Background
As a system integrator for the golf course irrigation system, customer A provides a complete remote control solution which includes pump station, PLC, gateway and remote monitoring capabilities. To achieve efficient management of golf courses, a remote control and monitoring solution is required:
- Remotely turn on/off pump stations based on weather, golf course conditions and etc.
- Monitor real-time Allen-Bradley PLC data via VNC/HMI
- Conduct remote PLC programming and maintenance
Traditional Solution for Remote Irrigation Control
Traditionally, a remote network is built between remote sites and engineers via a global IP address.
- Motors inside the golf pump station connect to the Allen-Bradley PLC via Modbus.
- Onsite PLC, HMI and Windows PC connect to InRouter900 VPN gateway via Ethernet.
- InRouter900 connects to the Internet via a global IP address.
- InRouter900 enables private IP to global IP mapping.
- PC and mobile devices access HMI web service and conduct remote PLC programming.
- VNC client accesses Windows IPC remote desktop.
The traditional solution has the following issues:
- Network access via public IP address is exposed to various network attacks including port sniffing, DDoS. When a network attack occurs, access to onsite PLC/HMI is not available.
- Unencrypted business data can also be attached by hackers.
- For system integrators, getting public IP addresses is difficult and costly, especially in developing countries.
InConnect Solution
InConnect is a simple service that builds a secure remote network easily and cost-effective.
- Motor - PLC connection and configuration unchanged.
- InRouter900 VPN gateway connects to the internet via 4G LTE or ADSL, with no global IP address required.
- InRouter900 adds InConnect configurations and connects to InConnect server automatically.
- With InConnect, PC, mobile devices and VNC clients can access onsite PLC/HMI directly for remote monitoring and control.
Why InConnect?
InRouter900 Industrial VPN Gateway/Router
- Industrial rugged design, DIN-rail mounting, EMC level 4
- 2/5*ETH ports, 2*serial ports, 1*I/O
- 4G LTE, Ethernet, Wi-Fi
- IPsec VPN, DMVPN, L2TP, OPEN VPN
- Support Python Programming
- Azure IoT and AWS Greengrass certified
