Highlights:

  • Edge Connect is a versatile connectivity platform for the industrial edge, with low power consumption and broad device/application compatibility.
  • Edge Connect simplifies the connection of diverse machines and equipment for plant operators, compatible with various hardware and software systems.

IOTech Systems Ltd., an edge computing startup, unveiled Edge Connect, a new service designed to facilitate data collection in organizations’ intricate, multiprotocol industrial settings.

The business aims to serve companies that install industrial Internet of Things applications in the infrastructure of manufacturing, energy, and other industries. It claims that IoT applications, such as sensors in a car manufacturing facility, can be incredibly valuable because they provide crucial data on the effectiveness of plant operations.

However, many businesses find it challenging to connect these edge devices and quickly gather the data they produce. With its new product, IOTech hopes to address that problem.

Any device or application can use Edge Connect, a low-power connectivity platform, at the industrial edge. This includes embedded applications in the automotive industry, real-time monitoring sensors in energy storage systems, and closed-loop control applications in manufacturing.

Edge Connect makes it simple for plant operators to connect various machines and equipment via protocols like Modbus, OPC Unified Architecture, BACnet, EtherCAT, and more. Edge Connect is compatible with a wide range of hardware and software systems. According to IOTech, Edge Connect can read and write data from devices at high speeds to support the highest data volumes with low latency, allowing businesses to capitalize on the unique value created by analyzing data almost instantly.

Additionally, customers can easily integrate Edge Connect with other third-party applications to explore and process their data, thanks to its open application programming interface. The MQTT and JavaScript Object Notation protocols also allow users to stream data securely to cloud services, according to IOTech.

According to the company, organizations can integrate time-sensitive, real-time edge applications with advanced enterprise and cloud systems using Edge Connect.

Andrew Foster, Product Director of IOTech, said, “As a high performance connectivity solution that providers can easily embed in their own edge solutions then Edge Connect is unique. It solves the problem of accessing an organization’s operational data that is typically locked away inside of their OT systems. In most cases, this is through simple configuration or via dynamic device discovery and without the need for custom code.”