BaSyx DataBridge: Data integration made easy
Industry 4.0 is part of a revolutionary development that is fundamentally changing our production and manufacturing processes. This requires machine data and sensors to be seamlessly integrated into production processes. However, this is a challenging task as a large number of communication protocols have to be taken into account.
Different protocols such as MQTT, REST and OPCUA are used in production halls today, each with their own specific requirements and properties. The challenge is to connect these heterogeneous protocols with each other to enable seamless communication between the systems. Without interoperability between the different data sources and formats, many of the potential benefits of Industry 4.0 cannot be fully realised.
Industrial companies and technology providers are working hard on solutions to improve the interoperability and integration of machine data and sensors to address these challenges. Standardisation efforts and the development of universal interfaces are helping to reduce complexity and simplify the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions.
The BaSyx DataBridge is a promising approach to connecting data sources and their interfaces with a data sink. As an off-the-shelf Docker container, the DataBridge promises simple distribution and scalability.
One interesting use case, for example, is the calculation of KPIs such as OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). The DataBridge could help to determine whether a machine is running according to expectations or whether there are frequent downtimes. Another example is recording the machine flow in order to detect faults, optimise energy requirements and reduce energy costs. In addition, the DataBridge is able to connect multiple transformers in series to perform complex data manipulations. For example, it can aggregate, filter, cleanse or transform data to present it in a formatted and meaningful format.
The DataBridge offers numerous advantages:
1. Easy deployment and scalability:
- The DataBridge is available as a preconfigured Docker container.
- This facilitates deployment and scaling in different environments.
2. Reusability and transferability:
- After a one-time implementation, the DataBridge is easily transferable to similar data sources.
- Standardised results save users time.
- As it is an open source project, there are no licence fees.
3. Versatile protocol support:
- In addition to MQTT, the DataBridge supports: HTTP, OPC UA and Kafka.
- This versatility expands the application possibilities in different environments.
4. Flexibility and integration:
- Companies can seamlessly integrate the DataBridge into their existing infrastructure.
- Data from different sources can be easily captured, transformed and analyzed, regardless of the specific requirements or protocols of the individual systems.
5. Further development of the system:
- The development team behind DataBridge is extremely active and GitHub issues are answered promptly.
- This is a positive sign for the continuous development of the system.
The DataBridge acts as a central hub that offers powerful functions for data processing and integration. Overall, this leads to more efficient use and processing of information.
The future
As the project is still under development, some functions are still missing. Specifically, the DataBridge cannot authenticate itself to MQTT brokers or REST servers. As experts in this field, we can provide support here with our solutions, e.g. by implementing authentication mechanisms.
