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What is Device Connectivity?
There are many different aspects to device connectivity but let’s start at the beginning…
Connectivity is at the heart of IoT, and connected devices allow us to live in a smarter world. Pretty much anything in the physical world can be a connected device, from your smart watch to your toaster.
So Let's Talk Devices...
Now, as much as we love a hearty breakfast at Hark, the types of devices we’re used to connecting to are of a much larger and more industrial scale. This could be anything from HVAC and refrigeration units in supermarkets, or cold storage systems for Pharma and Life Sciences to production lines in manufacturing plants and energy, power and utilities systems.
You may have heard of terms like industrial IoT or industry 4.0, device connectivity marks the beginning of your digitalisation journey and will allow for a far more real-time, top-down view of your assets, facilities and even your full national estate.
What About Connectivity?
Devices and assets connect to IoT networks using different standards and protocols. They connect with the internet and each other via various wired and wireless networks and protocols, such as WiFi, NFC, 3,4,5 and soon to be 6G networks.
Let’s talk about protocols then. Protocols are like the common language that computers use to communicate. We use protocols like Modbus, which are really useful as they’re industry agnostic and allows us to connect to legacy assets on factory floors or within retail distribution centres for example.
We also use BACnet. BACnet is really important for our real-time energy monitoring offering, and as a protocol, gives us real freedom in terms of simply plugging into an existing set-up.
Then there’s MQTT! Message Queuing Telemetry Transport is like the speedy little brother of Modbus or BACnet. It’s super lightweight and sends data between machines using far less bandwidth than its older siblings.
If you’re wondering whether or not your device or asset is compatible then us our IoT device and asset compatibility checker.
Why Should I Connect My Devices?
With a real commercial mindset, connected devices can offer significant business value. As we know, data is king and real-time data dashboards can be a dynamo for internal decision-making.
Bottom-line savings can be achieved through efficiencies in energy consumption, not to mention reducing your carbon footprint.
Connecting ‘back-room assets’, which are often left out of digitisation programs, to the The Hark Platform, allows you to gain access to business-critical sensor data streams which were previously obscured by a lack of true integration. This gives you more power than ever to create business modelling around your facilities for now and the future!
Learn more about the next level of insight for your assets with Hark’s predictive maintenance offering.
If you have any suggestions for improvements please tell us – Contact Us