edgeConnector 840D connects to the Siemens SINUMERIK 840D Solution Line and Power Line controllers without any inter-vention in the machine configuration and provides the data as an OPC UA server. All process parameters from the NC part (axis, tool, program data), as well as the PLC part (status, program sections, alarms) and the drive data can be read out. As a Docker container, the product offers flexible deployment options, e.g. on standard IPCs or devices running Azure IoT Edge or AWS IoT Greengrass.

The application can be easily configured locally via an integrated web interface. It can also be managed remotely using the REST API. The configuration is flexible and includes precisely coordinated security settings (e.g. role-based access rights for OPC UA client applications).

As the first strategic expansion of Softing’s dataFEED product family to include virtualization and container technology, the new product leverages Softing’s extensive experience with brownfield connectivity and OPC UA technology and makes it available for new and highly efficient IoT solution architectures.

Accessing Tooling Machine Data from OPC UA Applications

• Provision of SINUMERIK 840D Solution Line and Power Line data
• Pre-defined namespace, customizable for special machine data sets
• Standardized OPC UA communication for data integration into management systems like ERP, MES or SCADA or for data exchange with other docker containers like Microsoft OPC Publisher or Amazon AWS IoT SiteWise
• Connection of up to 5 SINUMERIK 840D controllers with one Container Runtime
• Reading of NC/PLC alarms, as well as GUD variables and R parameters
• Dedicated for retrofit upgrades of existing SINUMERIK controllers

Easy Cloud-driven or Local Deployment

• Container images stored in different online repositories like Docker Hub, Azure Container Registry (ACR) or Amazon Elastic Con-tainer Registry (ECR)
• Licensing via Softing Floating Licence Server (Windows Application)

Lightweight Flexible Container Solution

• Less resources plus increased scalability and flexibility
• Support of security standards as SSL/TLS, X.509 certificates, authentication and data encryption
• Highly flexible application to be started or stopped immediately, if needed