Configure the data input node Configure a node for data translation Configure the MQTT publisher Deploy and verify the nodes

Configure the data publish flow

The data publish flow uses three nodes to create a pipeline that sends your industrial data to the cloud. This flow is essential for enabling cloud-based analytics, long-term storage, and integration with other Amazon services. First, simulated device data is sent to the SiteWise Edge MQTT broker. The gateway picks up the data from the broker which allows for transmission to the Amazon IoT SiteWise cloud, where you can leverage powerful analytics and visualization capabilities.

Data input - Receives device data from your industrial equipment or simulators
Data translator for Amazon IoT SiteWise - Translates data to Amazon IoT SiteWise format to ensure compatibility with the SiteWise Edge gateway
MQTT publisher - Publishes data to SiteWise Edge MQTT broker, making it available to both local and cloud consumers

A diagram showing the Node-RED data publishing flow. It sends simulated device data to the SiteWise Edge MQTT broker for pickup by SiteWise Edge Gateway and then onto the Amazon IoT SiteWise Cloud.

Configure the data input node

In this example, the data input node uses a simulated wind turbine device that generates wind speed data. This node serves as the entry point for your industrial data, whether it comes from simulated sources (as in our example) or from actual industrial equipment in production environments.

We use a custom JSON format for the data payload to provide a standardized structure that works efficiently with both local processing tools and the Amazon IoT SiteWise cloud service. This format includes essential metadata like timestamps and quality indicators alongside the actual measurement values, enabling comprehensive data management and quality tracking throughout your pipeline. Import the inject node to receive simulated data in this standardized JSON format with timestamps, quality indicators, and values.

For more information on the Node-RED inject node, see the Inject section in the Node-RED Documentation.

The turbine simulator generates wind speed data every second in this standardized JSON format:

Example : Turbine data payload


{
    name: string,         // Property name/identifier
    timestamp: number,    // Epoch time in nanoseconds
    quality: "GOOD" | "UNCERTAIN" | "BAD",
    value: number | string | boolean
}

This format provides several benefits:

The name field identifies the specific property or measurement, allowing you to track multiple data points from the same device
The timestamp in nanoseconds ensures precise time tracking for accurate historical analysis
The quality indicator helps you filter and manage data based on its reliability
The flexible value field supports different data types to accommodate various sensor outputs

Example : Inject node of a turbine simulator


[
    {
        "id": "string",
        "type": "inject",
        "z": "string",
        "name": "Turbine Simulator",
        "props": [
            {
                "p": "payload.timestamp",
                "v": "",
                "vt": "date"
            },
            {
                "p": "payload.quality",
                "v": "GOOD",
                "vt": "str"
            },
            {
                "p": "payload.value",
                "v": "$random()",
                "vt": "jsonata"
            },
            {
                "p": "payload.name",
                "v": "/Renton/WindFarm/Turbine/WindSpeed",
                "vt": "str"
            }
        ],
        "repeat": "1",
        "crontab": "",
        "once": false,
        "onceDelay": "",
        "topic": "",
        "x": 270,
        "y": 200,
        "wires": [
            [
                "string"
            ]
        ]
    }
]

Configure a node for data translation

The SiteWise Edge gateway requires data in a specific format to ensure compatibility with Amazon IoT SiteWise cloud. The translator node is an important component that converts your input data to the required Amazon IoT SiteWise payload format. This translation step ensures that your industrial data can be properly processed, stored, and later analyzed in the Amazon IoT SiteWise cloud environment.

By standardizing the data format at this stage, you enable integration between your edge devices and the cloud service where you can use asset modeling, analytics, and visualization capabilities. Use this structure:

Example : Payload structure for SiteWise Edge data parsing


{
  "propertyAlias": "string",  
  "propertyValues": [
    {
      "value": { 
          "booleanValue": boolean, 
          "doubleValue": number, 
          "integerValue": number,
          "stringValue": "string" 
     },
      "timestamp": {
          "timeInSeconds": number,
          "offsetInNanos": number
      },
      "quality": "GOOD" | "UNCERTAIN" | "BAD",
  }]
}

Note

Match the propertyAlias to your MQTT topic hierarchy (for example, /Renton/WindFarm/Turbine/WindSpeed). This ensures that your data is properly associated with the correct asset property in Amazon IoT SiteWise. For more information, see the "Data stream alias" concept in Amazon IoT SiteWise concepts.

Import the example function node for Amazon IoT SiteWise payload translation. This function handles the conversion from your standardized input format to the Amazon IoT SiteWise-compatible format, ensuring proper timestamp formatting, quality indicators, and value typing.


