IoT Edge Gateway for Industrial Use: Life on the Edge
An edge IoT gateway is a computer that sits on the edge of a network, close to IoT devices, for the purpose of collecting data. It might consolidate, filter, analyze and/or perform computational tasks on the data before sending it to the cloud. The proximity of the IoT edge gateway to the data source is good for latency and efficiency and it reduces traffic on the network.
So how have gateways evolved to get to this point and meet industrial and IoT requirements?
IoT gateways – a brief history
There was a time when a gateway was exactly what the term implies; a simple passage linking two networks and allowing bits of data to flow from one to the other. As the number of networks has increased and the nature of traffic over them has grown more complex and vital, the role of a gateway has expanded. Consequently, the requirements for a gateway device have also evolved.
Today, there are a huge variety of gateways that integrate many functions into a single device or package. There are simple routers that connect local networks to the internet, and firewalls that inspect and filter inbound and outbound traffic to secure against threats. XML and SOA gateways are two examples of common hardware plus software implementations used for processing business data.
Meanwhile, security gateways offer robust authentication services and content filtering. An industrial IoT edge gateway is an intelligent central hub for IoT devices designed to survive at the edge where other computers might fail.
The role of an edge computing IoT gateway
The role of IoT gateways is expanding with the continued growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). In fact, it is projected that by 2027 there will be more than 41 billion IoT devices. That is up from 8 billion in 2019.
IoT devices can include everything from security cameras and factory monitoring equipment to vehicle telemetry and medical devices. All of these devices produce large amounts of data and place real demands on network communication infrastructure. These demands can be even more extreme in remote and mobile environments.
IoT gateways provide the glue that enables communication between IoT devices, their operators, and the cloud. They provide a way to gather, manage, process, and access data before it’s passed to other devices, networks, or storage architectures. By using IoT gateways, administrators are able to gain control over where and how data is stored and processed.
IoT, and the similarly expanding Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), has helped drive uptake of gateways in the industrial space. From factory floors to rail yards, the number and type of devices gathering and transacting data grows every day. Industrial gateways designed for the edge are hardened against the demands of remote and rugged environments. They offer fanless cooling and ventless chassis designs that resist temperature extremes, vibration, and dust.
Engineers often deploy an IoT edge gateway to add intelligence to legacy systems, which were often never designed to connect to the cloud. A rolling machine in a steel plant, for instance, can pass its raw material usage data to a gateway. The gateway is then able to either pass the data onto a local control room or process the data to the cloud.
Identifying the correct gateway for your application
As the demands for on-site and remote computing continue to grow, IoT gateway infrastructure will need to expand in kind. Ongoing conversations about standardizing IoT protocols will help ensure continuous optimization and efficient interoperability. However, identifying and employing the right hardware solution for the job will ensure the continued success of any IoT project.
Need help finding the right IoT gateway for your edge computing application? Our technical experts are ready to help. And if you would like to receive educational articles like this one sent to our inbox, subscribe to our communications!
Originally posted on October 3, 2017, this blog was updated for content on December 10, 2022.
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