What Is An Edge Computing Gateway

Edge computing refers to the use of nearby data processing capabilities at the edge of the network to move the traditional centralized data processing to a place closer to the user. This is like a "disconnected" switch or router, allowing data to reach its destination faster. Edge Computing Gateway can also be understood as an intermediate node, which moves the traditional centralized computing process to the network closer to users and with the largest bandwidth, effectively improving the productivity and response speed of enterprises. Edge computing gateways are an important interface for edge devices to connect to the cloud, collect and process data and application services.

Edge computing gateway M100 can provide customized products and solutions for users in different industries to meet their business needs and future development directions. Because the end-to-end communication bandwidth of the device is limited, the device is subject to a certain degree of delay limitation when transmitting data. In the process of data transmission, it is often affected by network fluctuations, traffic, and delay, resulting in transmission stuttering, high delay, low efficiency, and other issues, affecting the business experience. By combining cloud computing with edge computing technology, end-to-end connections can be established closer to the user side and closer to the network side to solve the problems encountered in the process of data transmission. Specifically, there are the following aspects:

1. Data collection and data processing

Because the traditional way of data processing is often concentrated on the server, the efficiency of this way will be relatively low, and the time of data processing will be longer. Edge computing can solve this problem and bring network devices closer to users. Edge servers are used to collect, analyze and process data on the user side, and forward the data to the edge computing gateway when the user is close so that they can respond directly to the user's request.

2. Reduce network bandwidth

Edge computing devices can be deployed near users and can reduce network bandwidth. In many Internet of Things devices, data processing needs to be done closer to the network, thus reducing the bandwidth of data transmission. For example, an image file generated by a client can be quickly distributed at the edge of the network, which can realize:

Reduce bandwidth costs by reducing latency and traffic.

● Reduce data transmission delay.

● Save on storage space and bandwidth costs.

● Reduce business interruption time.

3. Reduce the time delay

Traditional data centers have many technical bottlenecks because of their large scale and high cost. The architecture of edge computing can solve this problem well, and the massive data originally processed by the cloud can be classified and sorted out by the edge devices and then forwarded to the cloud for processing, thus avoiding delays and other problems. Therefore, in terms of data transmission, compared with traditional data centers, edge computing can effectively reduce latency and improve efficiency. Of course, there are other aspects.

4. Enhance data security

Edge computing solves the security problem of cloud data storage by means of distributed storage, load balancing, and security strategy, and distributes massive cloud data to edge computing nodes to avoid the impact of excessive network traffic on user experience.

5. Realize network intelligence and improve network stability

Edge computing gateway can process data nearby without affecting the network, improve the timeliness of data transmission, and improve the ability of data acquisition and analysis. Edge computing gateway has a wide range of application scenarios, which can be used in finance, logistics, transportation, and other industries. It can be used to protect key data, ensure data security and enhance business experience. The application of edge computing is to deploy some core applications in the network nearest to the user, so as to improve the overall network stability and reliability. At the same time, it can also realize the rapid collection, analysis, and processing of key data, thus improving the speed of business processing and operational efficiency.

The Role of Edge Computing Gateway in Industrial Networking

Edge computing gateways play an important role in industrial networking. The following are some of the roles of edge computing gateways for industrial networking:

Data processing and analysis: The edge computing gateway can process and analyze data close to the data source, reducing the amount of data transmission and latency. It can process real-time data locally, extract useful information, and upload the results to the cloud or other systems for further analysis. This facilitates rapid response and decision-making, especially in environments with demanding or bandwidth-constrained network connectivity.

Security enhancements: Edge computing gateways can enhance the security of industrial networking by establishing a layer of security isolation between edge devices and the cloud. It monitors and detects network traffic, enforces access control and authentication, and protects industrial equipment and data from potential network threats and attacks.

Resource optimization: Edge computing gateways can coordinate and manage the resource usage of edge devices, including compute, storage, and network resources. It can realize task allocation and load balancing, ensure the balance of resource utilization among edge devices, and improve the efficiency and performance of the whole system.

Real-time response: Edge computing gateways enable real-time response and decision-making, reducing the time data is transmitted to the cloud and waiting for cloud processing. In some industrial scenarios that require rapid decision-making and control, edge computing gateways can process and respond to instructions or events from devices in a timely manner, reducing latency and improving response speed.

Generally speaking, edge computing gateway plays the role of data processing, security enhancement, resource optimization, and real-time response in industrial networking, providing support for the intelligent and efficient operation of industrial systems.

Choice of Edge Computing Gateway

Choosing the right edge computing gateway requires a number of considerations. Here are some common selection criteria:

Compatibility: Edge computing gateways need to be selected to ensure compatibility with existing industrial equipment and systems. It shall support common communication protocols and interfaces, such as Modbus, OPC UA, etc., for connection and integration with various devices.

Performance and scalability: Edge computing gateways need to have enough computing and storage capacity to process and analyze data. Based on actual requirements, the processing power, storage capacity, and scalability of the gateway need to be evaluated to ensure that it can meet future growth requirements.

Security: Edge computing gateways play an important role in securing industrial systems. When choosing, you need to consider whether it has strong security features, such as authentication, access control, encrypted transmission, etc., to ensure the security of data and systems.

Network connectivity and communication: Edge computing gateways require robust network connectivity to communicate with edge devices and cloud systems. The selection needs to evaluate the type of network and transmission rate it supports and ensure that it adapts to the complex network conditions in the industrial environment.

Management and monitoring: The edge computing gateway should provide easy-to-use management and monitoring capabilities for configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting edge devices and systems. This includes remote management, real-time monitoring, alarm notification, and more.

Vendor support and ecosystem: Choosing an edge computing gateway with reliable vendor support ensures timely technical support and maintenance. In addition, considering the importance of the ecosystem, edge computing gateways with good integration capabilities with other related vendors and products can be selected.

Finally, according to the actual needs and budget constraints, the above factors are considered comprehensively, and appropriate evaluation and testing are carried out to select the most suitable edge computing gateway.

PUSR's Edge Computing Gateway

USR-M100 is an intelligent IoT I/O gateway with comprehensive functions like on-board I/O support and RS-485/232/Ethernet interface, is an advanced modular RTU product with a unique hardware and software design, making it an ideal solution for a variety of industrial data acquisition applications. The USR-M100 has a unique mechanical design that reduces the amount of time required for installation and removal, simplifying deployment and maintenance. In addition, the USR-M100 supports Modbus RTU Master protocol for retrieving field site serial data from serial meters and also supports OT/IT protocol conversion. With the ability to convert between multiple protocols, USR-M100 can convert the collected I/O and serial data to protocols suitable for different upper-level software. For example, cloud service via MQTT, SCADA via Modbus TCP, web server via HTTP, and more. This two-in-one design reduces system complexity, the amount of space required in the network topology, and overall installation time. You can also connect your legacy devices to Ethernet, thereby increasing the lifetime of the devices since you can continue using the devices' original protocols.