Intelligent IIoT gateways making factories smarter

RS Components adds new IIoT gateways from Siemens to its extensive inventory. Maximising operational efficiency, these UL-approved units have been developed to deal with the capture and pre-processing of data, before then forwarding it on (either back to the cloud for detailed analysis, or to the relevant edge-based nodes).

The Siemens SIMATIC IOT2050 Basic gateways support an array of different connectivity protocols. They have 2x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) ports, 2x USB 2.0 ports and a further serial port which is switchable between RS-232, RS-485 and RS-422. Arduino shield slots enable connection with sensor devices, as well as facilitating IO expansion. Each unit possesses 1GB of built-in DDR4 memory capacity, as well as an SD card slot for extra data storage.

Complementing them are the company’s SIMATIC IOT2050 Advance gateway units. These house 2GB of DDR4 memory, with 16GB eMMC plus SD card slots. All of the different wireline connectivity options offered in the Basic models are included here too.

“Through innovative and highly flexible solutions like the Siemens IIoT gateways, we are playing a vital role in the ongoing digitisation of manufacturing facilities. It means that our industrial customers can source the programmable networking technology they need to link their equipment to the cloud in a highly effective and ultra-responsive manner. The benefits derived from this will be improved product quality, greater throughput and less risk of downtime,” said Kristian Olsson, Vice President of Automation & Control at RS Components.