Building automation in the Internet of Things: MBS gateways become edge devices

Compatibility with all cloud services creates benefits for property operators

Krefeld, October 19, 2021 - The gateways from MBS, which support numerous classic bus protocols, have now also been equipped with a driver for MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) that offers far more than just pure data communication. This in-house development opens up the possibility of using the devices in cloud communication. "This turns our gateways into genuine edge devices, as they give building automation access to a service provider's network and can exchange data packets between the various network structures," emphasizes Nils-Gunnar Fritz, Managing Director of MBS GmbH.

With the expanded equipment, the company is driving commercial building automation towards the Internet of Things (IoT). Here, MQTT has established itself as the most important network protocol for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication in order to use the cloud services of the various operators.

From the communication interface to the edge device

The new bus protocol driver from MBS supports all MQTT requirements and has extensive features in addition to the classic functions. For example, the idea has been implemented that the gateways themselves, but also all other existing drivers, can be configured via this network protocol. It is now possible not only to parameterize the drivers via a cloud, but also to make settings and set data points. After installation in the system, the gateway itself logs into the cloud via MQTT. A BACnet scan can then be started automatically or manually to address the existing devices and query which data points with which properties are present in the system. 

Finally, the scan result is transferred from the gateway to the cloud. Incidentally, communication does not have to be restarted manually during this process. Whereas previously a reset/restart of the bus protocol driver was required after a new parameterization, the gateway now does this automatically. This makes work considerably easier, especially in the case of distributed properties, as the presence of a technician on site is no longer required. Even logging in via SSH (Secure Shell) is no longer necessary, as the login is handled automatically via the cloud.

Harnessing the benefits of the cloud for building automation

Another feature of the new MQTT bus protocol driver is the ability to freely define the data content. Whereas there used to be very rigid specifications for sending data, the data format can now be freely selected. This has the advantage that the gateways can be used independently of the respective cloud operator because they are compatible with all providers.

This is a key prerequisite for driving forward digital transformation processes in building automation. This is because automated processes can make property management simpler, safer and more energy-efficient. "Our gateways offer property operators the opportunity to exploit the benefits of the cloud for building automation with predictive maintenance or group-wide energy management, for example," says Fritz.