BITMOTECOsystem - Technical documentation

Logo

This technical documentation is intended for users and developers of the BITMOTECOsystem. It describes both the architecture of the overall system at a glance and the individual components in detail. A separate glossary provides an easy introduction to technical terms to help you get started quickly.

Introduction

The Bitmotec GmbH actively drives the digitalization of small, medium, and large industrial enterprises by implementing our IoT software solutions. We believe that standardized interfaces and Open Source Software are crucial for making digitalization both economical and sustainable. To address the high demands of industrial applications, we offer the BITMOTECOsystem, which combines high performance with ease of use, ensuring successful integration into our customers' systems.

BITMOTECOsystem

The BITMOTECOsystem is the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem that enables software applications to be operated in a modular, secure and convenient way. It provides an operating system (OS) which is supplemented with additional applications called BITMOTECO modules and a software development kit (SDK).

The software is primarily designed to be flexibly installed as a virtual machine (BITMOTECO VM) on your own server, whether on-premises or in the cloud. Additionally, it can be used pre-installed on edge devices BITMOTECO nodes as a supplementary option. The system is also compatible with a wide range of third-party hardware and accessories.

BITMOTECO is our generic term for an ecosystem build with our products. When connecting BITMOTECO components with each other, you can create your own digital ecosystem - thats the ECO in BITMOTECO.

Key benefits

Create intelligent IoT solutions with the BITMOTECOsystem: Modular, secure and easy to use, the technology brings it all together on one platform.

Key benefits of the BITMOTECOsystem:

Fast return on investment (ROI)
Quick to deploy: No complex installation
Scalable architecture
Modular extensibility
Extensive integration of existing IT/OT structures
Dynamic and modular extension of IT/OT structures
Low maintenance: Feature and security updates with a streamlined update processes
On-premises: Data sovereignty without the need for a cloud service
As a virtual machine (VM) on your own server hardware
On an edge device inside your environment
80% time savings in integrating and using industry standard Open Source tools
Customizable: Seamless integration of stand-alone solutions and in-house developments

With this combination, our customers and partners can easily optimize their processes and products in a cost-effective way and quickly create real added value.

Application

The industry 4.0 is based on intelligent and connected machines and plants. But at present, the interconnection of machines and systems still represents a major challenge. Production plants consist of a multitude of individual components from different manufacturers. Digitalization processes always have the same recurring challenges that can be addressed with the BITMOTECOsystem in a standard way:

OT connection: Connection to multiple data sources - From single sensor values to entire machines or buildings.
IT connection: Connection to multiple IT systems - From MES to ERP or custom applications or into the cloud.
Data preprocessing: Collecting different types of data in a structured way through pre-processing.
Data storage: Storing different data types from time-series data to relational data sets in a standardized way.
Data analysis: Analyze the data on the edge and/or on a server.
Data visualization: Visualize the data and create appealing dashboards for interaction.
Custom applications: Create custom applications for the user with custom UIs and custom business logic.

BITMOTECOsystem is the solution to these recurring challenges.

It address these challenges in a standard way and enables the customer to focus on his business processes. The BITMOTECOsystem gives the customers the tools they need, from the operating system to the individual modules and their configuration, and additional hardware if required.

The BITMOTECOsystem can be applied in numerous ways, see the following images.

BITMOTECO multi VM architecture The BITMOTECOsystem serves as a central data platform and ensures scalability through the multi-VM approach in order to keep pace with future requirements. In addition, each VM instance can be expanded by adding customized modules.

BITMOTECO application range Wide application range of the BITMOTECOsystem - From edge devices to server

From the customer's point of view, the great advantage of the wide range of integration is that horizontal and vertical use is possible across many technical levels. And at the same time, this is possible everywhere with the same technology and user workflow. Applications and functions encapsulated in modules can be reused at all levels, which enables a high degree of flexibility.

Manuals

We offer everything you need to use our product effectively, from system requirements and integration instructions to the software manual. Whether you're a user or an administrator, you'll find detailed usage information right here.

Detailed information: BITMOTECO Manuals

Software

The BITMOTECO Platform is our software platform especially for Internet of Things (IoT) use cases, which is suitable for use on a wide variety of hardware and architectures. It transforms almost any kind of (industrial) computer into a decentralized edge device and it can be easily deployed centrally as a virtual machine (VM) on a server. The BITMOTECO Platform is designed to work on various hardware from different manufacturers, using always the same code-basis and thus use development resources highly efficiently.

