Real-time Data Connectivity for Industry 4.0

Edge Xrt Connect is the first Industry 4.0 connectivity solution designed specifically for time-critical and resource-constrained industrial edge systems.

It provides a powerful edge software solution that simplifies the real-time acquisition of data from OT systems.  Edge Xrt Connect supports key capabilities such as multi protocol Southbound OT device connectivity, real-time data acquisition and aggregation, edge data processing and data normalisation to an Industry 4.0 standard OPC UA data layer that can be accessed by local edge applications or remote Cloud/IT systems.

An easy to use device management API based on MQTT is also provided to help on-board and manage the lifecycle of new connected device endpoints. MQTT can also be used to stream data to, or receive commands from external applications.

Edge Xrt Connect delivers these capabilities while also supporting the following key non-functional properties:

• Small memory footprint (e.g. less than 100 KB)
• Ultra-low latency data processing (e.g. less than 100 microseconds)
• Predictable and deterministic real-time execution
• Easily ported legacy hardware and/or operating system

Due to its small memory footprint, Edge Xrt Connect is perfectly suited for resource-constrained embedded applications such as those enabled by the next generation of connected microcontrollers, or can just as easily be deployed on any other hardware of choice including Gateway, IPC or Server class edge devices. 

Edge Xrt Connect is used by IOTech’s Edge Xpert full edge platform solution for its device connectivity and real-time data acquisition services.

Simplified OT Connectivity and Real-time Data Acquisition

Simplifies development for connected real-time edge software applications enabling faster time-to-market and ease of product evolution for a new generation of Industry 4.0 capable data driven solutions.

Comprehensive Configurable Industrial OT Connectivity

Provides extensive pluggable “out-of-the-box” for many of the most common Southbound OT (e.g. Modbus, OPC UA, BACnet, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, s7 and many others) industrial protocols used by the leading device manufacturers including:- Allen Bradley, Siemens, Rockwell Collins, Schneider Electric, Johnson Controls and Beckhoff etc.

Easy Integration via Normalised OPC UA Data Layer and APIs

Can be easily integrated into 3rd party edge application stacks via an Industry 4.0 standard OPC UA server layer, or alternatively via MQTT API or for maximum performance even co-located with the same address space/runtime of your application.

Optimized Performance

Written in C for portability, small footprint, and ultra high performance/low latency data acquisition and processing.

Complete Deployment Flexibility

Can be deployed as a native executable application, as a shared library linked directly into you application’s runtime, or containerized (e.g. docker) and/or into a virtualized environment.

Runs on Any Device

A platform-independent solution that runs on any silicon (ARM or x86), operating system (with POSIX-like support) and hardware. Edge Xrt Connect enables the development of portable solutions that are easier to support and maintain.