Industrial IoT Monitoring - Collecting and Visualizing Equipment Data with AWS IoT SiteWise
Explains data collection, modeling, and visualization for industrial equipment using AWS IoT SiteWise. Introduces OPC-UA compatible gateways, asset models, and SiteWise Monitor dashboards.
Industrial IoT Challenges and Where IoT SiteWise Fits
In manufacturing plants, PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems are responsible for equipment control and data collection. These systems expose data over the OPC-UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) protocol, but connecting them to the cloud used to require developing dedicated gateway software. AWS IoT SiteWise is a service specialized for industrial IoT that provides an OPC-UA compatible edge gateway, equipment asset modeling, and no-code dashboards in an integrated way. Compared with building industrial IoT on a general-purpose IoT Core + Lambda + DynamoDB architecture, OPC-UA connectivity, equipment hierarchy modeling, and dashboards for the shop floor are provided as standard features, which leads to a reduction in development effort.
Edge Gateways and Data Collection
The IoT SiteWise edge gateway is a software component that runs on AWS IoT Greengrass. You install it on a server or industrial PC in the factory, and it connects to OPC-UA servers (PLC, SCADA) to collect data. The collected data is buffered at the edge and sent to IoT SiteWise in the cloud. Even when a network outage occurs, data is accumulated locally and synchronized automatically after the connection is restored, so data loss can be kept low. A gateway can connect to multiple OPC-UA servers at the same time, and a single gateway can collect data from multiple pieces of equipment in the factory. The data collection interval can be set for each piece of equipment, and it flexibly supports intervals from high frequency (1-second intervals) to low frequency (1-hour intervals). It also supports the Modbus TCP protocol, which makes connections to legacy industrial equipment possible as well.
Asset Models and Formulas
An asset model is a template that defines the hierarchical structure of equipment and the relationships among data. For example, you define a hierarchy such as "Factory" -> "Production line" -> "Press" -> "Temperature sensor" and set properties (measurements, metrics, transforms, alarms) at each level. Metrics automatically calculate aggregate values (average, maximum, minimum, sum, count) within a time window. For example, if you define "average temperature over the past 1 hour" or "units produced per day," IoT SiteWise automatically calculates and stores them. Transforms are values calculated with mathematical expressions and are used for things such as "converting Celsius to Fahrenheit" and "calculating OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)." Alarms are threshold-based monitoring. State transition detection through integration with IoT Events was also offered in the past, but IoT Events reached end of support on May 20, 2026, and an official migration procedure is provided for alarms.
SiteWise Monitor and Pricing
SiteWise Monitor (no longer accepting new customers, announced on October 7, 2025) is a no-code dashboard building tool that lets operators and managers on the shop floor view equipment data in real time. You create a portal and grant access to users in IAM Identity Center. You can place asset properties on dashboards by drag and drop, and line charts, bar charts, KPI widgets, alarm status displays, and more are available. No programming is required, and staff on the shop floor can customize dashboards themselves. In the calculation example on the AWS pricing page (US East (N. Virginia) Region), the prices are $1.00 per 1 million messages processed, $0.50 per 1 million data processing (compute) operations, and $0.30 per GB per month for data storage (hot tier) (as of October 2026). On the pricing page, use of SiteWise Monitor is billed separately from message processing and the other items. If 1,000 sensors send data at 1-minute intervals and each transmission is counted as one message, the message processing charge is about $43 per month.
Industrial Protocols and Data Integration
Factory equipment mixes devices from a variety of manufacturers and generations, and each outputs data through a different communication method. IoT SiteWise supports standard protocols widely used in the industrial field and can collect data from this diverse equipment. Even older equipment can have its data ingested if it is connected through a compatible gateway. By ingesting data output in disparate formats into a common form, centralized monitoring across equipment boundaries becomes possible. Being able to collect and make use of data as is, without replacing existing equipment, lowers the hurdle to adoption at industrial sites.
Making Use of Predictive Maintenance and Operating Metrics
Data collected through industrial IoT is put to use to optimize equipment operation. Based on the collected values, you can calculate metrics such as the overall operating efficiency of equipment and identify productivity bottlenecks. If you analyze trends in sensor data, you can catch signs of failure early, and predictive maintenance, which services equipment before it breaks, becomes possible. If you can reduce unexpected stoppages and shift to planned maintenance, improved availability and cost reduction can be expected. By representing equipment with asset models and deriving meaningful metrics with formulas, you can turn raw data into information that helps decision-making on the shop floor.
Summary - Guidelines for Making Use of IoT SiteWise
AWS IoT SiteWise is a data collection, modeling, and visualization service specialized for industrial IoT. Its main strengths are the OPC-UA compatible edge gateway, the definition of equipment hierarchies with asset models, and no-code dashboards with SiteWise Monitor. If you are considering using equipment data in the cloud at a manufacturing plant, IoT SiteWise is an efficient option that provides OPC-UA connectivity through dashboards in an integrated way.
References (Official AWS Resources)
The primary sources for this page are the official AWS website and documentation. Check the official pages below for the latest specifications and pricing.
- AWS IoT SiteWise official page
- AWS IoT Greengrass official page
- AWS IoT Core official page
- AWS Documentation (official)
If this page and the official documentation disagree, treat the official documentation as authoritative.