NetModule

IIoT routers are used to communicate machines and devices present anywhere in an infrastructure (train stations, hospitals, department stores, etc.). While some of these locations have no problems with wired connections, sometimes we find systems far from power sources that require batteries and a wireless network to function. Distance is not an obstacle to keeping everything running: NetModule provides connectivity to these devices through 4G SIM cards, for example.

With regard to the industrial environment, these routers are capable of overcoming the following challenges:

• Remote access to reduce timings
  Occasionally, equipment requires reconfiguration, optimization, or diagnostic actions, especially those for machinery manufacturing. With NetModule, the waiting time for a technical support person to come when a problem occurs is eliminated: by installing a router next to the machines, wireless connectivity is provided to check what is happening at all times.
• Communication between distant networks
  Knowledge is power: if there is a possibility to collect data from factories, why not do it? Today there is a lot of interest in obtaining information from organizations, but the distance between two plants of the same company can complicate the matter. Faced with this, NetModule creates a VPN tunnel from the data acquisition system of one to the machines of another, which facilitates secure access to distributed facilities.
• Network segmentation
  For security, networks should always be segmented, so that if there is a problem in one of the subnets, it does not propagate. However, this division makes intercommunication between them impossible, as they are in different sections. In this context, NetModule offers a firmware with very advanced network options that allow configurations to join equipment, such as a NAT 1:1, or connection to multiple WANs.

For this sector, NetModule plays an important role in vehicles and trains. With regard to vehicles, these routers act in two different ways:

• On the one hand, they provide communication between the vehicle and a control system with which to carry out asset tracking or obtain sensor values. Through a 4G router, they give access to the vehicle’s own network from a central unit.
• Secondly, thanks to the FMS (Fleet Management System), they allow data to be acquired from the vehicle’s components (engine, clutch, brake) in combination with the driver’s behavior. Among other reasons, to carry out predictive maintenance a posteriori.

In the case of trains, more of the same: from these routers, the train and the central system communicate to report data such as location, speed, etc. In addition, they serve as a link between the systems of the same train, such as sensors from different wagons. Likewise, NetModule is used to provide Wifi connectivity to passengers.