[
    {
        "id": "string",
        "type": "function",
        "z": "string",
        "name": "Translate to SiteWise payload",
        "func": "let input = msg.payload;\nlet output = {};\n\noutput[\"propertyAlias\"] = input.name;\n\nlet propertyVal = {}\n\nlet timeInSeconds = Math.floor(input.timestamp / 1000);\nlet offsetInNanos = (input.timestamp % 1000) * 1000000;\n\npropertyVal[\"timestamp\"] = {\n    \"timeInSeconds\": timeInSeconds,\n    \"offsetInNanos\": offsetInNanos,\n};\n\npropertyVal[\"quality\"] = input.quality\n\nlet typeNameConverter = {\n    \"number\": (x) => Number.isInteger(x) ? \"integerValue\" : \"doubleValue\",\n    \"boolean\": (x) => \"booleanValue\",\n    \"string\": (x) => \"stringValue\", \n}\nlet typeName = typeNameConverter[typeof input.value](input.value)\npropertyVal[\"value\"] = {}\npropertyVal[\"value\"][typeName] = input.value;\n\noutput[\"propertyValues\"] = [propertyVal]\n\nreturn {\n    payload: JSON.stringify(output)\n};",
        "outputs": 1,
        "timeout": "",
        "noerr": 0,
        "initialize": "",
        "finalize": "",
        "libs": [],
        "x": 530,
        "y": 200,
        "wires": [
            [
                "string"
            ]
        ]
    }
]

Verify that the JavaScript code translates wind speed data correctly. The function performs several important tasks:
- Extracts the property name from the input and sets it as the propertyAlias
- Converts the timestamp from milliseconds to the required seconds and nanoseconds format
- Preserves the quality indicator for data reliability tracking
- Automatically detects the value type and formats it according to Amazon IoT SiteWise requirements
Connect the node to your flow, linking it between the data input node and the MQTT publisher.

For guidance on writing a function specific to your business needs, see Writing Functions in the Node-RED Documentation

Configure the MQTT publisher

After translation, the data is ready for publication to the SiteWise Edge MQTT broker.

Configure the MQTT publisher with these settings to send data to the SiteWise Edge MQTT broker:

To import the MQTT out node

Import an MQTT out configuration node using "type": "mqtt out". MQTT out nodes let you share a broker's configuration.
Enter key-value pairs for information relevant to MQTT broker connection and message routing.

Import the example mqtt out node.


[
    {
        "id": "string",
        "type": "mqtt out",
        "z": "string",
        "name": "Publish to MQTT broker",
        "topic": "/Renton/WindFarm/Turbine/WindSpeed",
        "qos": "1",
        "retain": "",
        "respTopic": "",
        "contentType": "",
        "userProps": "",
        "correl": "",
        "expiry": "",
        "broker": "string",
        "x": 830,
        "y": 200,
        "wires": []
    },
    {
        "id": "string",
        "type": "mqtt-broker",
        "name": "emqx",
        "broker": "127.0.0.1",
        "port": "1883",
        "clientid": "",
        "autoConnect": true,
        "usetls": false,
        "protocolVersion": "5",
        "keepalive": 15,
        "cleansession": true,
        "autoUnsubscribe": true,
        "birthTopic": "",
        "birthQos": "0",
        "birthPayload": "",
        "birthMsg": {},
        "closeTopic": "",
        "closePayload": "",
        "closeMsg": {},
        "willTopic": "",
        "willQos": "0",
        "willPayload": "",
        "willMsg": {},
        "userProps": "",
        "sessionExpiry": ""
    }
]

The example MQTT out node creates the MQTT connection with the following information:

Server: 127.0.0.1
Port: 1883
Protocol: MQTT V5

Then, the MQTT out node configures message routing with the following information:

Topic: /Renton/WindFarm/Turbine/WindSpeed
QoS: 1

Deploy and verify the nodes

After configuring the three data publish flow nodes, follow these steps to deploy the flow and verify that data is being transmitted correctly to Amazon IoT SiteWise

To deploy and verify connections

Connect the three nodes as shown in the data publish flow.
Choose Deploy to apply all node connection changes.
Navigate to the Amazon IoT SiteWise console and choose Data streams.
Ensure Alias prefix is selected in the dropdown menu. Then, search for the /Renton/WindFarm/Turbine/WindSpeed alias.

If you see the correct alias in your search, you have deployed the flow and verified data transmission.

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Configure Node-RED flows

Configure the data retention flow