Extending Factory Edge Data to the Cloud with MQTT and AWS IoT SiteWise

AWS IoT SiteWise Edge gateways are now available with MQTT enabled. This allows for a unified approach to data management across factories, combining data from legacy and new equipment from various vendors. MQTT and Unified Name Space (UNS) help standardize metadata, enabling real-time operational visibility and long-term historical analysis. The service, developed in collaboration with AWS Partners, supports hundreds of protocols and enables user-defined calculations, alarms, and events.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized industrial settings by enabling the collection, processing, and monitoring of data from a vast array of equipment and sensors. One of the latest developments in this field is the introduction of MQTT-enabled AWS IoT SiteWise Edge gateways. This innovation allows for a unified approach to data management across factories, combining data from legacy and new equipment from various vendors [1].

MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight messaging protocol designed for small-scale, low-bandwidth, and high-latency applications. It is widely used in IoT applications due to its simplicity, reliability, and efficiency [2]. The integration of MQTT with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge enables the standardization of metadata, facilitating real-time operational visibility and long-term historical analysis [1].

AWS IoT SiteWise Edge software is installed on local hardware such as industrial gateways and computers, enabling on-premises data collection, organization, processing, and monitoring [1]. This solution offers several benefits, including the ability to unlock industrial data from disparate equipment and sensors, securely connect to and read data from equipment and local data stores, and build hybrid industrial applications that work seamlessly across edge and cloud environments [1].

With support for hundreds of protocols and user-defined calculations, alarms, and events, AWS IoT SiteWise Edge provides industrial customers with the flexibility to process, store, and use their data wherever they need it [1]. Processed data can be sent to AWS IoT SiteWise or industrial data lakes in the cloud for further analysis and longer-term storage [1].

Monitoring processes through local web applications is also possible with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge. SiteWise Monitor applications allow process engineers to visualize and monitor equipment data in real time, enabling quick decision making on the factory floor even during intermittent cloud connectivity [1].

In conclusion, the integration of MQTT with AWS IoT SiteWise Edge represents a significant step forward in unified data management for industrial settings. By enabling the standardization of metadata, real-time operational visibility, and long-term historical analysis, this innovation is set to revolutionize the way industrial customers collect, process, and use their data.

References:
[1] AWS. (n.d.). AWS IoT SiteWise Edge. Retrieved from https://aws.amazon.com/iot-sitewise/sitewise-edge/
[2] MQTT.org. (n.d.). MQTT: Lightweight Messaging Protocol for Small Sensors & Controlled Things. Retrieved from https://mqtt.org/