The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to reduce costs, improve flexibility and open new markets. The concept has obvious applications to the world of industrial automation, where there are huge opportunities for improvements in efficiency, safety, and operating and maintenance costs, if numerous hardware controllers, sensors and other devices can communicate and coordinate intelligently with each other and staff, instead of working in isolation.

However, building an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) poses some real challenges for hardware developers and systems integrators. These challenges include: limited space inside cabinets, high temperatures that can disable critical components such as wireless modules, the huge cost of connecting all those IoT devices together, interoperability with legacy devices, and how to deal with a torrent of raw data that can clog up networks and overload processors.

This white paper analyzes these issues in order to guide users and systems integrators towards optimal solutions.