The IIoT enables the IT portion of IT/OT convergence (OT devices are not traditionally networked technology). IIoT devices, by definition, are networked computing devices with the ability to collect, transfer and analyse data. Traditional OT devices, sensors for example, can collect data, but cannot actually transmit the data over a large network or perform any sort of in-depth analysis on that data.
The addition of edge computing capabilities to IIoT
devices allows for processing of real-time data closer to the source. Instead of sending the data over a network to a centralised location
for processing, the IIoT devices can analyse time-sensitive manufacturing process data and return insights quickly for direct monitoring of
industrial conditions before it becomes obsolete.
The addition of IT technology to OT allows organisations to make better use of the data that’s generated by OT through IIoT devices and edge computing.
This is important because IIoT and OT devices are often part of a distributed network architecture, making transmission to a central processing location difficult or impossible. These devices are also often responsible for critical industrial systems, that, if shut down or interrupted, would incur severe consequences.
Ignition is also the first industrial platform to fully integrate the MQTT protocol. MQTT has become the de facto standard messaging protocol for IoT. It enables enterprises to build IIoT and digital transformation solutions in Ignition.
Sparkplug is an open source software specification to help clients seamlessly integrate data between their sensors, devices or gateways and applications within an MQTT infrastructure. Sparkplug is rapidly becoming the standard for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to achieve cross industry interoperability and digital transformation.
For more information on the benefits of MQTT and Sparkplug, and how they seamlessly integrate with Ignition, visit Cirrus Link Solutions.