IIoT is empowering the digital transformation of many traditional industries, including their geotechnical and infrastructure monitoring programs.
Automated, real-time solutions deliver a wealth of benefits. When these systems are up and running, they provide a steady stream of reliable data. But they aren’t fail-proof. One of the most common breakdown sources is the central gateway receiver. This critical connection between the site and project owners gathers data from the sensors and relays it to the client, often through third-party data presentation software.
“If the gateway fails, then the entire deployment is gone,” says Arul Kumar, Ackcio’s Software Technical Lead. “You won't have access to any of the data, and you won't have real-time monitoring. That is the crux of the problem.”
In a recent webinar, Ackcio explores the most common causes of gateway failure and explains how it overcomes these challenges in its proprietary hardware and software. The team also answers participant questions at the end of the 30-minute presentation. To watch the webinar, click here.
Benefits of Real-Time Monitoring
WORKFORCE SAFETY
Eliminate manual readings in dangerous, remote areas; minimise workers on-site.
RISK MANAGEMENT
Real-time data empowers proactive analysis and preventive maintenance.
COST REDUCTIONS
Lower workforce expenses due to reduced vandalism and maintenance routines.
EFFICIENCY GAINS
Frequent, real-time data leads to deeper insights, quicker actions, and better trend analysis.
DATA INTEGRITY & SECURITY
No manual interference with a secure data stream and end-to-end data encryption.
What are the most common causes of gateway failure?
Arul began the presentation with an overview of the key causes of gateway failure, starting with hardware.
“This is very common, and we cannot avoid it 100%,” he says. Hardware damage could include physical damage to the unit or a power or internet outage.
The second type of failure is security-related. As Arul says, “the moment the internet is provided to any device, it is vulnerable to security attacks.”
A classic example is a DOS, or denial of service, attack, in which a hacker hijacks your system, stopping the flow of data and defeating the goal of real-time monitoring. This kind of data hostage-taking can also be done by hackers encrypting your data. And data leakage is also an issue.
Finally, there are environmental causes of gateway failure, including physical obstructions, signal interference, and the risk of weather, such as high humidity, disrupting radio activity.
How does the Ackcio Gateway overcome gateway failures?
Industrial clients cannot risk their automated monitoring system going down. It needs to be available 24/7.
“We know that a power or internet outage could happen, but we need to make sure the gateway is available,” Arul says. “How do we do it?”
Ackcio designed its Gateway with multiple layers of fault tolerance, eliminating critical points of failure.
Its hardware is built to withstand the harshest conditions and toughest terrain. Made from die-cast aluminium, it can withstand physical damage and has an IP 67 rating, which means it’s dustproof and safe for water-logged sites.
To mitigate against power loss, the Gateway has a backup battery and unique low-power mode, so it continues to collect data even in an outage for up to four months (To learn more about all of Ackcio’s data loss features, click here). When the power is restored, it automatically uploads the stored readings.
If a Gateway unit is destroyed, it’s easily replaced. Simply clone settings from the old Gateway to the new Gateway using Ackcio’s simple deployment process. Moreover, the system allows the deployment of multiple Gateways to provide extra backup.
When internet connectivity is an issue, the Ackcio Gateway has 13 GB of onboard memory that can store readings for years.
And to ensure security protection, the client has complete ownership of their data. Encrypted end-to-end from the node to the Gateway and on to their server or the cloud, it’s private and secure every step of the way.
What are the connectivity options for Ackcio’s Gateway?
Ackcio built its Gateway to work anywhere in the world, offering clients the broadest possible utility without having to customise for regional differences or regulations.
Compatible with all major internet connections, each unit comes with cellular, LAN and WiFi hookups. And Ackcio’s radio signal technology, which communicates between the sensor nodes and Gateway, is likewise very broad.
“Our radio is globally compliant so that it can be deployed and configurable to any region and frequency,” Arul says. Ackcio supports ISM Band 863-870 and 902-928MHz. Along with LTE, WCDMA, and GSM cellular model support, the Ackcio Gateway also has global certifications, including FCC, IC and CE.
How does Ackcio Gateway’s software work?
Ackcio Gateway hardware doesn't come alone–its software, Snape, is equally important to automated monitoring, providing real-time access to every data point collected from your project.
This data and device management software helps to configure deployments and manage sensor data. Its modern interface is designed for ease of use, while its Android app allows simple setup and troubleshooting, providing device activity status, health metrics and CSV data export.
Like all Ackcio products, security and privacy are of the utmost importance. For this reason, Snape runs on the edge, not the cloud.
“All the data that is collected is 100% in your control, and you achieve 100% data privacy when it comes to security,” says Mobashir Mohammad, Ackcio’s Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Ackcio’s third-party platform integrations also meet the latest authentication standards. And for remote access, the entire internal communication channel is authenticated, maintaining end-to-end security.
Snape processes the raw sensor data before sending it to third-party data presentation software. Along with duplicate data detection, dynamic data transformation, and the ability to add virtual sensors, it allows for remote, over-the-air updates to patch bugs, apply optimisations and add new features.
Ackcio integrates with the leading data analytics platforms, including Vista Data Vision, Geodaisy®, iotailor, Beemetry, sensemetrics, Drishti, and more. And new ones are being added all the time.
“We are really proud of the openness of our entire system,” Mobashir says.
What happens if the Gateway crashes?
Ackcio Gateway is designed with multiple layers of redundancy for power and internet outage. Its backup battery can last for up to four months, receiving sensor data that it stores in its onboard flash memory even during a main power outage. Once the power is restored and the connection resumes, the system starts sending all the stored data to the paired data presentation software.
How do I integrate with your Gateway?
Ackcio is designed to integrate southbound with all leading sensor types and northbound with all leading data presentation platforms. Ackcio’s Snape software manages API/FTP pushes to third-party servers.
What is the data format for complex sensors like IPIs and ShapeArrays?
Ackcio is integrated with ShapeArrays and other IPIs, offering support right out of the box for these complex sensors. It consolidates and exports the multiple readings for each sensor unit into easy-to-read reports.
How does Ackcio Gateway compare to the competition?
Ackcio’s key differentiators include:
- Backup power supply. While the competitions’ gateways shut down when there is a low power supply, the Ackcio Gateway continues to run.
- Three ways to connect to the internet. Ackcio’s Gateway device has cellular, LAN and WiFi hookups, while most competitors only have two.
- A single piece of hardware: A single SKU eliminates the need to buy region-specific hardware or parts.
- Ackcio’s Mesh technology. Our unique multi-hop mesh network, in which our sensor nodes connect to each other and the Gateway, ensures over 99% reliable end-to-end data communication.
- Easy-to-configure software. You don’t need a specialised skill set or a technician to use Snape. And Ackcio’s support team is always happy to troubleshoot.
