Metriot™: Enterprise IoT System for Analysis and Automation

The Metriot™ enterprise IoT system combines software, machinery and hardware devices of all kinds — including proprietary devices like PLCs, as well as open-source platforms ranging from Arduino-based microcontroller boards to Raspberry Pi single-board computers (SBCs).

Metriot™ captures, aggregates and records data in real-time from devices with sensory capabilities. It can also integrate both sensing and actuation systems for end-to-end intelligent automation. Sensors and actuators can be fixed or mobile, deployed within or outside the organization's premises.

From smart factories and machines (Industry 4.0) to intelligent transportation systems, Metriot™ provides an easy, rapid, scalable and secure digital transformation.

Architecture

The system manages and controls multiple interconnected measurement agents that can capture data in real-time from devices with sensory capabilities. These agents can be distributed based on such criteria as geographical locations, network topology, privacy and security, scalability, reliability and manageability.

Optionally, the system can generate personalized alerts and/or integrate both sensing and actuation systems for end-to-end intelligent automation. Based on user-defined measurement data thresholds and analytical rules, the system can automatically trigger alerts and invoke user-defined instructions to communicate with deployed actuation or information systems with a mean total data-to-decision latency measured in seconds.

Software System's Architecture: Enterprise IoT Analytics + Adaptive Automation

Sensor and actuator nodes in this context abstract and encapsulate all point-to-point I/O device communication schemes, from current loop to IO-Link. Whether deployed individually, or physically connected to fieldbus systems such as EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP and DeviceNet, these distributed and heterogeneous nodes become virtually interconnected through the Metriot™ system which provides an overarching virtual end-to-end integration.

Depending on the pre-existing technological ecosystem, sensor and actuator nodes are accessed either through Metriot™ agents — directly or through third-party 'gateways' — or else through specialized Metriot™ devices that are deployed in the field and that provide connectivity with the rest of the system.

Should you have field I/O systems that must remain totally closed for any particular reason, the system can equally integrate their collected data using specialized protocols or repositories such as MQTT, databases, or files in various formats, on-premises and/or in the cloud.

All sensing nodes controlled by Metriot™ are subject to on-demand collection rules—a critical feature for minimizing the costs associated with data transfers and communication. Moreover, Metriot's proper sensor and actuator nodes run BrightQuadrant firmware and support manageable periodicity, filtering, aggregation, wired and wireless communication. Nodes can be fixed or mobile, inside or outside the premises of the organization. As such, Metriot™ can communicate with its sensor and actuator nodes using broadband WiFi, cellular mobile and satellite network technology.

Metriot™ can optionally distribute fast and big data volumes directly over its own generating sensor nodes to further increase scalability of the end solution in a more advanced edge computing style architecture.

Finally, it's important to note that Metriot™ has a multi-tier architecture. All components can be distributed on-premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid deployment. Inter-component communications are encrypted and the total number of nodes supported in a single instance can reach billions.