Communication with different systems

The Digital Tower of Babel: Communication and Integration Between Diverse Systems

The greatest challenge in industrial facilities and smart buildings is enabling devices manufactured by different companies in different years to "talk" to one another. When you have a modern cloud-based software on one side and a 20-year-old PLC on the other, the ability of these systems to work in harmony is called Interoperability.

1. Fundamental Layers of Inter-System Communication

When connecting different systems, harmony must be established at three primary levels:

Physical Layer: The electrical connection between devices (Ethernet, RS-485, Wi-Fi, 4G).
Protocol Layer: The "language" the devices speak. If one side speaks Modbus while the other speaks Profinet, a translator (Gateway) is required.
Data Layer (Semantics): Giving meaning to the data. Both systems must know whether the value "25" represents a temperature or a pressure.

2. Common Methods and Protocols in Communication

The most widely used languages for ensuring communication between systems include:

Modbus (RTU/TCP): The "Lingua Franca" of industry. Almost every device supports this simple yet effective language.
OPC UA: The gold standard in modern industry for secure and platform-independent data transfer. Ideal for carrying complex data structures.
MQTT: A low-bandwidth, IoT-focused "Publish/Subscribe" protocol. It is the most efficient way to move field data to the cloud.
BACnet: Used in building automation systems (HVAC, lighting) to unify diverse subsystems.

3. The Role of Gateways and Protocol Converters

A Gateway plays a central role in unifying different systems. These devices listen to one system, translate the data internally, and transmit it to the other system in a language it understands.

Translation: For example, it takes Modbus data from a serial port and sends it to the cloud in MQTT format over Ethernet.
Isolation: It ensures security by physically separating the local machine network from the corporate IT network.
Data Aggregation: It collects data from dozens of different devices at a single point and presents it to the analysis system as a single package.

4. Universal Communication Solutions with Hubbox

Hubbox Connect devices are developed with a vision of "Communication Between Everything and Everything":

Rich Library: Supports proprietary protocols from dozens of different brands such as Siemens, Schneider, Mitsubishi, and Omron.
Flexible Conversion: With integrated tools like Node-RED, you can process incoming data in real-time and change its format.
Secure Tunnels: Connects systems in different locations (like factories in different cities) under a single virtual network to let them communicate securely.

5. Summary: An Integrated Future

Communication between different systems allows an enterprise to operate as a "single organism" rather than "isolated islands." A correct communication strategy reduces maintenance costs and strengthens data-driven decision-making mechanisms.