Data Transmission

Industrial data transmission describes the reliable transport of data between machines, sensors, edge devices, and higher-level IT systems – wired or wireless. It is the link between the physical production world and digital analysis and control systems.

Data transmission starts where processed data leaves the machine and ends where it arrives on a platform, in the cloud, or in an edge system. The choice of the right transmission technology – wired such as Industrial Ethernet or PROFINET, or wireless such as 5G, LoRaWAN, or Wi-Fi – depends on environment, range, latency, and data volume.

In industrial environments, transmission solutions must be especially robust: production halls with electromagnetic interference, large outdoor areas, or mobile assets present different requirements than an office network. Proven protocols such as MQTT, OPC UA over MQTT, and 5G campus networks reliably solve these challenges.

Which transmission technologies are used in practice?

These technologies are deployed in real IIoT projects from our network – proven for a wide range of requirements.

Industrial Ethernet & PROFINET

Wired transmission for high-availability, low-latency production environments. Standard in manufacturing automation for real-time communication between controllers and machines.

MQTT over 4G/5G

Lightweight publish/subscribe protocol over cellular networks – ideal for mobile assets, outdoor facilities, and scenarios without fixed network infrastructure.

LoRaWAN for wide-area sensor networks

Energy-efficient radio protocol with long range – optimal for level sensors, silos, outdoor storage, and environments without power supply.

5G campus networks

Private 5G networks for industrial applications: deterministic, highly available, and secure – for AGVs, robots, and real-time applications in the factory.

OPC UA over MQTT

Combination of semantically rich data description (OPC UA) and efficient transport (MQTT) – the de facto standard for secure OT/IT integration.

Wi-Fi & Bluetooth for shopfloor devices

Short-range wireless transmission for handheld scanners, mobile workstations, wearables, and stationary shopfloor devices in the local network.

Where do companies struggle with data transmission?

These transmission challenges are the most common in industrial projects – regardless of industry or plant size.

Unreliable connections in harsh environments

Production halls with metal structures, interference sources, and moving equipment make stable wireless connections difficult. Connection drops lead to data loss and uncontrolled processes.

Heterogeneous protocol landscape

OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP – industrial environments use a wide variety of protocols. Without a unified transmission layer, integration effort and data silos multiply.

Latency-critical applications

Control loops, safety functions, and real-time controls tolerate only milliseconds of delay. Standard networks are often not designed for this.

Connectivity for mobile and remote assets

Vehicles, outdoor facilities, silos, or mobile machines are difficult to reach via traditional networks. LoRaWAN, 5G, or cellular are required but complex to integrate.

Security requirements in the OT network

Direct connections between OT and IT or the cloud significantly increase the attack surface. Secure transmission architectures with encryption and segmentation are mandatory but complex.

What does the right transmission technology deliver in practice?

Companies in our network achieve measurable results with proven data transmission – in stability, cost, and scalability.

Stable data foundation for all IoT use cases

Reliable transmission is the prerequisite for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and AI analytics. No use case works without a continuous data stream.

Reduced costs through optimal technology selection

The right technology for each requirement – LoRaWAN instead of LTE for sensors, PROFINET instead of Wi-Fi for real-time – significantly reduces infrastructure and operating costs.

Real-time capability for critical processes

5G, TSN Ethernet, and OPC UA TSN enable deterministic transmission with guaranteed latencies – the foundation for autonomous machines and safety functions.

Connectivity for any environment

From the fully connected factory to outdoor facilities: with the right combination of wired and wireless technologies, every location is reachable.

Secure OT/IT integration

Encrypted protocols, DMZ architectures, and segmented networks protect OT systems from unauthorized access and meet NIS2 and Cyber Resilience Act requirements.