Gathering plant data and sending it to the cloud
A SimtoLink industrial gateway speaks Modbus RTU/TCP, OPC UA, OPC DA, MQTT, and HTTP, with several serial ports and Ethernet ports. It gathers PLCs, instruments, and sensors and sends them to a cloud platform or a local system, for IIoT and a factory digitization project.
An edge runtime is already installed, with a rules engine, preprocessing, and local storage. If the network drops, 7 to 30 days of data stay on the gateway. SimtoLink gateways are in hundreds of plants in automotive, electronics, machinery, and food, with more than 1 million devices connected.
Protocols and ports
Specs follow the protocol and the number of ports, so different devices can come in. Typical protocols and where they are used:
| Protocol type | Typical data source | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Modbus RTU/TCP | PLCs, instruments, VFDs | Water plants, power distribution, production lines |
| OPC UA / OPC DA | CNC machines, robots, AGVs | Automotive, electronics, machinery |
| MQTT / HTTP | Cloud platforms, IoT devices | Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, AWS IoT |
| OPC UA Server | SCADA, MES, and similar systems | Upper systems poll it directly |
Serial: 2 to 4 RS485/RS232 ports, Modbus master or slave. Ethernet: 2 to 4 ports. Uplink: 4G, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi. A REST API, web configuration, and remote maintenance are included. The protocol list keeps growing, and a new one can arrive in a firmware update. SimtoLink will test protocol compatibility.
Typical deployments and what changed
From OEE on auto parts, to PLC gathering at a water plant, to traceability on an electronics SMT line, the gateway covers digitization in more than one industry. Typical deployments and the result:
OEE board for auto-parts equipment
One auto-parts plant put in 12 industrial gateways and took OPC UA from more than 300 CNC machines, robots, and AGVs, for a live OEE board.
PLC gathering and one upload at a water plant
A water plant brings 50 PLC stations through Modbus gateways and sends them together to SCADA and the cloud, for one view and remote maintenance.
Traceability on an electronics SMT line
An electronics SMT line uses industrial gateways for pick-and-place machines, reflow ovens, and AOI. Traceability and quality analysis cut the defect rate by 20%.
Deployment and maintenance
- Network plan: Plan the topology so one failure does not take the line down. A large project should use redundant gateways.
- Configuration: Web setup and remote maintenance. Set the poll interval, the point map, and alarm rules. If the link drops, data is stored and sent when it returns.
- Time sync: Use NTP so timestamps stay accurate and a record can be traced.
- Data integrity: Check that the gateway is online and that the series is complete, and look into a gap as soon as it shows up.
- Adding devices: A new device is mapped in the web page, with no programming. SimtoLink can survey the site, plan the points, configure and test, and train the team at handover.
How a project usually runs
A practical sequence for putting an industrial gateway in:
Industrial grade, −40 ℃ to 70 ℃, DIN-rail mounting. SimtoLink maintains it remotely, including fault diagnosis and configuration tuning.
Services and support
SimtoLink helps select, configure, and install the gateway, including multi-protocol access and a cloud connection, plus a site survey and training at handover. The product manual and a scheme quotation are available.