The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a major trend in the processing and manufacturing industry. GE clearly proposed the core concept of the Industrial Internet of Things, which was explained by many people as the development strategy of the British processing and manufacturing industry.

And then the popularity of GE’s Predix platform, developing into the release of the Mindsphere, an industrial production network platform, by Siemens PLC. Later, several of China's processing and manufacturing giants have released the first industrial network platform, increasingly drawing attention to IIoT.

From 2014 when GE launched the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) abroad, to the establishment of the IIoT Industry Alliance in China in February 2016, the momentum has become even greater.

It has become the focus of attention of government departments, manufacturing companies, Internet companies, Internet of Things companies, communication operators, IT and automation technology manufacturers.

In fact, the Industrial Internet of Things is the content of industrial production, which is placed on the network built by the processing plant. The Industrial Internet of Things is closely related to intelligent manufacturing systems, and the key lies in the Internet, data information, and security.

Among them, the Internet is the foundation, the data information is the key, and security is the guarantee. The Internet is the support point for industrial production software connection and data transmission in industrial production.

Data information is critical to the promotion of intelligent industrial production systems. Security is a safety precaution for the application of the Internet and data information in industrial production.

The focus of the Industrial Internet of Things is data information, so the ADSP-21060LKB-160 sensor used to collect data is very first for the intelligent control system of all ecosystems.

In order to better integrate into the various application ranges of smart manufacturers, various sensors must be configured, which are most used in optics, temperature, sports, position and visual impact.

The o&k group has sorted out the following 10 types of sensors that are used in industrial automation.

Dust Sensor

Dust sensors have been emerging for a long time, and many applications have been triggered in the industrial automation of the IIoT. They include the HVAC system, construction supervision, safety accidents and industrial equipment with a high probability of vapor leakage. The combination of dust sensors and IIoT solutions can properly handle the slightest steam leakage or minor incidents.

Proximity Sensor

On the bumper of a motor vehicle, sensors are the most common method to alert the driver of a collision. And in the retail industry, it is the same. When customers approach the product, they can get a discount.

Infrared Sensor

The key of infrared sensors is to detect the presence of people, which is widely used in national security and national defense. As is known to us, in recent years, infrared sensors integrated with IIoT solutions have been widely used in some other industries, such as electronic components, analytical chemistry, diagnosis and treatment industries.

Among companies such as Murata, Renesas, Melexis, and Intersil, Murata and Melexis are very few companies that can demonstrate infrared sensors of IIoT.

Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor

After being integrated into the IIoT solutions, the piezoresistive pressure sensor can immediately push data information related to pressure changes. Based on the sensors, we can develop an industrialized IoT production system to monitor the key pressure equipment, including heat treatment furnaces, water supply systems, international airlines and oil rig systems.

Mobile Sensor

It can identify information on operating speed, acceleration, rotation angle, and offset. Industrial equipment such as photoelectric sensors can be used to observe the operating status of AC servo motors carefully. This kind of information is crucial to the accuracy of the operating process of industrial equipment.

Temperature Sensor

The temperature sensor is one of the most commonly used sensors in IIoT applications. They are used in many industries, including the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, and temperature detection.

Optical SensorThe basic technology of the photosensitive element is to detect light, electricity, and magnetic fields. Communication, elevators, construction engineering, diagnosis and treatment and their maintenance software are applications of optical sensors in industrial automation technology.

For instance, Vishay's VCNL4020X01 and TCxT1600X01 are both optical sensors, which are specifically for the industrial production of IoT applications.

In the healthcare sector, photosensitive glasses are used to accurately measure the heart rate of people. According to the changes in the heartbeat within a day, it is helpful to prevent cardiovascular diseases. In the field of transportation, the use of optical equipment is to better prevent train accidents and remind drivers on the same track.

Image Sensor

Image sensor technology plays a leading role during the whole process of disruptive innovation of industrial automation in multiple industries such as healthcare and transportation. Omron and Invisige are two companies engaged in image recognition technology in the Internet of Things technology and have achieved great success.

Machine Vision Technology

With the development trend of machine vision technology, optoelectronic applications such as surveillance cameras are increasingly used in the industrial Internet of Things. Especially with the application of service robots, the establishment of 3D visual impact will be more and more ordinary.

Therefore, the professionalism of obtaining deep data, such as the optical sensor of voyage time, will also face new upgrade opportunities.

Ultrasonic / Millimeter-Wave Sensor

When it is dark and the machine vision technology is restricted, the ultrasonic sensor can detect objects in the field of view based on the radar echo on the vertical surface of the detected object, which is a very cost-effective obstacle-avoidance solution.

In recent years, with the development of millimeter-wave radar technology, detection schemes based on millimeter-wave communications have been recognized by increasing companies.

Although the current price of millimeter-wave communication sensors is still high, they can accurately detect a large amount of object speed, angle and position, which will undoubtedly accelerate the popularity of this type of sensor.