1. Why Legacy Devices Are Difficult to Integrate into IoT Systems
Industrial sites still rely heavily on RS485 meters, pulse counters and proprietary-protocol instruments. These devices usually suffer from:
- No standard communication interface
- Complex protocols and inconsistent versions
- High firmware development costs
- Expensive wiring and retrofit works
LoRaWAN provides long-range, low-power and cable-free connectivity, making it ideal for upgrading legacy devices. A practical solution, however, requires edge logic and a lightweight cloud platform.
2. EdgeBus: A Lightweight Edge Logic Engine That Makes Legacy Devices Smart
EdgeBus is a virtual machine running on Cortex-M0 MCUs, designed for protocol parsing, local logic execution and low-power data acquisition.
1. Lightweight architecture and scripting
- Runs on low-resource MCUs
- Uses TypeScript scripts for all logic
- No firmware development required
2. Industrial protocol support
Built-in support includes:
- CJ/T 188 for water meters
- DL/T 645 for electricity meters
- Modbus RTU/TCP
- Custom private protocols
3. What EdgeBus can do
- Protocol decoding and frame validation
- Automatic polling with retry mechanisms
- Local exception handling
- Edge logic control such as threshold-based actions
- Reducing cloud workload through pre-processing
With EdgeBus, traditional meters and instruments gain LoRaWAN communication without hardware replacement.
3. ThinkLink: A Lightweight IoT Platform for Complete Data Management
ThinkLink is a low-code IoT platform with integrated LoRaWAN NS, deployable on cloud servers, industrial PCs or LoRaWAN gateways.
1. Programmable digital twin models
Using JavaScript, users can manage:
- Data parsing and normalization
- Logic automation and linkage rules
- Scheduled tasks
- Device modeling
2. Full LoRaWAN capability
- Supports global frequency plans
- Compatible with any LoRaWAN sensor or DTU
- Works seamlessly with EdgeBus and MPOS
3. Open integration
Supports popular systems:
- Home Assistant
- ThingsBoard
- BACnet BMS
4. Free cloud + scalable local deployment
- ThinkLink Cloud: free for 1,000 devices
- ThinkLink Edge: local standalone deployment
Cloud: https://thinklink.manthink.cn
More info: www.manthink.cn
4. Typical Application Scenarios
1. Remote reading of water, gas and electricity meters
- Automatic collection of 188 / 645 protocol devices
- Real-time consumption analysis
- Zero-cabling retrofit suitable for old buildings
2. Wireless environmental monitoring
Supports sensors for:
- Temperature and humidity
- Air quality
- Noise and illumination
3. Wireless integration of industrial instruments
Ideal for:
- Modbus meters
- RS485 controllers
- PLC interface data
LoRaWAN enables cloud connectivity without rewiring.
5. Manthink’s Full LoRaWAN Ecosystem Advantages
- MPOS + EdgeBus: lightweight, low-power, scalable
- ThinkLink: cloud, edge and private deployment
- Complete product ecosystem: modules, DTU, sensors, gateways, NS
- Verified field deployments across energy, manufacturing and environmental monitoring
Manthink provides a full end-to-end LoRaWAN solution enabling low-cost digital transformation for legacy industrial devices.