Data extraction
Nortech AI simplifies industrial data extraction with a highly adaptable platform, ensuring compatibility across diverse systems. Our advanced signal mapping and intelligent automation minimize integration time, enabling seamless data flow for real-time insights and decision-making.
Our data extraction process is built on three key pillars:
- Compatibility – Ensures broad connectivity with various industrial systems.
- Signal Mapping – Automates detection and adaptation of data signals.
- Process Automation – Streamlines data handling for real-time efficiency.
Compatibility
To achieve a high level of compatibility in a broad range of applications, we deliver an adaptable platform that caters for the specific needs of the industry. Our deliveries are tailored to fit use cases from an integrated solution for OEM’s to a standardized cabinet targeting general applications.
Below you will find an exhaustive list of equipments, typical measurements, interfaces and protocols already supported. For unsupported equipment or interfaces, contact our sales team for custom solutions.
Supported equipment
Engines and Propulsion
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Main engines - Auxiliary engines - Generators - Shaft - Propeller (Pitch) - Stern/Bow thruster | - Engine power - PTO (if installed) - Fuel consumption - Draft (aft) - Draft (mid) - Draft (forward) - Lubrication oil system metrics (purifying) - Lubrication oil system metrics (pumping) - Lubrication oil system metrics (heating) - Fuel oil transfer / treatment / supply systems - Engine performance (BMEP) - Engine performance (diesel) - Engine performance (otto-cycle) |
Electrical Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Electric motors - Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) - Battery systems - Battery Management System (BMS) | - Bus voltage - Power consumption - Battery state-of-charge - Voltage - Current - Energy flows - Hotel load (cargo) - Hotel load (crew living quarters) |
Steering Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Rudders - Steering gears - Hydraulic pumps | - Rudder angle - Hydraulic pressure and flow - Steering gear position - Power consumption - System health (e.g., leaks, temperature, vibration) - Response time and latency of commands - Backup system readiness |
Pumps and Water Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Ballast water pumps - Bilge pump - Fire pump - Freshwater pumps - Freshwater producers - Cooling water systems | - Pump activity - Water pressure - Water levels (fuel oil) - Water levels (lubrication oil) - Water levels (sludge) - Reverse osmosis system data - Boiler operations (if present) |
Environmental Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Ballast water pumps - Bilge pump - Fire pump - Freshwater pumps - Freshwater producers - Cooling water systems | - Pump activity - Water pressure - Water levels (fuel oil) - Water levels (lubrication oil) - Water levels (sludge) - Reverse osmosis system data - Boiler operations (if present) |
| - Scrubbers - Waste heat recovery systems - Ventilation systems | - Exhaust gas treatment efficiency - Heat recovery efficiency - Ventilation system metrics - Relative wind speed/direction - Real wind speed/direction |
Navigation and Monitoring
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Navigation systems - AIS - Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs) - IAS (Integrated Automation System) - Draft sensors | - Course - Destination port - Speed through water - Speed over ground - Water depth below keel - Noon reports - Rudder position |
Deck Machinery
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Cranes - Gangways - Winches | - Load weight - Operational cycles and usage hours - Wire tension and wear - Hydraulic system pressure and flow - Power consumption - Speed and position (e.g., crane boom angle, gangway extension) - Temperature and vibrations (for winches and motors) - Safety parameters (e.g., overload alerts, emergency stops triggered) |
Control and Monitoring
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Control & monitoring units - SCADA systems | - System statuses - Alarms - Logs - General control system data |
Power Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Power management systems - Power meters | - Voltage - Current - Energy consumption and production - Load distribution |
Tank Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Fuel oil tanks - Lubrication oil tanks - Sludge tanks | - Tank levels - Heating metrics (if applicable) |
Cargo and Heating Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Steam evaporation system - Boilers - Cargo systems | - Heating efficiency - Steam production data - Cargo-related system data (if differentiated from other loads) |
Fish farming
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Delousing systems - Fish counters - Water treatment systems - Pumps and flow systems | - Lice count - Lice removal efficiency - Water quality - Flow rate - Chemical concentration - Stress indicators - Mortality - Fish quantity - Fish size - System performance - Energy consumption |
Other Systems
| Equipment / Systems | Measurements / Parameters |
|---|---|
| - Flow meters - Reverse osmosis systems - Draft measurement systems | - Fluid flow rates - Desalination performance - Overall water processing efficiency |
Supported interfaces and protocols
Ethernet
- MQTT
- OPC UA
- MODBUS TCP
- BACNet
- S7
- TCP RAW
- UDP RAW
- API
Serial
- MODBUS RTU
- MODBUS ASCII
- NMEA0183
- HAN
- CBUS
- RAW
CAN Bus
CANOpen
NMEA 2000
J1939
CAN 2.0A/B
Electrical
- Current
- Frequency
- Voltage
- HART
- Discrete
Signal mapping
Nortech AI’s Signal Mapping ensures continuous, accurate data extraction by automatically detecting, structuring, and integrating signals from diverse industrial systems. This process has two key components:
- Signal Discovery – Continuously monitors and adapts to changes in signal data, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
- Protocol Mapping – Standardizes and enriches signals for seamless integration, even when documentation is missing.
Our signal mapping reduces integration time and ensures continuous data flow, adapting automatically to changes in equipment signals.
Signal Discovery continuously monitors the data stream from connected equipment to detect changes in received signals. When a new or modified signal is detected, it is identified at the edge and automatically propagated through the stack, updating storage to reflect these changes from the source.
