Industrial IoT Solutions

As the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) becomes more critical, companies are faced with the challenge of developing reliable wireless technology solutions and the ability to internetwork sensors and other devices. The next stage in the manufacturing process development promises a significant digital transformation that ventures beyond production automation.

A broad selection of essential industrial technologies can help to ease the implementation of any Industrial IoT solution:

• Industrial automation
• Heavy duty connectors
• DIN value connectors
• Harsh I/O modules

Factory automation is the process of interconnecting production machinery to improve production efficiency and lead to a reduction in costs and time to market while simultaneously increasing production quality.

To properly build an industrial automation infrastructure, a multitude of powerful and secure electrical components are needed:

• Sensing modules including digital converters are needed to gather production data
• Power management components are available in a range of voltages and operating temperatures
• Security is vital to factory automation due to the use of distributed sensors and control nodes. Additional security components aid in tracking counterfeit production and that the correct process controllers are used
• Communication components allow the machinery to speak with one another through signalling. More recently, IO-Link technology has become a standard

Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) solutions encompass a wide range of products, from network processors that can be used to integrate BLE functionality into an existing product, to single-core wireless system-on-chip (SoC) application processors. By 2024, estimated annual shipments of Bluetooth® technology-enabled devices within the industrial sector are expected to exceed 335 million, according to the 2020 Bluetooth Market Update.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) covers a growing number of devices and machines within the industrial sectors that are equipped with sensors, connected to wireless networks, and can share data on their status and receive instructions. The gathered data allows companies to create more efficient business processes and reduce costs.

One of the key driving forces behind designing IIoT systems is Bluetooth® networking technology. Although its global awareness stemmed from consumer-oriented technology like headsets, wireless speakers and keyboards, the recent developments in Bluetooth® technology enable reliable and secure communication even in harsh conditions of industrial environments.

Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) radio entered the market in 2011 as a very low-power connectivity solution for battery-operated applications supporting data rates up to 2 Mbps. Both Bluetooth® and Bluetooth® LE radio protocols operate in a 2.4 GHz ISM band.

From smart homes to complex industrial applications, antennas are the critical components of the Internet of Things (IoT) system. Along with other electronic components such as filters and power amplifiers, antennas enable wireless connectivity between devices and the network by allowing the transmission and receival of radio frequency (RF) signals. The ability to provide highly reliable and efficient communication while adapting to an exponentially growing traffic environment is what makes antennas capable of supporting IoT applications.

Designing the antenna and optimising its performance requires a lot of thought. Everything from its shape, location, materials, the type of enclosure as well as nearby components will affect how it operates. The additional complexity of antenna design comes from the fact that nowadays there will rarely be one type of antenna inside the device. So, the challenge is to integrate multiple antennas into compact wireless devices which demands a level of knowledge and understanding from design engineers.

Industries such as consumer electronics, automotive and manufacturing, rely on embedded systems technology to implement smart and connected solutions within the IoT and the Industrial IoT (IIoT) environments.

What is an embedded system? Embedded systems are a combination of computer processors, memory, and input/output devices that have a defined purpose within a greater electrical system.

Embedded systems offer intelligence, connectivity and security capabilities that can facilitate the quick and easy development of IoT solutions for higher production rates and increased revenue.

LED lighting is capable of significantly cutting operating costs in industrial spaces due to its energy efficiency as compared to traditional high-power light fixtures.

Connected lighting platforms allow for rapid prototyping of smart LED lighting solutions and typically consist of four standard modules:

• LED Module
• LED Driver Module
• AC/DC Module
• Bluetooth® Low Energy Connectivity module