How LKRemote Enables Edge Architectures

In recent decades, the number of signals, points, assets, installations, etc. to be monitored and/or controlled remotely has been increasing. Initially, the supervision was at a local level, to later pass it to SCADAS and, currently, we are in a transition towards the sending of data to clouds, which remains to be seen whether it will prevail in the current model. Be that as it may, the sending of data for its subsequent treatment and analysis is unstoppable.

This process has allowed the installation of multiple simple systems, with little calculation or memory capacity as there has been no need for it. With the emergence of new needs such as autonomous decision-making, rapid action, data traceability and coherence, absolute interoperability or cybersecurity, these devices have become very unbalanced in terms of functionality.

That is why equipment capable of interacting with all the assets and subsystems of an installation, with programming and calculation capacity, robust and sensitive to security, are gaining importance in recent years. That is, equipment that has the function of performing the so-called Edge functionality or Edge computing.

Let’s take as an example a presence control with sensors and camera: In a scenario without an Edge device, the camera should be recording continuously and sending the information through the network (which is perhaps wireless and/or unstable). In a non-linked way, if the sensor detects an entry, the message must be sent immediately upstream. In such a case, there is no guarantee that it will arrive, nor management of retries.

On the other hand, if we have an Edge device, this same example takes on a different character:

• An electrical opening can be integrated with a keyboard password – for example – to avoid alarms.
• By time management you can know if the entry into the installation is within normal hours or not to send a notification to the control center instead of an alarm.
• When sending a message, if it is not achieved the first time, you can have channel redundancy and retry management.
• You can activate the camera only when the sensor notices someone and then send the corresponding video or photo.
• In case of power loss, you can receive an alarm notifying it.

That is why in these scenarios the solutions of the LKRemote family provide so much value. Being tools specifically designed to work in these environments, they have the appropriate functionalities to solve these needs.

This implies:

1.Upstream and downstream interaction.
LKRemotes are capable of acquiring information from any environment, whether electrical signals, data from other subsystems – such as HVAC – or directly information from other commercial brand controllers such as Siemens or Omron.

In addition, they can serve the data upstream in multiple ways, either with classic telemetry protocols such as IEC104 or DNP3, more industrial protocols such as OPC UA or IoT protocols such as MQTT.

2.Data coherence
As a concentrator and meeting point between the field and the control systems, the LKRemote guarantees that the information sent upstream reflects what happened in the installation. This implies not only sending a data, but how many events have happened since the last communication and at what time. Its store&forward capacity allows that, in case of loss of communications or if you simply have a very slow polling, no detail is lost.

In addition, you can work with duality of connection channel, that is, if the primary channel – fiber, modem, 3G, 4G – fails, perform a retry management and, if finally necessary, test a second redundant channel.

3. Cybersecurity
Today it is implantable to carry out any type of installation or deployment of new equipment without them having tools to guarantee the security of communications.
Our LKRemotes have several degrees of security, are able to establish VPN tunnels by themselves for sending information, use secure protocols and, in addition, have a firewall activated for whitelisting or blacklisting. With all this, it will not be easy to manipulate them or access their sent information.

4. High programming capacity
Finally, LKRemotes are not only capable of concentrating, communicating and securing information. They are tools with high programming capabilities.
With a PLC intelligence, more than a conventional RTU, LKRemotes are able to work with programs with thousands of lines of code and multiple text and ladder programs.

If this capacity is combined with its absolute interoperability, the operating logic of the equipment itself and of the installation can be taken to the level required.

You can access our M2M Services brochure from here.

You can complete the information in this post on our LK IoT Wavelet page.

You may also be interested in success stories of implementation of solutions and projects such as the one carried out with Cellnex. Download it here:

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