Edge Explorer is a browser-based application that facilitates rapid factory integration by collecting, storing, transforming, and delivering data within a factory, between factories, and to and from public clouds. You can access Edge Explorer by opening the browser-based menu (https://localhost:8443/) with the FairCom server running.
The new user interface supports all major features in FairCom Edge, including its ability to collect data from devices, store the data in tables, transform the data before storing it, and deliver the data to devices and software.
Overview
The following sections provide a visual overview of the various tabs available in the Edge Explorer.
Payload Viewer
View the payloads for specific records in your tables.
Collect Data from Industrial Devices
FairCom Edge simplifies data collection from devices using Edge Explorer, a point-and-click tool. It supports a range of industrial protocols for gathering data from factory equipment, devices, and sensors, including:
- EtherNet/IP
- Modbus
- MQTT
- MTConnect
- OPC UA
- Siemens S7
Once data is collected into FairCom Edge, it is instantly available without further configuration through REST, MQTT, and SQL protocols. This enables factory software, IT systems, and cloud platforms to immediately access the data. Conversely, these same protocols allow external software to push data into FairCom Edge, which can then deliver it directly to devices.
View Collected Data
FairCom Edge organizes collected data into tables where you can view, filter, and query it. You can also see past MQTT messages.
Analyze Collected Data
FairCom Edge offers integrated tools for data visualization and seamlessly integrates with leading analytics platforms like Power BI and Tableau. Data scientists can run SQL queries to run analytics and train machine learning algorithms.
Use JavaScript to Transform Data
Use JavaScript to standardize, enrich, reformat, and reshape collected data. You can enrich, standardize, recalculate, and reformat incoming tags from devices.
Test JavaScript Transforms Against Collected Data
Verify JavaScript properly transforms data by testing it against previously collected data. You can use AI to generate JavaScript code and you can test it against collected data. You can even have AI generate test data.
Convert between JSON and SQL Records
FairCom Edge facilitates data exchange between factories and data scientists by offering automatic conversion between JSON and tabular data formats. Users can leverage Edge Explorer's visual tool to easily convert JSON properties to table fields and vice-versa.
For those focused on data analytics and machine learning, data can be standardized into SQL tables, the preferred format for data scientists. Alternatively, if real-time factory integration is the focus, data can be standardized as JSON objects for streamlined factory communications via MQTT messages.
Use SQL to query collected data
FairCom Edge includes a SQL query application that supports popular SQL analytical tools such as Power BI and Tableau. This allows data scientists and engineers to use SQL for their analytics and machine learning queries.
Publish MQTT Messages
FairCom Edge provides an MQTT application that facilitates the publication of MQTT messages. As MQTT is a widely adopted industry standard, you have the flexibility to utilize any MQTT software for publishing and subscribing to topics on FairCom Edge. The cloud uses MQTT extensively for connecting factory data to the cloud and vice-versa.
View MQTT Messages
FairCom's MQTT message viewer lets users monitor incoming messages. It can pause and resume the message stream and display the payload of any specific message.
Monitor MQTT Status
FairCom's MQTT dashboard lets users monitor all aspects of MQTT.
