Introduction

Welcome to N3uron

Welcome to N3uron, the next generation of accessible, scalable, and data-centric IIoT software. N3uron was designed from the ground up to be approachable and easy to get started with, at the same time as being highly flexible and easy to scale up for larger projects. This guide aims to provide an introduction to N3uron and its architecture, so you can get started as soon as possible.

N3uron Modules

N3uron is a modular platform, meaning that its functionality can be adapted to the specific needs of each application using different modules. The following connectors allow data to be exchanged with other systems:

Data Acquisition Modules
This set of N3uron modules is responsible for collecting any signals originating from components placed within the industrial plant. All of our modules include the leading Automation System Vendor Protocols in order to meet the diverse needs of each and every company.

• AcquisuiteXmlCollector: HTTP collector for the Acquisuite-XML protocol. Receives and extracts data from the XML files received from Acquisuite dataloggers.
• AuroraClient: Client driver for PowerOne, ABB and Fimer solar PV inverters supporting Aurora protocol.
• CustomClient: User-configurable client driver for building any communication protocol.
• DataImporter: Enables data imports from CSV files.
• DnpClient: Client driver for DNP3 TCP/serial compatible slaves.
• DominoClient: TCP/serial driver for Domino industrial printers supporting Codenet protocol.
• Iec102Client: Client driver for electrical meters using IEC 60870-5-102 protocol.
• LaetusWtClient: Client driver for Laetus industrial supervision systems.
• MarchesiniClient: Client driver for Marchesini industrial packaging machines.
• MettlerToledoClient: Client driver for Mettler Toledo scales using SICS and Gareco protocols.
• ModbusClient: Modbus TCP/RTU client driver.
• MqttClient: Acts as a subscriber to enable data to be received from any MQTT broker.
• OpcDaClient: Driver for connecting to any OPC DA compliant server.
• OpcUaClient: Driver for connecting to any OPC UA compliant server.
• OpcXmlClient: Driver for connecting to any OPC XML DA compliant server.
• RestApiClient: Communicates to REST API Servers and extracts all data from the response. Supports JSON and XML formats.
• SiemensClient: Siemens S7 TCP client driver.
• SmaClient: Communicates to SMA solar inverters using the legacy SMA Sunny Net.
• SqlClient: SQL client driver compatible with SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL.
• VdmaXmlClient: driver for connecting to any VDMA XML compliant server.
• XantrexClient: Client driver for Xantrex GT solar inverters with a CCU2 board.

Data Delivery Modules
This set of N3uron modules are in charge of delivering any signals collected by Data Acquisition Modules to major Clouds such as Azure, AWS, Google Drive Platform etc., as well as to any of the main SCADA systems currently available on the market, such as Wonderware, Ignition and others, for their subsequent data analysis.

• DataDiode: UDP unidirectional data sender and receiver. Permits to send data securely through a unidirectional hardware data-diode.
• DataExporter: XML and CSV data aggregator and file exporter.
• DnpServer: DNP3 server (slave) to provide data to any DNP3 compatible client.
• ModbusServer: Modbus server (slave) supporting Modbus TCP and RTU encapsulated. 
• MqttClient: MQTT publisher/subscriber compatible with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or any standard MQTT broker.
• OpcUaServer: OPC UA server.
• RestApiClient: REST client to send data using REST methods like POST, PUT and PATCH.
• RestApiServer: REST server interface for real-time data, historical data and system status.
• SqlClient: SQL client driver to send data to SQL databases.
• UflExporter: Exports data to files ready to be consumed by OSIsoft PI® UFL.
  

Edge Computing and Visualization Modules
This set of N3uron modules enable connected devices to process data closer to source, or even within the device itself. On the other hand, visualization system software modules are responsible for turning data into graphs for a better data analysis experience.

• DerivedTags: Configurable derived and aggregated data generator using expressions and data aggregation.
• Historian: High-performance time-series data storage and retrieval.
• LinkedTags: Configurable data linker.
• ModbusGateway: Modbus TCP/RTU gateway. Permits several Modbus concurrent connections to Modbus devices which only support one connection.
• Scripting: Advanced scripting based on NodeJS.
• WebUI: Web interface for configuration and commissioning of the N3uron platform.
• WebVision: Pure web HMI/SCADA interface for industrial applications.

N3uron Architectures

The following figures show different ways to use N3uron:

Secure Local Communications
Bridging Corporate and Control networks. This architecture provides a single-entry point to the plant floor in order to securely communicate with unlimited field devices from local SCADA systems and line-of-business applications.

Reliable Wide-Area Communications
Built-in Store&Forward capability. Each N3uron remote node acts as an Edge Gateway, collecting data locally and sending it to the central server using built-in store-and-forward mechanisms to ensure data integrity. All communications between N3uron nodes incorporate built-in security mechanisms to ensure critical Industrial Cybersecurity.

Cloud Computing Platform
Plug-and-play connectivity to IoT Cloud Platforms. N3uron instantly connects to any standard MQTT broker or to any main Cloud platforms such as Azure IoT Hub, AWS IoT and Google Cloud IoT. MQTT communications to IoT platforms include built-in unlimited Store-and-Forward capabilities and cutting-edge security mechanisms.