Distribution I The Internet of Things
When the edge is
the centre Management system for water treatment plant
According to David Potts the edge is the centre, for without the distributed infrastructure of sensors and control systems the Internet of Things would be impossible
T
he centre of the much-vaunted Internet of Things is the edge. Whilst the network connectivity that transmits data, the cloud based servers that collate and process it and the applications that they drive are undoubtedly key, none would exist without the distributed infrastructure of sensors and control systems on the factory floor, at the roadside, in the office, at home or quite literally in the field detecting and collecting the information.
Whilst each of these distributed nodes is
in itself quite small, the opportunity they collectively represent is vast because of the sheer numbers that will be required as the Internet of Things expands and grows. According to Michael Nelson, Professor of Communication, Culture & Technology at Georgetown University and Internet Technology Director at IBM, the number of objects interconnected online will grow from the current 1billion to 100billion nodes in the next 5 to 10 years. At its simplest level, a node may consist of a few sensors and a control PC. At a
more complex level, nodes might contain enough intelligence to receive and act on control inputs as well as transmit information. Consider some of these possibilities, fulfilled by just one manufacturer, Advantech, recently:
underground communication networks to improve safety in coal mines
● A fibre optic-based Ethernet ring for
● An automated Industrial PC based solution for managing Electric Vehicle
charging stations
● A wireless system to monitor the water level of the reservoirs at a water treatment plant and checks the pressure in the pipes
Imagination aside, the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming energised by a wealth of technologies from power sources, power supplies and management devices, through data transmission and collection, to automation and control. Here we review specific developments in three areas that every device on the IoT-edge will need: remote control, connectivity and power.
Electric vehicle charging station 24 September 2012 Components in Electronics
Remote control and automation Internet connectivity is fast becoming a must-have feature in automation and control applications. Embedded Web servers allow users to interrogate, debug and control remote systems from anywhere via PCs and smartphones. In addition to displaying information on a user’s browser, such systems can also be programmed to send emails and even tweets triggered by service alerts or low product inventory. End users benefit through cost and time savings since they can centrally monitor, control and service their embedded systems over the Internet instead of physically being there. ARM-based embedded PCs running Linux OS distributions offer connectivity straight out of the box, in the form of the
world’s dominant server software, Apache. Embedded Windows also comes with a Web server - MS Internet Information Server - and Microsoft’s forthcoming version of the OS, Windows 8, will also be able to run IIS. This may be a particularly significant development, as Windows 8 is specifically aimed at ‘intelligent systems’ - a key element in the Internet of Things There is a wide choice of control platforms available to span all areas of the IoT space, from microcontrollers to powerful single-board computers. Advantech is a name to watch, with a strong emphasis on the Internet of things and a product range that covers just about every hardware and software requirement, whether it’s industrial motherboards or slot single board computers, passive backplanes, industrial computer chassis, peripherals or pre-configured system, panel PCs, intelligent video platforms or portable computers.
OEMs and systems integrators can themselves benefit from centralised monitoring and management of these embedded devices. Applications like Advantech’s SUSIAccess provide a ready-to- use remote access solution, allowing system integrators to focus more on their own applications, whilst SUSIAccess automatically configures the system, monitors their devices’ health, and recover any system that may fail.
Efficient connectivity IoT devices also by definition need a network connection, wired or otherwise. A new generation of Wi-Fi, Ethernet and cellular transceivers makes it easier and quicker than ever to get machines connected. Modules like the Microchip MRF24WB0MA and MRF24WB0MB come with agency certified IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi radio transceivers. The MRF24WB0MA
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