Data Connectors
Data Connectors are the bridges between your Tricloud Nexus environment and the equipment, sensors, and systems that generate operational data on your plant floor. Every Data Connector runs on the Edge and provides secure, reliable and real-time connectivity to local assets and systems.
Data connectors are used to connect to equipment in the physical world, so that these connectors may be used by Tags to collect measurements using the Data Connectors. Data connectors can only be created and configured on Area nodes within your Asset Hierarchy. This approach ensures that connectivity is mapped logically to your physical (or logical) layout, reflecting where and how your data is sourced and managed.
What is a Data Connector?
A Data Connector is a configuration that allows your Edge device to connect to external data sources or industrial protocols - right at the point where your operations take place. These connectors establish the communication pipeline between your plant floor equipment and Tricloud Nexus.
Typical examples of supported Data Connectors include:
MQTT (for pub/sub data integration or integration with Unified Namespace)
OPC-UA (Industrial automation/control systems)
Modbus (TCP/RTU)
FTP Server or FileShare (for file workflows)
Historian databases (for storing processed measurements at the Edge)
Emulator (for test/simulated data)
Custom Data Connectors (Build your own data connector using C# and the Nexus SDK)
All connections, authentications, and data flows configured with a Data Connector are executed at the Edge. This architecture provides local performance, improved security, and ensures data remains close to the source - perfect for industrial and IIoT environments.
The role of Edge Data Connectors
Edge-Based Integration: All data connectors run locally on Edge devices, positioned at the Area level of your hierarchy, directly connecting to local equipment and networks.
Protocol Translation and Unified Data Model: Data Connectors act as protocol translators at the Edge, allowing you to connect to a wide variety of equipment and systems using different industrial protocols (such as OPC UA, Modbus, MQTT, and more). No matter which protocol is used on the equipment side, the Data Connector normalizes all incoming measurements into a unified Tricloud Nexus format. This ensures that data from any source is handled, processed, and stored consistently - both locally and in the cloud - enabling analytics, reporting, and integration across your IIoT environment.
Offline Operation: Data Connectors are designed to function even when your site or vessel loses internet connectivity. Since they run at the Edge, data can continue to be collected, processed, and stored locally. Once the internet connection is restored, all buffered data is automatically forwarded to the cloud or other destinations, ensuring no data is lost during offline periods.
Logical Organization: By attaching connectors to Areas, you ensure each data source is grouped by physical site, line, or process.
Security & Compliance: Data remains on-premises, traversing only secure, local connections. Access and permissions can be controlled per Area.
Scalability: Each Area in your hierarchy can have its own set of Edge data connectors, supporting multi-site and modular deployments.
Data Contextualization: Data is automatically organized and contextualized according to where (and how) it’s collected - streamlining analytics and reporting.
Core Capabilities
When you configure a Data Connector on an Area, you enable your Edge device to:
Collect data directly from local equipment or plant systems
Integrate industrial protocols and systems (MQTT, OPC-UA, Modbus, FTP etc.)
Support real-time and batch data flows between Edge and cloud
Centralize management of all local integrations and connections
Typical Workflow
Select an Area in your asset hierarchy that corresponds to a physical part of your operation (such as a production line or department).
Navigate to the Data Connectors tab.
Add a new Data Connector by selecting the desired type (OPC-UA, Modbus, FTP, etc.) and provide a name for the connector.
Enter the required connection details - these will be used by the Edge device at your site to connect to local equipment, and depends on the type of connector that was chosen in the previous step.
Save the configuration. The connector becomes active on the Edge upon deployment of the Asset Hierarchy. Additionally the data connector is available to all Assets and Tags that are childs of the Area.
Note: You can add multiple Data Connectors to a single Area, each one running independently at the Edge to support complex, heterogeneous environments.
Next Steps
See the following sections for detailed instructions on each supported Data Connector type:
Each guide explains configuration, best practices, and troubleshooting for its connector type - all focused on reliable Edge-to-equipment connectivity.
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