The BITMOTECO Platform can be expanded with additional applications, called "BITMOTECO modules". These modules provide further individual functionalities and make the system universally suitable for a variety of applications.

A Software Development Kit (SDK) is provided to the customers to give them the opportunity to develop and run their own modules on the platform. This enables the customers to develop their own custom solutions with an individual functional scope. The customer benefits from the existing technological basis and can focus on his individual needs in a time-saving and cost-saving manner.

BITMOTECO Platform is characterized by its simple and user-friendly interface, that enables device management and module management in an easy way without having expert knowledge. Normally complex tasks like installing and configuring various software components and keeping them up to date requires an expert, is time consuming and is prone to errors. The BITMOTECO Platform addresses these topics and provides an simple to use solution for these administrative tasks.

The user interface is securely accessible from independent user device (e.g. PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone). It is accessed via a web browser and therefore no additional applications have to be installed on the users devices.

There is no need for an internet connection to use or install the BITMOTECO Platform therefore it can be easily installed on-premises at the customers.

See the BITMOTECO Platform documentation for details.

Detailed documentation: BITMOTECO Platform documentation

Hardware

The BITMOTECOsystem can run on different hardware, scaling from edge to server hardware in a seamless way. You can run the BITMOTECOsystem on your own server or locally on edge devices (industrial computers). We provide you with both: Easy VM installations and pre-configured edge devices (BITMOTECO nodes) ready to use. Both are compatible with each other and share the same software basis: This allows you to work with the same tools, workflows and software components both locally (edge) and on the server (VM) without duplicating effort. A change or conversion of the overall system architecture, a mixture between edge devices and server VMs, is therefore possible at any time.

Server - Virtual Machines (VMs)

The BITMOTECOsystem is available as an ISO-Image for your own virtual machine (VM) installation. You can run multiple VM instances in parallel and choose the desired performance on your own. See the system requirements page for minimum system requirements and supported hypervisors.

VMs: System requirements

Local edge devices - nodes

BITMOTECO nodes are industrial computers designed for harsh environments and wide temperature ranges. They are pre-configured devices running the BITMOTECO Platform software.

BITMOTECO Node S BITMOTECO nodes - edge devices

The hardware is manufactured and assembled to Bitmotec's specifications by a global industrial computer company. There are various performance levels and configurations available: The nodes are divided into performance classes ranging from XS to XL.

Details about the nodes and the performance classes as well as the individual configuration can be found in the nodes hardware documentation.

Detailed documentation: BITMOTECO nodes

Solutions

Detailed Documentation: Solutions documentation

The flexibility of the BITMOTECO Platform enables the creation of both individual and standard solutions on this basis.

The modules selection can be put together as needed and can be used and configured together. In this way, new solutions can be created fast from "standard" components with our modular system. These solutions are specifically tailored to a target group or problem.

BITMOTECO solutions overview Creation of multiple sample solutions inside a production plant

As shown in the image, individual solutions can be created from these basic components:

Hardware component: A server to run the software or alternatively an edge device (BITMOTECO node), depending on the application and performance requirements.
BITMOTECO Platform: Software components - provides the operating system (OS) and the user interface (GUI).
BITMOTECO modules: Additional software modules which expand the system with additional applications and functions.
Module configuration: The modules can be configured individually to suit the specific requirements of the solution in relation to the use case.

Solution Examples

Condition Monitoring: For condition monitoring, a system equipped with sensors and a data analysis module can be utilized to continuously track the health of machinery. For instance, by connecting vibration and temperature sensors to a BITMOTECOsystem, you can create a comprehensive monitoring solution that detects anomalies and predicts potential failures, ensuring timely maintenance and reducing unexpected downtimes.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Monitoring: To optimize overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), you can configure a BITMOTECOsystem with production data collection tools and an OEE analytics functions. By integrating this system with your manufacturing line, it can gather real-time data on machine performance, availability, and quality. This setup allows you to generate detailed OEE reports and live insights, helping you identify inefficiencies and enhance production productivity.

With the tools provided, you can create your own customized solutions in a fraction of the time it takes to start from scratch. More information about pre built solutions can be found in the solutions documentation.

Glossary

For explanations of specific terminology, please refer to the glossary.

Contact

Do you need help with technical questions? With our expertise and services, we can support you with your individual questions. Take a look at our technology and our services and get in touch with us.