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Technology Guide
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INTRODUCTION |
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Welcome
to the M2M Premier Technology Guide, a catalog of M2M technology
providers and their products. The article below provides an overview of
the basic technology components of M2M by following the flow of machine
data in a prototypical machine-to-machine deployment. |
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M2M DATA FLOW |
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One of the most useful concepts in machine-to-machine is the value chain, the idea that a team of technology components work together to enable a complete solution. It helps customers understand the totality of what they’re investing in, it helps vendors understand where they need to partner, and it helps define what really is M2M and how to make it work.
The most helpful method for understanding the M2M value chain is to follow the flow of data, all the way from a sensor inside a machine, out through a radio, over a network, and into a software application, where it is finally integrated into a business process.
As the machine-to-machine technology market become more mature, so too does its value chain, and as time goes on certain parts will be collapsed or refined—and in some cases this has begun happening already. There is no standard value chain for M2M, but rather a small group of core components that customers can mix and match depending on their needs. From an educational standpoint, however, it is possible to establish the typical model of the M2M value chain to help adopters understand what to expect.
1. Sensor to the Radio
The life of the typical M2M value chain begins inside a machine, where companies can extract sensor data and use it to monitor their physical assets.
First, sensor data is sent via conversion circuitry to a microprocessor inside a machine. Running on that microprocessor is a software application, which interprets the sensor data and determines whether any information needs to be sent out to a computer or person monitoring the device. If a message or alert does need to be sent, the software application on the microprocessor sends an instruction known as an AT command (short for ATtention) to a radio module, either embedded in the device or connected externally.
When the module receives that AT command, it responds by converting the information into a packet of data and sending it over a network to the host computer at the company’s backoffice or network operations center. The process is a little more complex if it’s the host computer that initiates the data call, but in general the process works the same way, only in reverse.
The way the sensor data is processed depends on how much intelligence the machine has, which is a product of integrated circuits that store and process data from the sensors. In many cases, the radio module connects to the microprocessor (on the device’s motherboard) through a circuit board (called a daughterboard) that helps supply power and provides any necessary drivers for communicating with the machine.
In some cases, the communications hardware has onboard application space, which means it can run simple applications without the help of the motherboard or daughterboard. In every case, some combination of the three components—the module, the microprocessor, and the daughterboard—works together to enable power supply to the module (if it’s embedded), communication between the microprocessor and the module, as well as storage of files that accumulate from collecting sensor data.
The flow of data and functions of the hardware depends quite a bit on whether a customer is using a standalone radio module or an external product such as a device server or terminal. Either way, the function is the same: to bridge the intelligence in the machine with a communication network.
2. Radio to the Network
When data leaves a machine, its first destination is usually a gateway—software that manages the way communication occurs. It figures out the way data needs to be sent, such as what protocol to speak, what format to send (SMS, XML, etc.), and can also convert protocols from legacy systems at the device.
The gateway usually takes the form of a “box” supplied by an application infrastructure provider, and it can take data feeds either from a single device or from several located in proximity. The gateway can also exist within the machine itself; in this case, it’s usually embedded as firmware on a communication module.
The main function of the gateway is to get machine data ready to be sent over a communications network. In all, there are multiple ways that companies can use public networks for data transfer, including wired Ethernet or other wired network, cellular wireless, satellite, and data networks. Deciding which ones to use and when depends on the type of assets being networked and on the amount of data being transferred.
Along with wireless options, companies should not overlook the important role of wired connectivity for machine-to-machine applications, which remains the most common method of connectivity. Wired Ethernet is in fact the first option many companies consider because if an existing Ethernet connection can be shared with the networked asset, then the communication cost is eliminated altogether. Ethernet is also an option when cellular coverage is unavailable and when an always-on or high-bandwidth connection is required.
When wireless is the best choice, companies can choose among the four options listed above. Wide-area cellular is perhaps the best-known method of M2M wireless, yet it’s only recently become a viable option for widespread adoption. Specifically, the emergence of the packet-switching wireless networks was crucial to the development of M2M because it lets machines both send and receive data, and because it enables an always-on connection.
Telephone lines can also make sense when a machine only needs to send or receive data periodically, or when cellular and Ethernet are unavailable. Satellite is also an option that makes sense for a number of asset types, and is commonly used for fleet tracking and other mobile-asset monitoring applications.
Another option is to send data using a wireless LAN (local-area network), which is becoming more common with the advent of sensor networking using mesh topologies.
3. Network to the Enterprise
In the course of moving from the sensor to the radio module to the gateway and over a network, machine data is converted to and from specific protocols of the wired and wireless communication networks so it can ultimately be employed by enterprise IT systems.
The number of steps between the radio module and the IT system can vary depending on the application. In most cases, though, after the data comes of the network, it reaches a middleware layer where it goes through various application services and business-processing engines.
The middleware’s basic function is to act as the “logic layer” that decides what needs to be done and based on what the machine is telling it. This layer also happens to be one of the most important in the M2M value chain; it essentially acts as an application server routing data where it needs to go, converting protocols so systems can communicate, integrating machine data to enterprise software applications, and applying business logic defined by the end user.
In terms of application functionality, the middleware handles a variety of functions, including communications for facilitating interaction between a remote device and a central application; reporting and logging for formatting, presenting, and retaining the data; notification for analyzing and interpreting the data, and providing customized notifications; control for adjusting remote equipment settings automatically and/or manually; and finally optimization for regulating the performance of devices based on defined business processes and objectives.
The final step in the M2M value chain is ultimately the business process into which the machine data is integrated, helping companies gain better visibility into their operations and creating new opportunities for cost savings and revenue generation. With an understanding of the main components of a complete, end-to-end machine-to-machine application, adopters are on their way toward achieving their business goals with M2M.
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