What Is an IoT Gateway? Connecting Factory Floor to the Cloud

What Is an IoT Gateway?

An IoT gateway is an edge computing device that acts as the bridge between your operational technology (OT) — PLCs, sensors, drives, HMIs — and your information technology (IT) infrastructure, including cloud platforms, MES systems, and ERP databases.

What Does an IoT Gateway Do?

• Protocol translation — converts Modbus, PROFIBUS, or OPC UA data into MQTT, REST, or cloud-native formats
• Edge processing — filters, aggregates, and pre-processes data locally to reduce cloud bandwidth
• Security boundary — isolates the OT network from the internet, protecting PLCs from cyber threats
• Local buffering — stores data during network outages and syncs when connectivity is restored
• Remote monitoring — enables cloud dashboards and remote access to factory floor data

IoT Gateway vs SCADA vs Edge PC

An IoT gateway is lightweight — it collects and forwards data but does not run a full SCADA runtime. A SCADA system runs on an industrial Panel PC and handles operator control, alarming, and plant-wide visualization. An edge PC can do both, running SCADA locally while also connecting to the cloud.

Choosing the Right IoT Gateway Hardware

For industrial IoT gateway applications, look for:

• Multiple COM ports (RS-232/422/485) for legacy PLC connectivity
• Dual LAN ports for OT/IT network isolation
• 4G LTE or Wi-Fi for remote sites
• Compact, DIN-rail mountable form factor
• Wide temperature operation (−20°C to 70°C)

Avalue's compact embedded PCs and SBCs available from TSL Automation make excellent IoT gateway platforms — fanless, low power, and equipped with the I/O needed to connect to any industrial protocol.