IoT apps for more data power

Overall, demand is growing for IoT capabilities that enable connectivity, real-time monitoring and control, and data analytics. Because on this basis, for example, networked processes, improved decision-making, error detection and predictive analytics are possible. ctrlX AUTOMATION provides easy access to this: IoT functions can be easily and flexibly integrated into existing automation systems as apps. The ctrlX Store is continuously growing with new IoT apps.

Bosch Rexroth offers its own IoT solutions as well as applications from third-party providers as apps via the ctrlX Store. These can be used to adapt the functions of the ctrlX CORE control solution as required. The right apps are available for every use case. IoT apps are increasingly in demand - especially when it comes to increasing or exploiting the power of valuable data, for example from production. IoT apps offer users the ability to access, visualize and analyze this data in order to make informed decisions.

The IoT portfolio in Bosch Rexroth's ctrlX Store is growing. The latest apps in this area include InfluxDB, the IoT Dashboard - based on Grafana - and the Key-Value Database.

Monitoring and control in flow

Node-RED is an established and popular app in the ctrlX Store. The software makes it possible to easily implement IoT use cases according to the modular principle. To do this, it combines input, output and processing nodes into a flow.

The flow enables the processing of data as well as the monitoring and control of various processes or devices. The Node-RED app offers the Node-RED framework in a variant adapted and validated for the ctrlX CORE control. The app also includes a number of extensions that contribute to seamless integration with the ctrlX CORE feature set and security system.

Capture, store and analyze large amounts of data

InfluxDB has been in the portfolio since November 2022. This software is widely used in applications that require rapid capture, storage and analysis of time-series data, such as infra-structure monitoring and analytics, log analysis and DevOps. Influx DB makes it easy to collect large amounts of time series data. InfluxDB is much more than just a database, however: it has hundreds of open-source plugins for Telegraf that can be used to seamlessly collect and analyze data from virtually any source, including MQTT, OPC UA, and Modbus. Pre-built dashboards, client libraries, and development tools make it easy to get started quickly with minimal programming.

Making data from different sources visible

When it comes to visualizing database data, the IoT Dashboard application - based on Grafana - comes into play. The cross-platform, open-source application allows data from various sources, such as InfluxDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Prometheus and Graphite, to be displayed graphically. Once the raw data has been collected, it can be output in a variety of display formats. These can then be combined into dashboards. Plug-ins can be used to extend the display options and data sources. The application can be used in numerous application areas. For example, it is very well suited for monitoring applications, as it supports the three pillars of observability - metrics, logging and tracing. Furthermore, it is predestined for the representation of static data in relational databases.

Grafana completes the so-called TIG Stack, which includes the Telegraf and InfluxDB tools. The TIG Stack is a platform of open source tools that facilitate the collection, storage, display and alerting of system metrics. Metrics such as memory, disk space, system utilization, swap usage, uptime, running processes and logged-in users can be monitored and visualized from one place.

Create your own data structure and keep data persistent

To create your own data structure and enable persistent data storage, the Key-Value-Database app from the ctrlX Store is recommended. It enables data to be made available very simply in the ctrlX Data Layer. For example, the KVD app can be used to read in oversampling data via EtherCAT and consolidate it in the PLC program. The data array is then read out and enriched with further data sets - for example with information from the OPC UA client. The enriched data set is then written as flat buffers to the endpoint provided by the KVD app. The KVD app can also provide additional endpoints to be written to by other clients. To integrate custom applications, the KVD app can act as an interface between two applications as a data exchange point.

Conclusion

The apps from the ctrlX Store open up great scope for monitoring, control, data analysis and visualization. They contribute to the simple and efficient use of IoT functions in automation systems. The continuous expansion of the ctrlX Store enables users to find the right apps for their specific use cases and thus make the most of the potential of the Internet of Things.

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