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This “network of networks”, comprising nodes of connected sensors with processing capability, can be found in all kinds of facilities: from factories, offices and warehouses, to hospitals and homes. According to the statistics published by IoT Analytics, currently there are around 15 billion IoT nodes in operation: an impressive figure that reflects its growing ubiquity.

With specific regard to industry, the introduction of the IoT is key to the digitalisation of industrial activity, where the focus is on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence and real-time data processing. This digitalisation process has been dubbed “the fourth industrial revolution”, thereby giving rise to the term Industry 4.0. The overall aim is to improve levels of productivity, efficiency, reliability and profitability.

Guaranteed supply

One of the key factors for the IoT and Industry 4.0 is the use of cloud resources, which require all of the equipment that forms part (in one way or another) of this mega-infrastructure to be connected. Naturally, this includes uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems, which are designed to protect equipment against all kinds of electrical disturbances and to guarantee the power supply in the event of any incidents.

For UPSs, the IoT enables communication between the system and the load, for the purpose of providing information on the load’s status and anticipating its support requirements. This information can also be managed remotely by managers and technicians, although cybersecurity measures must also be taken into account in order to prevent unauthorised access. Thus, the UPS becomes a highly connected device equipped with advanced functions such as an incident log, continuous monitoring of electricity quality, generation of reports on the status of the battery, load and temperature, and self-diagnosis functions, among others.

The leading UPS manufacturers have incorporated IoT functionalities into their products. Salicru is no exception: the company has developed a specially designed range for the IoT, in order to help achieve the increased levels of competitiveness demanded by Industry 4.0. The company’s efforts are chiefly aimed at optimising the connectivity of its products and offering cloud solutions tailored to meet the protection and security needs of its customers.

To this end, Salicru offers Nimbus Cloud: a remote monitoring system that provides 24/7 availability and is based on the use of Nimbus cards, which incorporate the latest IoT technology into the company’s UPS devices. The Nimbus cards communicate via MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), which offers a secure, reliable and efficient protocol for transmitting data within the IoT. Moreover, each Nimbus card gathers historical data via InfluxDB, a database that makes it possible to read and write data at high speed.

Consequently, Industry 4.0 requires a power supply backed by systems that ensure continuity of power thanks to the IoT and its tremendous potential for remote management and rapid response to any incidents.