ARM industrial computers with Grafana provide an efficient and low-cost solution for industrial data collection and visualization. By combining databases such as InfluxDB and Prometheus and using Python/Node-RED for data collection, industrial users can implement a complete monitoring system from sensors to visualization, providing strong technical support for smart manufacturing and industrial automation.

Case Details

Under the general trend of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing, it is crucial to collect, store, analyze and visualize all kinds of data in the production process in real time. This helps enterprises better understand the production status, optimize the process flow, predict equipment failures and ultimately improve production efficiency and reduce operating costs.

Traditional industrial data collection and visualization solutions often rely on expensive PLC, SCADA systems and host computer software, which is a considerable burden for small and medium-sized enterprises or cost-sensitive application scenarios. In recent years, with the maturity of ARM technology and the prosperity of the open source software ecosystem, a more cost-effective and flexible solution has gradually attracted attention: an industrial data collection and visualization system based on ARM industrial computers and Grafana.

Why choose ARM industrial computers?

ARM architecture processors are widely used in the embedded field due to their low power consumption, low cost and small size. Applying them to industrial computers brings the following advantages:

Low power consumption and fanless design: Suitable for industrial environments with high requirements for power consumption and heat dissipation, reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs.
Cost-effectiveness: Compared with traditional x86 architecture industrial computers, ARM industrial computers usually have lower hardware costs, which lowers the threshold for overall system deployment.
Small size: Easy to integrate into various industrial equipment and control cabinets, saving space.
Rich interfaces: Many ARM industrial computers are equipped with common industrial interfaces such as GPIO, RS-232/485, Ethernet, etc., which are convenient for connecting various sensors and devices.
Good software compatibility: With the wide support of open source operating systems such as Linux, the software ecosystem on the ARM platform is also becoming more and more perfect, providing rich options for data collection and visualization.

Why choose Grafana?

Grafana is an open source data visualization and monitoring platform. With its powerful functions and ease of use, it is becoming more and more popular in the industrial field:

Powerful data source support: Grafana supports various mainstream databases (such as InfluxDB, TimescaleDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.), time series databases, and third-party APIs, which can easily connect and query industrial data from different sources.
Rich visualization panels: Provides various chart types (line charts, bar charts, pie charts, dashboards, heat maps, etc.) and plug-ins, and users can create intuitive and easy-to-understand industrial data visualization dashboards according to their needs.
Flexible alarm function: According to the set thresholds and rules, key industrial data can be monitored and alarmed in real time, and abnormal situations can be discovered and handled in time.
Easy to install and configure: The installation and configuration process of Grafana is relatively simple, and it has complete documentation and community support.
Cross-platform compatibility: Grafana can run on a variety of operating systems and hardware platforms, including ARM architecture industrial computers.
Strong scalability: Supports plug-in extensions, and users can add new data sources, panels, and alarm methods according to specific needs.
User-friendly interface: Provides an intuitive web interface for users to easily create, edit and manage dashboards.

Application scenarios of ARM industrial computers with Grafana

The solution of ARM industrial computers with Grafana is suitable for various scenarios that require industrial data collection and visualization, such as:

Equipment status monitoring: Real-time monitoring of the operating status of industrial equipment (such as temperature, pressure, current, speed, etc.), timely detection of abnormalities, prediction of equipment failures, and improvement of equipment utilization.
Production process monitoring: Monitor the key parameters of the production line (such as output, yield, energy consumption, etc.) to help optimize the production process and improve production efficiency.
Environmental parameter monitoring: Monitor temperature, humidity, PM2.5 and other parameters in the industrial environment to provide a good environment for production.
Energy management: Real-time monitoring of the factory's energy consumption (such as electricity, water, gas, etc.) to help enterprises optimize energy and control costs.
Remote equipment monitoring: Through the network connection, ARM industrial computers deployed in different locations can be used to realize centralized monitoring and management of remote equipment.
Small automation system: For some cost-sensitive small automation projects, ARM industrial computers can be used as the core of data collection and control, and Grafana can be used for visualization.

Steps to build an ARM industrial computer and Grafana system

To build an industrial data collection and visualization system based on ARM industrial computers and Grafana, the following steps are usually required:

Choose a suitable ARM industrial computer: Choose an ARM industrial computer with sufficient processing power, memory, storage space and required industrial interfaces according to the needs of the application scenario.
Install the operating system: Install Linux or other operating systems that support Grafana on the ARM industrial computer.
Install data acquisition software: Select appropriate data acquisition software or write a custom data acquisition program based on the type of data and device interface to be collected. Common data acquisition solutions include:
Protocol drivers such as Modbus/OPC UA: Used to communicate with PLCs, sensors and other devices.
Tools such as Node-RED/Python: Used to build flexible data collection and processing processes.
Message queues such as MQTT: Used to receive real-time data from various sensors and devices.
Install and configure the database: Select a suitable time series database (such as InfluxDB, TimescaleDB) or other database to store the collected industrial data.
Install Grafana: Install Grafana on the ARM industrial computer. Usually it can be installed through the package manager or by downloading the installation package.
Configure data source: Add the configured database as a data source in Grafana.
Create and customize dashboards: Use the various panels and chart types provided by Grafana to create intuitive industrial data visualization dashboards according to needs.
Configure alarm rules (optional): Set alarm rules based on key indicators and send notifications when data exceeds the preset threshold.
Deployment and testing: Deploy the system to an actual industrial environment for testing and verification.

Advantages

✅ Low power consumption and high performance: ARM industrial computers have the ability to operate stably for a long time.
✅ Open source ecosystem: Grafana combined with InfluxDB/Prometheus is highly flexible.
✅ Remote monitoring: Supports Web remote access, suitable for multi-location data monitoring.