edge Computer – an industrial-grade ready-to-deploy communication-centric computing platform that packs a 1 GHz ARM processor, 512 MB RAM, two LAN ports, and two serial ports, all in a compact, palm-sized rugged box.
Moxa says it provides a flexible platform suitable for a wide variety of applications, and is available in a wide temperature model that can operate in harsh environments from to -40 to 75°C.
The company adds that it also has a wide range of wireless accessories available to add LTE or Wi-Fi connectivity if needed.
For those who are already developing a proof of concept with a Raspberry Pi, they can easily migrate their applications to the UC-8112 to transform their IIoT ideas from being prototypes to becoming rugged solutions suitable for industrial application and mass production.
Bringing it all together: the IIoT Gateway Starter Kit
By putting together the UC-8112 Edge Computer hardware and ThingsPro Gateway software, the IIoT Gateway Starter Kit presents a flexible, rugged, and powerful platform.
Moxa says it is ideal for remote monitoring, data acquisition, and data processing applications for a variety of IIoT applications, including solar energy, wind power, electric vehicle charging stations, water and wastewater monitoring, and smart manufacturing.
