IOT News

A new urban development zone has built an integrated pipeline corridor that carries multiple critical utilities, including power, gas, water supply and drainage, and telecommunications. The corridor is equipped with fans, drainage pumps, electric valves, gas sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, and liquid level sensors. The core controller is a Siemens PLC (using the S7 protocol), which is responsible for collecting data such as gas concentration, temperature and humidity, liquid levels, and equipment operating status. The PLC also executes logic control functions including ventilation, drainage, valve switching, and alarm linkage to meet the requirement for 24/7 safe operation of the urban pipeline corridor.

Several nodes are set up within the corridor to house PLC control cabinets, HMI touch screens, and other equipment. These nodes are centrally managed by a smart pipeline corridor IoT platform located in the management center, enabling centralized monitoring, data storage, anomaly alarms, historical traceability, and remote maintenance for all equipment across the corridor. However, because the communication protocols used by the PLCs, HMIs, and the IoT platform differ from one another, real‑time data exchange between the field site and the management center is not possible, and safety hazards cannot be reported in a timely manner.

To address this, WideIOT deploys industrial smart gateways. These gateways feature a rich protocol library and support connectivity to PLCs, HMIs, sensors, cameras, and other devices. They collect real‑time equipment operating status, environmental safety conditions, and alarm signals from the pipeline corridor. The gateways then transmit the data over wireless networks to the host management platform, where they perform multi‑protocol conversion and standardized data processing, establishing a stable and reliable data transmission link. This provides comprehensive and trustworthy data support for safe corridor management and efficient operation and maintenance.

Key Features

1. The gateway is equipped with multiple serial ports, Ethernet ports, and I/O ports, allowing it to connect to PLCs, HMIs, sensors, cameras, and other devices. It converts the data into protocols such as Modbus, MQTT, TCP/IP, and OPC UA for connection to a local host computer or cloud platform.

2. The gateway is resistant to moisture, interference, dust, and corrosion, making it suitable for harsh pipeline corridor environments. It also supports multi‑network redundancy and data resumption after disconnection, ensuring stable and reliable wireless transmission as well as complete and authentic data.

3. The gateway supports remote upload/download of PLC programs, online monitoring, and fault diagnostics. Maintenance personnel can remotely identify fault points and quickly resolve program issues, significantly reducing the need for personnel to enter the corridor for inspections and improving work efficiency.

4. Abnormal alarm information is automatically sent via WeChat, SMS, email, etc., facilitating rapid fault pinpointing and corrective actions. Remote control operations (e.g., starting/stopping pumps, opening/closing valves) are also supported.