MultiTech rCell 100 Powers SCADA Innovation

Advances In M2M Technology Require Routine and Frequent Upgrades

In the last few years, machine-to-machine (M2M) technology has - like many forms of technology - rapidly expanded and advanced. The rapid expansion of Supervisory Control and Data Automation (SCADA) technology has meant that organizations are routinely making upgrades to their systems that, in the past, only happened every decade or so.

In order for organizations to handle the influx of upgrades and updates that need to be made on their M2M and IoT applications and devices, they must deploy remote monitoring and maintenance systems. Without being able to remotely monitor and maintain their devices and equipment, manual system upgrades become expensive and time consuming.

The Challenge

Upgrading Legacy Systems with Secure and Reliable Connectivity

When an Illinois-based electrical design and construction organization that provides industrial automation and SCADA services to its customers decided to upgrade its existing SMS-only remote monitoring stations, it needed to ensure its new solution could handle anything, anywhere. They also wanted to incorporate human-machine interface (HMI), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and smartphones all on a single system that could simultaneously run critical applications.

Having already written software for the controller that would allow remote connections through the HMI and monitoring through the Internet, they needed to find the right cellular modem that could accommodate security, VPN Tunnels, IPv6 readiness, and reliability, among other requirements.

The Solution

MultiTech MultiConnect rCell 100 Series Meets All The Demands

Ultimately, the organization chose the MultiConnect® rCell 100 Series (MTR-LVW2) as their cellular router.

The intuitive user interface and cloud device management allow for quick configuration and over-the-air upgrades and are enhanced with features such as:

WAN failover
Secure software updates
Advanced firewall and routing configuration, and
Certificate management.

Additionally, the organization was “laser-focused” on three primary objectives, all of which the MultiConnect rCell 100 Series met. They were:

Durability

With boxes located outdoors in very rural locations, they needed a solution that was “built like a brick, compact in size.”

The ruggedized design means that the MultiConnect® rCell 100 Series can withstand just about anything Mother Nature throws at it.

VPN Tunnels

In an effort to maintain security and prevent data loss, the organization required several VPN tunnels that would be constantly available with dual layers of security.

The MultiConnect® rCell 100 Series was the perfect solution for them, and their engineers are now able to make updates on the fly without worrying about worst-case scenario situations.

Port Forwarding

Since the organization required a solution that could accommodate port forwarding and have the ability for the router to assign local static IPs, the MultiConnect® rCell 100 Series was an obvious choice.

The Results

Reliable, Secure Connectivity to Monitor and Maintain Across The Region

Once the MultiConnect® rCell 100s were deployed, the organization could provide remote monitoring and maintenance to their customers across the region. As they continue to upgrade their operations and expand their business, they plan to purchase “hundreds more” MultiConnect® rCell 100 Series routers.

The MultiConnect® rCell 100 comes ready to deploy and includes free cloud device management without recurring monthly fees. This allows for quick configuration and over-the-air upgrades.

The Team

USAT Creates Secure Wireless Data Networks

USAT serves the nation’s critical infrastructure by creating secure communication networks that pass data wirelessly between key systems - linking remote personnel, locations, and machine assets. USAT sells, designs, configures, and installs 4G and 5G wireless data communications hardware and software, providing targeted IoT connectivity solutions that fit our clients' exacting needs from top manufacturing partners like MultiTech.

The Download

Save Solution for Later or Share It With Colleagues

If you'd like to reflect back on this SCADA solution or share it with colleagues, we've included a simple download of this article in a PDF format. Just click below to view it as a PDF and then click save.

Download as PDF >>