The four layers
- Device / sensor: sensors and actuators capture data and act on the process.
- Gateway: bundles devices, handles the protocol translation (e.g. Modbus, CAN or Zigbee to MQTT/HTTPS), filters and secures the transmission.
- Edge: pre-processing directly on the device or gateway — reduces latency and bandwidth and enables real-time responses (see Edge AI).
- Cloud: analysis, storage and applications for everything that does not have to be decided in real time on the device.
Why the edge layer is decisive
Not every decision belongs in the cloud. Whatever has to be fast, data-efficient or fail-safe runs at the edge; whatever needs computing power and an overall view runs in the cloud. Making this split deliberately is the core of good IoT architecture.
Hardware proximity as an advantage
Because we develop the sensor technology, electronics and embedded software ourselves, data acquisition sits in exactly the right place — and the choice of protocol matches the real hardware (see MQTT & OPC UA).
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does an IoT gateway do?
It connects heterogeneous devices to the cloud: it translates the device-side protocols (e.g. Modbus, CAN) into cloud-side ones (e.g. MQTT, HTTPS), pre-filters data and secures the connection.
Do I even need a cloud?
Not for everything. Many functions run at the edge; the cloud adds cross-cutting analysis, storage and visualization. Often a hybrid setup is the best solution.