Industrial IoT Interfaces: Project Compatibility
Keep useful existing equipment by specifying its actual outputs and data access. Confirm the interface and the required report before quoting an integration.
By addanode · Updated 6 November 2026
Start with the equipment you already own
addanode provides industrial instrument and system integration for addaNet reporting. The useful starting point is the actual meter, controller, logger or vendor platform at your site. Send its model, firmware where known, output documentation and a sample of the information you need. An integration proposal can then identify the access route, configuration and tests required for that equipment.
The interface types below explain what to identify during procurement. They are not a published list of device-and-firmware combinations already tested by addanode. Compatibility is confirmed for the selected project configuration, using the source documents and representative data. This keeps an existing system useful without treating a familiar protocol name as proof of every requested function.
Which interface is present?
| Interface or signal | Information needed | What a project check demonstrates |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse or digital contact | Electrical output, pulse width or state meaning, quantity per pulse and isolation requirements | Count or state matches the physical reference, including restart behaviour |
| 4–20 mA analogue signal | Loop arrangement, power, engineering range, fault indication and input specification | Correct scaling and treatment of valid, out-of-range and unavailable readings |
| RS-485 with Modbus RTU | Port wiring, serial settings, device address, register map, types and scaling | Authorised registers return the intended quantities without disturbing existing communication |
| Modbus TCP | Network route, device addressing, register definitions and access permissions | Read-only acquisition maps values and handles communication failure correctly |
| OPC UA | Server endpoint, security configuration, authorised nodes, timestamps and quality fields | The approved client receives the intended data with its identity and quality context |
| Vendor API or file export | Permission, sample data, identifiers, units, time zone, limits, history and fees | Records can be retrieved, reconciled, corrected and exported under the agreed contract |
| LoRaWAN device data | Exact device variant, payload definition, provisioning and network service | Application values match the endpoint, with demonstrated freshness and recovery behaviour |
RS-485 describes an electrical communication interface; it does not identify a register map. Two Modbus devices can expose completely different values and data types. Similarly, an OPC UA server can make some nodes available while requiring additional permissions for others. Provide the documents for the selected equipment rather than a brochure that lists only protocol names.
Check one complete measurement
Select a representative point and follow it from the physical source to the exported report. Record the device identity, source register or signal, engineering quantity, unit, timestamp and quality status. Include any scaling or conversion. Compare the application value with an appropriate independent reference at the same time.
As a hypothetical scaling example, a linear 4–20 mA signal configured to represent 0–10 metres maps 12 mA to 5 metres. The calculation is (12 − 4) ÷ (20 − 4) × 10. It is an illustration of conversion, not a statement that every sensor has that range or that a particular addanode input has been tested with it. The actual loop and equipment documentation determine the configuration.
Agree read access and control separately
A reporting project often needs read-only access. Confirm the approved route with the controls owner and IT team, including network segmentation, credentials and change windows. Reading data from a system should not silently add permission to change setpoints or operate equipment.
If a project includes control, specify the command, local logic, interlocks, permissions and manual operation separately. Test the approved sequence and loss-of-communication behaviour with the responsible engineer. A successful data export does not establish a control design.
Recover records without changing their meaning
Define the source timestamp and distinguish it from receipt time. Agree how missing periods, cumulative counter resets, meter replacements and corrected records are represented. When data arrives after an interruption, preserve its original measurement period and prevent a repeated transmission from increasing a quantity twice.
A sample export helps reveal these details before implementation. Request a file that includes a normal period, a missing interval and a corrected or replaced value if the source supports them. The timestamp and data-gap guide explains how those cases affect operational reports.
Price access as part of integration
Existing equipment can reduce replacement work while still requiring licences, vendor assistance, gateway hardware or configuration. Ask which fees are one-off, which recur and who holds the agreement. Clarify retention limits, rate limits and whether the customer can export the records if the service changes.
For a SCADA project, use the SCADA integration service and FAT/SAT checklist. For a field radio project, use the LoRaWAN deployment service. These projects share data principles but have different installation and access costs.
What confirms compatibility?
The useful record names the equipment and firmware, interface configuration, documents used, representative points and observed results. It identifies what passed, what remains unresolved and any restriction on the accepted use. A generic supported-protocol list cannot replace that record for a specific site.
Send equipment photographs, manuals, a point list, an authorised sample export and the business report you need to produce. The proposal can then separate reuse of existing equipment, gateway or sensor additions, vendor dependencies and field testing. Those are the facts needed to compare an integration project with replacing the existing system.
Technical background
NIST SP 800-82 Revision 3 provides OT security and architecture background. Project access and change arrangements are established with the actual system owners.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a list of devices already tested by addanode?
No. It is an interface checklist for preparing a project. An accepted compatibility record names the specific equipment, firmware, configuration and demonstrated result.
Does Modbus support mean every register is usable?
The device map, data types, scaling, permitted access and operating conditions still need checking. Read-only integration and control commands are separately specified.
What is the best first document to send?
Send the actual model and interface manual with a point list or authorised sample export. Include the report you need and the person who can approve access to the source system.
Bring the equipment and the decision you need to make
Send the site details, existing records and the first scope you want to price. We can identify equipment, integration and installation inputs for a proposal.
Discuss the project