CloudRail.Box Max

Before contacting our technical or product support, please go through our FAQ with answers to the frequently asked questions.

Which components do I require to use Belden’s CloudRail solution?

To connect sensors to the cloud with Belden’s CloudRail solution, you require following components:

• CloudRail.Box Max or hardware running CloudRail.OS;
• a power supply;
• an IO-Link master;
• sensor cabling (M12 cables); and
• an industrial IO-Link sensor (to cloudrail page with sensors)

What are the costs of CloudRail?

It is a combination of a subscription model based on the number of connected OT data sources and the costs for the CloudRail.Box (hardware). Please connect with Belden for pricing information.

What happens with the data once it is in the Cloud? Do you build custom applications?

CloudRail integrates with cloud services from AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud. Organizations build applications on top of the acquired data on their own, use existing software offerings, or work with an IT systems integrator. If you are looking for a complete solutions, please connect with Belden to get introduced to our software and integrator partners, visit our Ecosystem Partners page.

Does it support cloud XYZ?

Currently, we support AWS IoT Core, AWS IoT Sitewise, AWS IoT Greengrass v2, Microsoft Azure IoT Hub, Microsoft Azure IoT Central, Microsoft Azure IoT Edge, and Google PubSub out of the box. Alternatively you can use the generic MQTT function to connect any non supported cloud which support this protocol.

Can I use multiple cloud providers in parallel?

Yes. You can connect your devices with different cloud platforms. Even the same sensor with multiple clouds is possible.

What sensors are compatible with CloudRail?

All sensor with the following interface: IO-Link, Digital (1/0) or Analog (4-20mA) (with Analog to IO-Link Adaptor). Moreover CloudRail supports Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP which is for example used by many power meters.

How many Sensor and IO-Modules can I connect to the Cloud?

This highly depends on the hardware you run CloudRail on and your configuration, more specifically on the frequency of data being sent to the cloud. There is a huge difference between a sensor value being sent every 100ms and one every 10mins. For the CloudRail.Box Max we currently support 8x IO-Link master modules with 8x sensors each sending in a 100ms frequency.

Can I connect multiple IO-Link Masters to a single CloudRail.Box?

Yes, it is possible to (a) use an ethernet switch to connect multiple IO-Link masters to the CloudRail gateway or (b) daisychain the up to 8x IO-Link masters through the fieldport interface.

What IO-Link master modules are compatible?

You can find a list on our IO-Link solutions page.

Can I get data from a PLC?

If the PLC supports OPC-UA, you can connect OPC UA objects using CloudRail. For complex OPC UA structures or direct acquisition from legacy PLCs, please consult Belden about our BHDO offering.

Why a subscription model?

CloudRail is a managed solution. This means that we want to provide you with a secure and reliable sensor to cloud system — today and in future. Devices which are connected to the internet need to be continuously maintained (e.g. security patches). Moreover the Cloud industry moves very fast which requires further updates. This all can’t be achieved without a subscription. On top the subscription covers new features which we will release in future.

What’s different to the Edge Gateway by XYZ?

Most edge gateways on the market are very generic and thus complex to use. Our goal was that everyone with IT knowledge should be able to connect sensors with the cloud. So we made it super simple and took out required domain-specific knowledge about the OT. Moreover CloudRail is a managed solution. This means you can easily create a PoC, but also use it for large scale installations with millions of devices.

How frequent can the sensor data being sent to the cloud?

CloudRail allows a flexible configuration of the gateway sending rate, from 100ms to several hours. It is also possible to define a threshold as a percentage. So for example if the temperature changes by more than 20%, send it to the cloud. This is especially useful for digital sensors (0/1).

How does the setup of the Box work?

The CloudRail.Box comes with a serial number and QR-Code located on the right side of the housing. Just enter it in the Device Management Cloud or scan the QR-code. View our Quick Start Guide for more information.

Can I manually change IP addresses?

Yes. Please add the Box to your Device Management Cloud first (even thought it can’t communicate with it yet) and check the tab “Advanced Network Settings” for further instructions.

How are software updates delivered to the Box?

Via a remote firmware update. You will be notified about new version in the Device Management Cloud and install the update with just a single click. Moreover, it is possible to automatically install it at a predefined time.

What happens if the Box loses connection to the internet?

The CloudRail.Box stage up to 65535 messages to send it once the internet is back. Moreover, it is possible to use device shadows to store and sync states if supported by the respective cloud platform.

How can I move a box to a different account?

Yes, just delete it in one account and add to to another afterwards.

Is it suitable for industrial environments?

Yes. The CloudRail.Box Max has been specifically designed for industrial environments. The box is IP20, so you should put it in a cabinet. The IO-Modules on the other hand are IP67 and can be mounted pretty much everywhere.

Does it support a local MQTT broker?

Yes, just select “MQTT Broker” instead of a cloud platform.

What protocol does CloudRail use and on which port?

It uses MQTTs to communicate with the Device Management Cloud and as well most cloud platforms. If a platform does not support MQTTs, it uses https as a fallback. Of course all connections are encrypted using SSL. It uses the ports 443 or 8883.

Is CloudRail secure / reliable?

Yes. CloudRail is being trusted by many enterprise customers around the world, even within the defense industry. Moreover, the company has a strong software background, so security is part of our DNA. In more detail: All connections are end-to-end encrypted using SSL/TLS, the CloudRail.Box Max entirely separates between the port connected to the internet and the one connected to the IO-Link Master / OT network, firmware updates and security patches are rolled out centrally to all Boxes (OTA updates), it runs a sophisticated firewall and uses a TPM. Please connect with our product experts for more details.

Does the data passes a CloudRail server?

No. The Device Management Cloud is just used to configure the CloudRail.Box devices. The actual data flows directly between the Box and the respective cloud platform.

How is the CloudRail.Box being configured / managed?

Only through the Device Management Cloud. You don’t need to configure anything locally.

How do you add devices on the respective cloud platform?

We connect into you e.g. AWS account via the AWS API. So it is necessary to provide your API credentials to the Device Management Cloud. If you don’t like the automated way, you can still add devices manually and just pass the device credentials.

Does CloudRail work in an existing installation?

Our main goal is to connect additional sensors, just used for IIoT purposes, to the cloud. Thus IO-Link masters with just a fieldbus port, can only be used to communicate with the CloudRail.Box. Masters with a separate port for IoT applications (e.g. DataLine edition by IFM), can communicate with a PLC and the CloudRail.Box in parallel. Moreover you can connect to any OPC-UA server as a data source.

Can I manually add devices which already exist on my cloud platform?

Yes. In this case you need to provide the device credentials or certificates. This is done via the device management cloud as well.