The IIoT Connector empowers Machine builders and Plant Operators to:
Easily find, collect and select data from B&R‘s OT world (=B&R PLC‘s)
Seamlessly transfer B&R data formats to one or many IT system (no matter if on premises or cloud)
Operate standalone or integrate into an existing IIoT solution
IoT Connector is bridge between machine level and IT level, it can be operated as a standalone solution or integrated in existing solution.
Example of standalone solution
- data are collected from specific B&R technologies
Example of integrating to existing solution
- IoT Connector can be deployed to any hw with Linux, it is a container solution (Docker based)
- on the same hw you can deploy other B&R app e.g. ACOPOS track monitor as well as any 3d party app from many other vendors
- connectors from other vendors can be deployed as well
Note: The B&R app offering focuses on developing/integrating the B&R ecosystem
Key Functional Features-release 1
Asset discovery
- Automatic detection based on multiple methods (SDM, ping, ARP)
- Configurable IP ranges
OT Connectors process data
- OPC UA browse, read, subscribe, write
- ANSL browse, read, subscribe, write
- CoTrace Connector
OT Connector asset data
- Software & Hardware Information
- Based on SDM
- Forwarding/integration into IT services
IT Connectors
- Protocols: MQTT, REDIS, NATS
- (time series) Databases: SQL, PostgreSQL, Timescale DB
- Cloud: MS Azure Event Grid (MQTT), AWS Event bridge (MQTT/HTTPS)
Key Non-Functional Features - release 1
Security
- Local user management system
- Role based access control (simple start)
- Encrypted communication
- Physical separation
Deployment Options
- Hardware: APC3100, X20 Edge
- Software: Docker container download
Configuration Options
- Web UI
- API (Rest, gRPC)
Operations
-
Configuration: Web UI, API (Rest, gRPC)
-
Backup: via configuration snapshot
-
Installation: initial installation, restore configuration
-
Licensing: Software solution, no dongles
-
Stand alone (offline) operation possible
-
Platform support
- X86
- ARM (most common platforms)
Use Cases
I am a machine builder and have developed an app for predictive maintenance Therefore I need to collect selected data from my machine. For the B&R part we use SDM, ANSL and CoTrace. I want to easily collect, select and forward it to my cloud service
I am handing over the Automation Studio project to the end users. I would like to check if the original project is on the machine prior to sending a service technician. And I want to integrate these data into my Asset Management system
Live Demo example - how to share data with IT infrastructure
IoT Connector can be configured using UI interface, here are some print screen as a example from live demo:
Note: The UI screenshots shown are taken from a testing version. The appearance of the released and future versions of the UI may differ slightly
UI interface access is protected using user and password
Machines available in network can be browsed, so you can set IP Base and Range
Browsed machine can be added to list of saved assets
Where you can see not only its IP address but also status of machine, operating values and much more..
To provide this data to IT infrastructure, Connector must be configured and stored with meaningful name
And at a last step, in application you enable asset information sharing using selected connector.
You can do much more with IoT connector UI interface, e.g. configure dataflow,users etc. But for this either refer to manual, ask for training.
HW platform support
- X86
- ARM (most common platforms)
- X20 Edge
License overview
-
With first release only one type of license is available
-
B&R Industrial IoT Connector license
- 1TGXSCSAIIOTC.30
- 1TGXSCSAIIOTC.00 (Trial)
QnA
Q: [Can we run it also on WSL?]
- This is not possible with the first release due to the software licensing solution that is offline capable. Allowing that requires extra effort that we will prioritize depending on market demand.
Q: [Are there restrictions regarding the Linux distribution? I guess as long it supports docker it should work?]
- Correct. The IIoT connector runs using Docker Runtime.
Q: [However CoTrace needs an application on the PLC, doesn’t it?]
- Yes, this is correct. OPC UA and ANSL can be used without touching the machine project, for CoTrace, the AS project must be prepared/adapted, which can be done for both, AR4.x and AR6.x systems.
Q: [Does Industrial IoT Connector supports INA2000 used widely in the past as a communication backbone between PLC and PC? Easy connection to B&R World means also legacy systems, which many are still in operation (if not majority still).]
- INA2000 protocol is not supported by IIoT Connector and current plan is not including this implementation. Prioritization will be done depending on market demand.
Q: [WIll it be possible to run the SiteManager Embedded on X20Edge?]
- Yes – we are currently working with Secomea in the right ARM SiteManager Embedded for the X20 Edge. Release is planned in the 2nd half of 2025.
Q: [How do we share new docker image updates and do we help the customer with deployment of it?]
- Docker images will be available via a publicly accessible repository
More..
Q: [What’s about security - How it is handled to access to OPC UA…?]
-
It depends on the settings on the PLC side of the installed base.
-
If the PLC only supports unencrypted communication, you can use an unencrypted communication.
-
If the PLC supports encrypted communication, you can set up an encrypted communication.
-
This can be configured per PLCs as it might depend on the specific machine.
-
Default OPC UA connection settings are already secure by default.
Q: [Can we access data from 3rd party devices (e.g. through OPC UA)? this would be a key feature to aggregate data before sending them to the cloud.]
- 3rd parties do have their own connector available. So, in a multi vendor environment you usually use the connector of each vendor (possibly on the same device) to aggregate data from different vendors. We do not plan to develop 3rd party drivers. However, OPCUA would be possible
Q: [where is the difference to our SiteManager?]
-
VPN tunnel —established by the site manager — creates a secure, temporary connection from a device like a notebook to a remote (machine) network. This allows engineers to use tools like AS to access and interact with specific targets in the remote network, such as PLCs, for engineering or maintenance tasks.
-
In contrast, the B&R IIoT Connector is designed for permanent connection and automated data collection. It runs on-site close to the machine and continuously gathers data from B&R PLCs, aggregates and transforms it, and then uses standard IT protocols to forward this data to a defined IT destination — either on-premises or in the cloud.
-
While a VPN supports on-demand, interactive access, the IIoT Connector enables ongoing, scalable data integration into higher-level systems for analytics, monitoring, or optimization.
Q: [Is the OPC UA part in the connector easy to use? Can I easily browse variables and configure how they are passed on?]
- Yes, the variables can easily be selected in a tree structure. Same as for ANSL
Q: [Is there a license required if we run this on a 3rd party device?]
- No, there is no special or additional license required. The same license model applies, regardless of whether the IIoT Connector is running on a B&R industrial PC or on a third-party device. Licensing is independent of the hardware and based solely on the use of the IIoT Connector itself
Q: [How much performance does the connector need? How does it scale with number of PLC/OPC UA data/…]
-
The IIoT Connector is designed to be lightweight and typically requires only minimal system resources. It runs efficiently on devices with limited computing power, making it suitable for low-footprint industrial PCs or edge devices.
-
However, the actual performance requirements depend on your specific use case — including:
-
The number of data points being collected
-
The type and frequency of communication
-
The number of simultaneous connections
-
Other container applications running on the same host device
Because of these variables, we strongly recommend performing a performance test in your target environment to determine the optimal hardware setup
Q: [Is the APC3100 able to contain both the IoT Connector software and act as a centralized PLC [AR OS] collecting data from the machines?]
- The IIoT connector requires Linux and Docker Runtime. If hypervisor is used with Linux and a Automation Runtime any APC can act as PLC and data collector using the B&R IIoT Connector
Related topics/additional info
