Smart Factories and the Challenges of the Proximity Network
4. DISTRIBUTED INTELLIGENCE
IIoT is often viewed as dumb edge devices that spout data into a cloud instance for deep learning and processing. Real applications often require more distributed intelligence such that decisions are made where the right context and processing power exist. There is the need to not only distribute intelligence to the IIoT Gateway but even to the IIoT Edge Device( Figure 7).
4.1 IIoT Edge Devices
Figure 7: Two Areas of Distributed Intelligence in the Proximity Network
Every use case requires some level of software in the edge device. Integration challenges and the choice of connectivity determine the complexity of the software and the corresponding developer skill set.
Powering the Edge Device- Wired power devices can often take advantage of an embedded Operating System( OS) such as Linux. However, on battery-operated devices, these heavyweight OS ' s often will not work due to the time it takes for them to wake as well as the limited RAM and Flash space on these constrained devices. Additionally, these devices require specialized software on the edge to manage the power duty cycle. The software manages the sensors, processes the data and then forwards the data on. It then shuts everything down in a low power mode. Wake can be controlled by external events or via a schedule.
Networking the Edge Device- The edge device will require a networking stack and the ability for an application to read a sensor and transmit the data over the network.
Sensor / Actuator Integration- Even the simplest sensor integration such as reading a Generalpurpose input / output( GPIO) pin requires some software. In many cases, the edge device integrates with the sensor through a full protocol stack such as MODBUS. The edge device often has the best context for interpreting a raw sensor reading into something meaningful such as degrees Fahrenheit.
Data Bandwidth- For limited bandwidth applications, the edge device may be programmed to only send data when a threshold is crossed or send an average of the data over time.
IIC Journal of Innovation- 73-