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EMS Extension

ZenGrid is an IoT-based Energy Management System (EMS) that is extensible through custom agents. Its support for diverse protocols makes it a powerful tool for Energy IoT applications, particularly in smart city environments. By leveraging custom agents and integrating various protocols, ZenSite can be tailored to meet the specific needs of complex IoT projects, enhancing its effectiveness as an open-source solution for managing decentralized and data-driven systems.

Extending ZenGrid with Custom Agents​

Our architecture allows users to develop custom agents that perform unique tasks, monitor devices, and provide bespoke functionality for complex IoT ecosystems. Custom agents are specialized microservices or modules that integrate with the decent.ec environment, giving developers fine-grained control over interactions with devices, data, and other system components.

Developers can create custom agents to:

  1. Automate Specialized Tasks: Agents can be programmed to monitor conditions and trigger specific actions, such as adjusting energy storage in response to real-time demand or managing local resources based on custom algorithms.
  2. Manage Complex Data Workflows: Agents can perform tasks such as data cleaning, preprocessing, and transformation, ensuring that only actionable data reaches the core system.
  3. Enable Machine Learning Integration: By using custom agents to preprocess data and run lightweight models, the system can support predictive analytics or anomaly detection directly within the platform.

Custom agents communicate with the Manager through RESTful APIs, which facilitate seamless interaction between the agents and other core components. This approach enables the integration of a wide range of functionalities without affecting the core architecture, maintaining system stability while adding new features.

Integrating Various Protocols​

IoT applications often rely on a mix of legacy and modern devices that communicate using different protocols. The system supports integration with several IoT protocols out of the box, including MQTT, HTTP, and WebSocket. This interoperability allows it to handle data from various sensors, devices, and data streams effectively.

Here’s how decent.ec EMS integrates with various protocols:

  1. MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport):

    • MQTT is a lightweight, publish-subscribe protocol optimized for reliable data transfer in networks with limited bandwidth. The EMS can act as both an MQTT broker and client, enabling it to manage high volumes of data from IoT devices like sensors, meters, and cameras. This capability is especially useful in energy management or smart city applications where continuous data from multiple sources is crucial.

  2. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol):

    • HTTP is widely used in IoT for simple request-response interactions. The EMS supports HTTP for communication with web-based APIs, enabling it to pull data from cloud services, submit updates to external systems, and interact with web-based applications. HTTP is particularly useful for integrating OpenRemote with third-party applications or cloud-based services.

  3. WebSocket:

    • The system uses WebSocket to establish real-time, bi-directional communication between clients and servers. This protocol is beneficial for applications requiring instant updates, such as live monitoring dashboards or interactive applications.

  4. Other Protocols via Custom Agents:

    • For protocols not natively supported, custom agents can be designed to bridge the gap. For instance, developers can build custom agents to communicate with devices using Modbus, BACnet, or Zigbee by creating translators that convert these protocols into formats the system can natively process. This method allows us to work with legacy industrial devices or smart home systems with non-standard protocols.

IoT Device (MQTT)IoT Device (HTTP)IoT Device (WebSocket)Custom Agent (Modbus/BACnet/Zigbee)ZenSite EMSUser DashboardSend data via MQTT brokerDisplay real-time MQTT dataSend data via HTTP APIDisplay HTTP-based dataEstablish WebSocket connectionStream real-time dataDisplay WebSocket dataTranslate Modbus/BACnet/Zigbee to compatible formatShow data from Custom AgentRequest action/controlSend command via MQTTSend command via HTTPSend command via WebSocketSend command (translated to specific protocol)IoT Device (MQTT)IoT Device (HTTP)IoT Device (WebSocket)Custom Agent (Modbus/BACnet/Zigbee)ZenSite EMSUser Dashboard

  • IoT Devices: Devices using MQTT, HTTP, and WebSocket protocols send data to OpenRemote.
  • Custom Agent: Handles communication for protocols that OpenRemote does not support natively, like Modbus, BACnet, or Zigbee.
  • EMS: Manages data, processes commands, and integrates with various protocols to facilitate seamless interactions.
  • IoT Dashboard: Provides real-time updates and control options for users based on the data received via multiple protocols.