Abstract:

The rise of Industry 4.0 has led to the development of technologies dedicated to the intercommunication of devices and systems. As a result, industrial processes and activities are currently characterised by a large number of equipment and systems, which differ in terms of manufacturer, operative systems, and communication interfaces. In fact, handling heterogeneity, data integration and interoperability is one of the challenges that Industry 4.0 poses [1].
From an academic point of view, in higher education it is necessary to dispose of tools that allow future professionals to be trained in the concepts and skills required to perform their work in this context of heterogeneous systems.

This article studies the utilization of a middleware platform as educational tool to train and acquire knowledge regarding communications, data integration and management. In particular, the middleware Node-RED is a multipurpose open-source software focused on the intercommunication of devices and systems through different functions and communication protocols. In the context of Industrial Internet of Things, the role of middleware is highlighted in works that propose functional architectures, where Node-RED has been successfully applied [2].

This platform can be used in engineering education, mainly in courses devoted to industrial automation, monitoring and supervision. Among the functionalities that this middleware provides, the most relevant for the aforementioned courses are the following ones. Concerning communication, protocols framed in Industry 4.0 such as Modbus Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), Open Platform Communications (OPC) and Message Queuing Transport Telemetry (MQTT) are easily configured and managed through Node-RED [3]. Read and write operations over databases can also be performed in a visual and friendly manner. Additionally, JavaScript code can be generated to deep level control of data. Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) can be designed directly in Node-RED being accessible via web browser [4]. In an educational context, the main advantages and drawbacks of this platform are described, as well as its flow-based operating principle.

References:
[1] I. González, A. J. Calderón, J. Figueiredo, and J. M. C. Sousa, “A literature survey on open platform communications (OPC) applied to advanced industrial environments,” Electron., vol. 8, no. 5, May 2019, doi: 10.3390/electronics8050510.
[2] A. H. Ngu, M. Gutierrez, V. Metsis, S. Nepal, and Q. Z. Sheng, “IoT Middleware: A Survey on Issues and Enabling Technologies,” IEEE Internet Things J., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1–20, 2017, doi: 10.1109/JIOT.2016.2615180.
[3] M. J. A. Baig, M. T. Iqbal, M. Jamil, and J. Khan, “Design and implementation of an open-Source IoT and blockchain-based peer-to-peer energy trading platform using ESP32-S2, Node-Red and, MQTT protocol,” Energy Reports, vol. 7, pp. 5733–5746, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2021.08.190.
[4] A. Sinan Cabuk, “Experimental IoT study on fault detection and preventive apparatus using Node-RED ship’s main engine cooling water pump motor,” Eng. Fail. Anal., vol. 138, no. January, p. 106310, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106310.

Keywords:

Node-RED, Middleware, Industry 4.0, Automation, Internet of Things, Engineering Education.