Product overview and where it fits
The SimtoLink containerized Kubernetes edge gateway runs a trimmed K8s, or a compatible orchestrator, on the plant floor. Protocol conversion, vision inference, and stream processing ship as containers, and they share the host network and, on some models, a GPU or NPU card. One box can carry several microservices.
SimtoLink supplies registry sync, offline package updates, and a resource-limit template, plus sample plugins for serial and Ethernet devices. Volume projects can add a disk array, a TPM, and a secure-boot policy.
Reliability on site
For electrical safety and EMC, the gateway has passed the relevant IEC 61000-4 level-4 items. Ports include surge and reverse-polarity protection. Reinforced grounding and a partitioned layout reduce ground loops and common-mode noise. Outdoor or coastal sites can take a higher ingress rating and a corrosion-resistant coating.
Parameters can be loaded in batches, thresholds can be set, and the unit can keep event video or waveform records, depending on the model. Configuration and firmware go out by OTA. On site, close acceptance in three steps: a power-on self-test, clock sync on the link, and a spot check of samples. For metering or safety duty, SimtoLink helps submit the unit to a third-party metrology institute and supplies the type-test file.
Key hardware parameters
The figures below are the typical build of this gateway, for selection and for the technical clauses in a bid. A wider range, redundant power, or an intrinsically safe variant is available from SimtoLink with the Hardware Specification and the Installation and Commissioning Guide. Order codes in the family can differ slightly; the nameplate and the papers shipped with the unit govern.
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | ARM A53 dual-core | Fanless |
| Memory / storage | 2G/8G eMMC | Industrial grade |
| Ethernet | 4×GbE + SFP | RSTP redundancy |
| Serial | 2×RS485 | Isolation 2.5kV |
| Wireless | 5G+WiFi | External antenna |
| Protocol stack | IEC 104/DNP3 | Expandable |
| Operating temperature | -37～73 ℃ | Wide temperature |
| Supply | AC 220V | Redundant terminals |
| Mounting | 19-inch | Grounding required |
| Security | VPN/IPsec | Firmware signature check |
Typical deployments
How this gateway is usually put to work on site, so a design can be chosen and the interface checked before rollout:
Quality inspection and safety AI
Video and sensing containers run on the same box. Inference goes to the cloud over MQTT, and a rollback is an image tag.
Protocols as microservices
Each southbound protocol is its own pod, so a fault stays put and each one can scale on its own. A monolithic gateway upgrade is no longer the risk.
Chain retail and equipment-room edge
Stores and site nodes take one standard image, and headquarters runs them from a GitOps pipeline.
Installation, grounding, and upkeep
- Before applying power, confirm the supply range and polarity. If there is any doubt, measure bus voltage and breaker capacity with a multimeter.
- Run the communications cable as shielded twisted pair, grounded at one end only, and do not lash it to high-power cables over a long route.
- For the first go-live, prove read and write in both directions and the threshold triggers against the platform in the lab, then move the gateway to site.
- Outdoors, give drainage and ventilation first priority, inspect the sealing faces on a regular round, and keep the lightning earth resistance inside the local code.
- In continuous service, spot-check samples and archive logs every 24 months.
Ordering, documents, and support
SimtoLink provides the hardware specification, an outline drawing, a wiring table, and a sample project. Volume orders can include a sample review and inspection at the factory. Warranty and calibration follow the contract and the documents that ship with the gateway.
Related hardware
Pages in this directory for pairing the edge runtime with secure networking: