Core Concepts

SolarTools Energy Portal is an IoT and energy management platform designed to collect, process, and operationally utilize data from industrial environments.

Data coming from devices manufactured by different vendors is unified under a single structure and can be centrally monitored, analyzed, and controlled.

In this section, you will learn the core building blocks of the platform and understand how the data flow architecture works.

Platform Architecture

SolarTools is built on a layered architecture consisting of data collection, modeling, visualization, and automation layers.

• Gateway → Collects data from PLCs, sensors, and field devices and securely transfers it to the platform.
• Connector → Provides integration between protocols such as MQTT, Modbus, and OPC-UA.
• Device → Represents physical equipment and connected data sources within the system.
• Tag → Defines measured data points and telemetry fields.
• Dashboard → Enables monitoring of collected data through charts, cards, and analytical screens.
• Rule Chain → Generates alarms, notifications, and automation actions based on defined conditions.

Data Flow

The data flow starts from field devices and moves through multiple stages before reaching the platform.

1. The device generates data
2. The gateway collects the data
3. The connector processes the data
4. The platform stores the data
5. The dashboard visualizes the data

Thanks to this structure, data is not only monitored but also analyzed and transformed into operational actions.

Visualization and Monitoring

SolarTools provides a flexible visualization infrastructure that allows users to analyze data from different perspectives.

• Real-time data monitoring
• Time-series analysis
• Dashboard-based visualization

Users can create their own dashboards according to their operational needs and monitor system behavior from a single screen.

Automation and Alarm Structure

The platform can evaluate incoming data through defined rules and create automated operational actions.

• Alarms are generated when threshold values are exceeded
• Notifications are sent on status changes
• Time-based automations can be triggered

Incorrectly configured rules may lead to unnecessary alarm generation.

How Should You Continue?

To better understand the platform, it is recommended to explore the concepts according to the order of the data flow. Each step forms the foundation of the next structure.

1. Learn the concepts of Gateway and Connector to understand how data is transferred from the field environment to the platform.
2. Understand the Device and Tag models to learn how physical equipment and measurement points are represented within the system.
3. Explore the Dashboard structure to see how collected data is monitored through charts, cards, and analytics screens.
4. Learn the logic of Rule Chains to understand how alarms, notifications, and automation processes operate according to specific conditions.

Following this order will help you understand the SolarTools data lifecycle much more efficiently.