Simplifying Device Cloud Connectivity in the IoT Era

Image source: Hongke Electronics

With the development of various industrial protocols, there will be challenges in achieving interconnectivity among different protocols and devices, including traditional machinery. To align with the development of the IoT, significantly improve efficiency, reduce costs and resource consumption, and ultimately elevate traditional industries to a new stage of intelligence, how to effectively connect and manage numerous devices on various sites has garnered much attention.

This article will take the UBIQUITY solution as an example to introduce a solution that enables machines and equipment to connect to the cloud for remote control and maintenance.

UBIQUITY is a complete, secure IoT solution for remote assistance, certified by IEC 62443-3, suitable for any factory. It uses the most advanced technology for secure communication over the internet, ensuring performance and security for remote assistance in the field of industrial automation. It can be used as software applications for Windows CE, Windows 32/64, and Linux systems, requiring no IT skills to configure networks and various firewalls. It uses a user-friendly interface that facilitates access to remote systems (PLC, inverters, drives, etc.), allowing the use of VPN optimized for industrial communication with just a few clicks.

For on-site equipment, there are mainly two types: one does not have the hardware conditions to connect to the public network, and is only used as an on-site device, such as a traditional PLC controller, which can only communicate with on-site devices and cannot provide networking functionality; the other type has the capability to connect to the public network, such as an industrial computer, which has a network card and CPU along with its software operating system.

For most machine manufacturers, they prefer to achieve cloud connectivity without changing the overall structure and functionality of the machinery. Thus, two solutions have emerged: one is to connect traditional PLC controllers indirectly to achieve cloud functionality through IoT gateway hardware, and the other is to directly install IoT software on industrial computers for remote control.

The UBIQUITY IoT gateway Router has several LAN ports, one WAN port, and WiFi connectivity. The LAN ports can be directly connected to on-site machines to achieve on-site layer connectivity. The gateway can connect to the public network via WiFi or WAN port. Additionally, when the gateway connects to the public network via wired means, the WiFi interface in the local area network can connect to the local network to realize local monitoring operations.

On the industrial computer end at the site layer, UBIQUITY Runtime software is installed, enabling remote, cross-border services, including remote desktop, file transfer, chat window, task manager services, etc., to maintain and control remote devices.

UBIQUITY Runtime software is deployed on hardware such as industrial computers, supporting Windows, Linux, and other operating systems. Through the peripheral interfaces of the industrial computer, commonly used is the network port, it connects to industrial existing equipment. Additionally, it can connect devices that cannot install UBIQUITY Runtime software or cannot connect to the internet through the UBIQUITY Router gateway. The remote control end can install UBIQUITY Control Center software on Windows for remote connection, or install remote software on mobile terminals for connection, and even build their web applications on third-party applications. The middle server side is a pre-built server, and customers do not need to build their own servers to achieve remote value-added services across regions, while they can also pay to build their private servers.

Breton, founded in 1963, has become a global leader in the manufacturing of high-speed CNC machining and stone processing equipment, recognized worldwide for its high technical level, innovative solutions, and high-quality products and services.

Breton produces an average of 250 to 300 machines per year and provides a 15-year warranty service. With approximately 4000 factories and multiple machines globally, the scale is enormous, making control of each machine quite challenging. Due to time zone differences and potentially inexperienced on-site personnel, remote connection and access are needed to meet the demands of factory and machine automation.

In fact, Breton had previously used several remote desktop solutions on the market to assist in controlling machines, but these solutions were cumbersome when accessing different networks, requiring high-level IT expertise to configure different firewalls and networks, and were very time-consuming. At that time, Breton had no choice but to use multiple software solutions simultaneously for remote access to machines. In this situation, PLC-controlled machines could not be conveniently and quickly assisted or controlled remotely, and due to the inability to find a reliable and easy-to-use solution, Breton had to give up the idea of remote access to PLC-controlled machines.

Breton tried the Hongke ASEM UBIQUITY solution, which ultimately effectively solved their need for convenient and quick remote assistance and control of all machines globally.

By installing UBIQUITY software on each industrial computer controlling the machines, and installing the integrated remote assistance software UBIQUITY’s HMI30 on each PLC-controlled machine, remote operations on the controller via HMI became possible. In server management, at least 5 or 6 engineers are continuously connected to the UBIQUITY server for preventive maintenance and to obtain operational data from the machines.

Through the Hongke ASEM UBIQUITY solution, Breton has provided efficient machine installation and commissioning services to their customers, ensuring the reliability and continuity of services using the remote assistance capabilities of Hongke ASEM UBIQUITY.