Extended Protocol Support for AWS IoT SiteWise Edge through EasyEdge

/ Tutorial

Introduction

In the rapidly evolving world of industrial IoT, data is the lifeblood of businesses. AWS IoT SiteWise Edge is a powerful solution that enables local data processing, storage, and analysis at the edge, reducing latency and enhancing operational efficiency. To further extend the capabilities of AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, AWS has partnered with Domatica to integrate their EasyEdge software as a data source. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up and leveraging EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, enhancing your industrial IoT infrastructure and enabling seamless data integration with other AWS Cloud services.

Table of Contents

  1. Overview of AWS IoT SiteWise Edge and EasyEdge Integration
  2. Setting up EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge
  3. Configuring Protocols and Data Flows
  4. Data Conditioning with EasyEdge
  5. Local Monitoring and Storage with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge
  6. Integration with AWS IoT SiteWise and Other AWS Cloud Services
  7. Advanced Techniques and Best Practices
  8. Conclusion

1. Overview of AWS IoT SiteWise Edge and EasyEdge Integration {#overview}

AWS IoT SiteWise Edge is a powerful gateway solution that enables local processing and storage of industrial equipment data. As part of its mission to provide seamless integration and extended functionality, AWS has collaborated with Domatica to integrate their EasyEdge software as a data source. EasyEdge expands the range of protocols supported by AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, allowing users to easily connect a wider variety of industrial equipment and devices to their IoT infrastructure.

2. Setting up EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge {#setup}

Setting up EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge is a seamless process that requires just a few simple steps:

  1. Log in to the AWS Console and navigate to the AWS IoT SiteWise Edge section.
  2. Select the option to add a data source and choose EasyEdge from the dropdown menu.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install and configure EasyEdge on your gateway device.

EasyEdge can be installed on a variety of gateway devices, including industrial PCs, edge servers, and other compatible hardware. The flexibility of EasyEdge ensures that it can be seamlessly integrated into your existing infrastructure without requiring significant changes or investments.

3. Configuring Protocols and Data Flows {#configuring}

Once EasyEdge is set up as a data source on your AWS IoT SiteWise Edge gateway, the next step is to configure the protocols and data flows. EasyEdge provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to visually define the data paths and specify the protocols for each connected device. Supported protocols include:

  • Modbus TCP/RTU
  • OPC UA
  • MQTT
  • BACnet IP

By supporting these widely used protocols, EasyEdge enables seamless integration of a wide range of industrial devices into your AWS IoT infrastructure. This flexibility ensures that you can easily connect and collect data from your existing equipment without the need for complex custom integration solutions.

4. Data Conditioning with EasyEdge {#conditioning}

In many industrial IoT use cases, raw data collected from equipment requires conditioning and transformation before it can be effectively analyzed. EasyEdge provides a powerful set of tools for data conditioning, enabling you to preprocess and manipulate data before it reaches AWS IoT SiteWise Edge for storage and analysis.

With EasyEdge, you can apply a wide range of data conditioning techniques, including:

  • Filtering and smoothing
  • Data aggregation and summarization
  • Unit conversion
  • Data enrichment through integration with external systems or databases

These data conditioning capabilities enable you to perform complex data transformations at the edge, reducing the amount of data that needs to be transferred to the cloud and minimizing latency for critical applications.

5. Local Monitoring and Storage with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge {#monitoring}

One of the key benefits of AWS IoT SiteWise Edge is the ability to locally monitor and store equipment data. EasyEdge seamlessly integrates with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, allowing you to leverage its local data storage and analysis capabilities.

With AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, you can set up local dashboards and visualizations to monitor the real-time status of your equipment. These dashboards can be customized to suit your specific needs and provide actionable insights for real-time decision making. The local storage capabilities of AWS IoT SiteWise Edge ensure that all the data is available for historical analysis and can be easily accessed for troubleshooting and audit purposes.

6. Integration with AWS IoT SiteWise and Other AWS Cloud Services {#integration}

While local monitoring and storage are essential for edge analytics, the true power of AWS IoT SiteWise Edge lies in its seamless integration with AWS IoT SiteWise and other AWS Cloud services. Once the data is securely stored in AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, it can be seamlessly synchronized with the AWS Cloud, unlocking a wide range of advanced analytics and automation possibilities.

Some of the integration points include:

  • AWS IoT SiteWise: Leverage the capabilities of AWS IoT SiteWise to perform advanced analytics, anomaly detection, and predictive maintenance on your industrial equipment data.
  • AWS Lambda: Trigger serverless functions to automate actions based on real-time data insights, such as notifications, alerts, or control actions.
  • AWS IoT Core: Enable communication and coordination between devices connected to AWS IoT Core, leveraging the data collected by EasyEdge and AWS IoT SiteWise Edge.
  • AWS IoT Analytics: Perform complex analytics on your equipment data using AWS IoT Analytics, gaining deeper insights and enabling data-driven decision-making.

The seamless integration between AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, EasyEdge, and other AWS Cloud services empowers businesses to harness the full potential of their industrial IoT infrastructure and drive operational efficiency.

7. Advanced Techniques and Best Practices {#advanced}

To extract the maximum value from the integration of EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, consider the following advanced techniques and best practices:

  • Design a secure edge infrastructure: Ensure that proper security measures are in place to protect the integrity and confidentiality of your equipment data. Apply best practices for securing your gateway devices, including using secure boot, data encryption, and limiting network access.
  • Optimize data conditioning: Fine-tune your data conditioning techniques to strike a balance between reducing data volume and preserving critical information for accurate analysis. Experiment with different filtering and aggregation approaches to find the optimal configuration for your specific use case.
  • Leverage machine learning at the edge: Explore the possibilities of deploying lightweight machine learning models on your EasyEdge-enabled gateway devices. This enables real-time predictive analytics and anomaly detection, reducing dependency on cloud-based services for time-critical applications.
  • Scalability considerations: Plan your industrial IoT infrastructure for scalability, ensuring that it can handle future growth and additional data sources. Consider an elastic architecture that can adapt to changing requirements and accommodate new devices seamlessly.

Implementing these advanced techniques and best practices will enhance the performance, security, and scalability of your EasyEdge and AWS IoT SiteWise Edge integration, enabling you to derive the maximum value from your industrial IoT investments.

8. Conclusion {#conclusion}

The integration of EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge opens up a world of possibilities for industrial IoT applications. By seamlessly connecting a wide range of industrial devices using various protocols, EasyEdge enables businesses to harness the full potential of their equipment data. Combining the local monitoring and storage capabilities of AWS IoT SiteWise Edge with the advanced analytics and automation possibilities of AWS Cloud services, businesses can drive operational efficiency, improve decision-making, and unlock new revenue streams. Start exploring the power of EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge today to transform your industrial IoT infrastructure and stay ahead in a data-driven world.

For more information on how to set up and leverage EasyEdge with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge, refer to the official documentation here or check out the official AWS blog post on the topic here.