The FairCom Modbus connector service allows reading data tags from industrial devices, such as PLCs, that use the MTConnect communication protocol. Once the FairCom server collects data from an MTConnect device, it automatically stores it for later use in analytics, forwards the data to dashboards or other devices, or transforms the data into a format compatible with devices that use a different protocol. This functionality turns raw data into a powerful asset that data scientists and engineers can use for a wide range of sophisticated applications that move beyond basic monitoring.

Note A tag is a named data point. For example, a tag named temperature represents the location in a  device where the temperature value can be collected from or delivered to. FairCom Edge also associates each tag with an integration table. When a data point is collected, FairCom Edge stores the tag in a newly inserted, timestamped record in the table. A tag is always stored in the record as a JSON property in the source_payload field, such as "temperature": 70. The FairCom server automatically delivers the contents of the source_payload  field as an MQTT message to the table's MQTT topic. Additionally, the tag may be optionally stored as a field in the table, such a field named temperature. This is useful for engineers who run SQL queries on the collected data for analytics.

Collecting data from MTConnect devices

You configure FairCom Edge to collect data at regular intervals from MTConnect devices and persist it as industry-standard JSON. You control whether data is persisted with each data collection event or when it changes.

Delivering data to MTConnect devices

Upon collection, FairCom Edge can instantly deliver the processed data to multiple destinations, such as publishing MQTT messages to various topics, sending data to REST endpoints, writing to other devices, or delivering to cloud platforms.

Sampling of devices that support MTConnect

FairCom Edge integrates with devices that support the MTConnect protocol, including devices from the companies in the following table.