Use case 1: A OEM customer integrates the Nortech data logger into their product. The interface and protocol between the control system and data logger use a self-describing protocol. Modifications to the signal source will be detected by Signal Discovery and propagated throughout the stack. This ensures continuous data capture and maintains a consistent “digital twin” of the equipment across the system.
Customer Scenario:
An OEM customer integrates the Nortech data logger into their industrial equipment to enable continuous data collection and monitoring. The equipment’s control system uses a self-describing protocol to communicate with the data logger. Over time, the OEM makes updates to the equipment, such as adding new sensors or modifying existing signals, to improve performance or meet new operational requirements.
Challenge:
- Modifications to the signal source (e.g., new signals, changes in existing signal properties) risk breaking the data integration pipeline, requiring manual reconfiguration to capture updated data.
- Manual updates are time-consuming, prone to error, and could lead to data inconsistencies or gaps.
Solution with Signal Discovery:
- Continuous Monitoring: Nortech’s Signal Discovery feature monitors the data stream from the control system in real time. Any changes to the signal structure, such as the addition of new signals or modifications to existing ones, are automatically detected at the edge.
- Automatic Identification: When a change is detected, Signal Discovery identifies the new or modified signals using metadata provided by the self-describing protocol.
- Propagation Through the Stack: Detected changes are automatically propagated through Nortech’s stack, updating the data model, storage, and any connected systems to reflect the new signal structure.
- Consistent Digital Twin: The system ensures the “digital twin” of the equipment remains accurate and up-to-date, providing the customer with a reliable and continuous view of their equipment’s operations.
Outcome:
The OEM benefits from a fully automated process that eliminates the need for manual reconfiguration when signals change. This ensures uninterrupted data capture, reduces integration maintenance effort, and enables seamless adaptation to equipment updates.
Protocol mapping leverages information from documentation, similar equipment, and available metadata (from self-identifying protocols) to enrich the data. Signal names, descriptions, and other metadata are assigned to signals, which are then propagated through the stack, creating a robust and uniform data model.
Use case 2: A maritime company needed real-time performance data from their auxiliary engine but lacked proper documentation for data collection. This made integration with their monitoring system difficult. Nortech’s Protocol Mapping inferred missing signal mappings using metadata from similar equipment and self-identifying protocols. Signals were automatically structured and enriched, allowing seamless integration into the company’s monitoring system.
Customer Scenario:
A maritime company wants to collect performance data from their auxiliary engine to optimize fuel efficiency and maintenance schedules. However, the equipment lacks a documented interface for data collection, leaving the customer uncertain about how to proceed.
Challenge:
• The auxiliary engine has a control system but no detailed documentation for data collection protocols or signal mapping.
• The customer is unable to integrate the equipment into their existing monitoring platform.
Solution with Protocol Mapping:
• Leverage Similar Equipment: Nortech identifies signal patterns by referencing documentation and metadata from similar auxiliary engines we’ve previously worked with.
• Use Available Metadata: If the control system supports a self-identifying protocol (e.g., OPC UA, Modbus), Nortech extracts and interprets available metadata to create an initial signal map.
• Signal Mapping & Enrichment: Missing signals are inferred and assigned names, descriptions, and metadata using our expertise and the enriched protocol mapping process.
• Integration into Data Model: The mapped signals are propagated through Nortech’s stack, providing a uniform data model for integration into the customer’s monitoring platform.
Outcome:
The customer gains access to previously inaccessible performance data, enabling them to monitor, analyze, and optimize their auxiliary engine operations seamlessly.
Use case 3: A factory owner wants to monitor energy consumption from a VFD, but the OEM restricts access to interface details. Nortech applies protocol mapping, leveraging metadata, similar system knowledge, and non-invasive analysis to infer signal mappings. The enriched data model enables integration into the customer’s energy monitoring system without relying on OEM documentation.
Customer Scenario:
A factory owner wants to monitor the energy consumption and efficiency of a variable frequency drive (VFD) used in a critical production process. However, the equipment’s OEM is reluctant to share the necessary interface details, citing proprietary concerns.
Challenge:
• The OEM restricts access to protocol documentation and interface specifications.
• The customer is unable to independently collect data, resulting in inefficiencies in energy management.
Solution with Protocol Mapping:
• Self-Identifying Protocols: Nortech accesses basic system metadata if the VFD supports self-identifying protocols. For example, protocols like CANopen or Ethernet/IP may reveal minimal but critical metadata.
• Inference from Similar Systems: Nortech draws on experience with similar VFDs to infer signal mappings and operational parameters.
• Reverse Engineering: With the customer’s consent, Nortech applies non-invasive techniques to observe communication patterns and deduce the required signal mappings.
• Uniform Data Model: The signals are enriched with names, descriptions, and context, creating a robust data model without relying on OEM documentation.
Outcome:
The customer successfully integrates their VFD into their energy monitoring system, bypassing OEM restrictions while maintaining compliance and operational efficiency.
Error handling and updates
Nortech AI’s error handling system ensures data integrity by automatically storing previous configurations. If an unexpected change occurs during Signal Discovery, the system can:
✔ Roll back to a stable configuration.
✔ Prevent data loss or corruption.
✔ Validate new signals Automatically discovered changes in the data stream resulting in a config change will be processed and checked locally before it’s activated.