Design_World_-_Internet_of_Things_Handbook_April_2020

38 DESIGN WORLD — EE NETWORK 4 • 2020 eeworldonline.com | designworldonline.com

End users struggle with specifi c pain

points around digital transformation in

the traditional technology stack. While

traditional communication technologies

will continue to be in demand, pairing

MQTT with existing o erings can give

users a way to evolve.

Your customers are working to

create a digital transformation in their

companies. They want more data. They want

more insight. More than just supporting

their processes, they now need equipment

that delivers useful information and easily

integrates as part of a cohesive data network

extending from plant fl oor to executive offi ce.

However, there are many obstacles to

creating the level of integration required

to fulfi ll that vision. oving a single É"

signal from the fi eld to the cloud reμuires a

technology stack that includes many layers

and involves many players. Each layer

adds complexity, which affects the overall

security and scalability of the system, not to

mention added labor and cost (Figure 1).

Fortunately, new technologies

are coming to the fore that bypass the

traditional technology stack. There are

several key technologies for machine

integration called MQTT, a lightweight,

publish-subscribe communications protocol

for the internet of things ­oT). ncluding

MQTT as an interface option multiplies

the reach of machine data, providing new

options to end users and even making

direct-to-cloud integration a possibility.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM

Design engineers have multiple options

for providing an equipment data interface.

Many manufacturers, particularly of small-

scale or off-the-shelf equipment, may

use printed circuit board (PCB) designs

including a serial or 

thernet É" interface.

A programmable logic controller (PLC)

or industrial É" gateway included in

the electrical panel of larger or semi-

custom equipment is another option

that gives some fl exibility. n the case of

custom-engineered equipment, the end

user might require the designer to use a

specifi c fi eldbus standard for sensors and

transmitters that is compatible with their

plant control network.

n all these cases, however, the end

user faces a similar set of challenges with

unlocking the full value of equipment data.

First, communication protocols

themselves impose some limitations.

Proprietary protocols, obviously, inhibit

interoperability, even if the manufacturer

supplies a client application for

communication with their device. To enable

true integration, the manufacturer needs to

offer a custom communications driver that

can be incorporated into other applications.

However, even common industrial

protocols, like odbusÉT

* or 

thernetÉ*,

have limited compatibility with T systemsp

INTERNET OF THINGS HANDBOOK

obstacles to IIoT integration

How to use MQTT to overcome

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