When we talk about IoT, or the Internet of Things (IoT) typically, we focus on the consumer-facing aspect. Smart houses and consumer-based ecosystems are the most common uses for the IoT however, actually, the IoT field goes far beyond the examples above.
A single of the more fascinating and crucial applications for the IoT is the industry sector. To fully benefit from the benefits of the IoT industrial sector requires a method to establish interoperability among devices from different manufacturers. Matter has been able to solve this problem in the area of smart homes and many believe the model it has created can be an avenue for growth for the industrial industry.
On this page, we’ll talk about what we call the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) The impact of Matter on the smart home area and the ways in which industry industry could apply these ideas to enhance productivity on the factory floor.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT)
It is generally accepted that “IoT” describes an network of interconnected devices sharing data and other information. These usually originate from onboard sensors. The most popular use case for IoT is the smart home, IoT is smart homes, IoT also holds huge potential for industrial applications.
The IIoT is the term used to describe the use of the IoT on the floor of the factory. There, various factory floor equipment–such as industrial machines, control devices and other common devices like ventilation, heating and air conditioning systems as well as lighting systems can communicate with the operators and each other in real time.
In the context of industry in the industrial context, the IoT is a significant technology due to its capability to allow devices to share data regarding factory floor operations to an central hub as well as with human operators. For instance, an industrial machine that is connected to the IIoT can provide information on its performance when compared to a standard and help to determine the time it might require maintenance or repair.
Nowadays, the majority of IIoT devices can be connected to their users, but a lot do not communicate with each other. This is because the IIoT devices found on factories often originate from different companies and therefore were not made to be specifically designed to communicate with each other.
To unlock the full possibilities of IIoT however the devices that are not connected to connect and make a decision from the information.
Setting the Example for the Industrial Sector
Interoperability between devices remains an issue in the industrial space but the home automation industry has come up with a solution, which is sponsored by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) and backed by its membership in the most prominent home automation companies and companies. This technology is Matter.
Matter is a member-driven standard for home automation. It seeks to eliminate fragmentation between various IoT suppliers. Particularly, Matter defines a standard communication protocol to ensure that every Matter-certified device is equipped to interoperate.
The idea to create Matter was derived from the same issue that the industrial sector faces in the present: The industry of smart-home technology is fragmented. Modern smart homes are comprised of gadgets from a range of manufacturers, none is made to work in conjunction. But the smart home market was able to overcome this issue with the help of the collaborative creation of Matter.
So, Matter can be viewed as an model for the industrial industry through collaboration between industries interoperability of devices is feasible.
Matter is the high standard for security. It is unique in that Matter was developed with privacy and security of devices in mind. It includes demands on the hardware level to the system level and includes various privacy-protection measures.
The need for privacy-preserving measures is essential in industrial settings where the information is likely to be proprietary to a business. Therefore, Matter also provides a solid proof of IIoT device interoperability , without jeopardizing security.
Improving the Factory Floor
Based on the model that was set by Matter and the extensive technology provided by the IIoT, several extremely effective industrial applications could be removed from. Particularly, interoperability between devices within the IIoT can enable commercial services which are completely automated and expandable.
In an industrial environment you will discover a variety of equipment, including circuits to control lighting systems, industrial power factories, machinery and much more. If these devices are used independent of each other they can each perform their own job, however the entire factory does not have the synergy and cohesion it needs.
As an example, think of an assembly line, wherein an upstream machine builds the component and then delivers it to an downstream machine to be assembled further. Imagine that the downstream machine breaks down and produces parts that are defective. Without communication between the device and the device and downstream machines have no idea of the failures, and may continue to run on parts that are defective that could further increase the problems and may lead to machine failure and loss of profits.
Instead having an entire factory floor filled with interoperable devices, each one is aware of the state on the others and make wise decisions in the event of a problem. For instance, if it becomes aware of the failure of the device upstream the downstream device can decide to stop its operations and alert an operator on the other side to intervene. This way, IIoT device interoperability could allow factories to operate with greater autonomy and less human intervention, eventually increasing efficiency, reliability, and security.
Interoperability between devices within the IIoT can also help factory owners increase and modernize their equipment easily. Without a standard such as Matter to create an IIoT ecosystem in which devices can be interoperable is a matter of using devices from a single manufacturer. This makes the process of replacing or adding equipment to factories difficult due to the limited options available for owners of factories who wish to remain within their existing system.
With a Matter-like system factory owners have the option of choosing from any of the suppliers they want to use in the process of upgrading or adding functions to their floors, without having to compromise the cohesion of their floors.
Conclusion
In order for the IIoT to realize its full potential, the industry requires interoperability between various IIoT devices. By following the example that Matter has set Matter Industrial, the industry is on the right track to create a floor that is more secure and more efficient, as well as more profitable than is otherwise.
