Control - Gateway

An IoT gateway device bridges the communication gap between edge systems like IoT devices, sensors, equipment, systems and the cloud. They perform functions such as protocol translation, data processing/storage/filtering, and device security, as well as the ability to autonomously control field devices based on data input by sensors. If you imagine an IoT ecosystem, a gateway is what sits between the devices and sensors to communicate with the cloud.

Modern IoT gateways also play an increasingly important role in helping to provide edge analytics, and ensure that the most important information and alerts are sent to the cloud to be acted upon. Sensors are typically attached to MCUs, which transmit information to gateways; nearly every IoT system needs a way to connect sensors/devices to the cloud so that data can be transmitted between them. IoT gateways can be essential in making this connection possible, and many sensors/devices will transmit data to a gateway, which will send that information to the cloud.

IoT gateways help to bridge the gap between operations and IT infrastructure within a business. They do this by optimizing system performance through the operational data they gather and process in real-time in the field or at the network edge.

An Edge Gateway sits at the intersection of edge systems, between the external internet and the local intranet that is being used by the other devices in your ecosystem. Thus, it is the key access point for network connectivity, both inside and outside your device ecosystem. As the number of devices and sensors grow, communication between the ‘things’, the gateway, and the cloud must be secure in order to prevent any data tampering or unrestricted access.