Ethernet is a widely used networking technology that enables devices to communicate over a local area network (LAN) or a larger network. We use this in combination with an Aeroqual and the Aeroqual’s Connect API to fetch data that is recorded by the instrument. Our modem then transmits the data to our server.
Ethernet uses a set of protocols to transmit data packets between devices. These packets are organised into frames, which include source and destination addresses. The connectivity allows direct communication between the ePC (embedded PC) and our modem that we install inside of the Aeroqual incasement.
Our Connection Method
To connect directly to an Aeroqual monitor using Ethernet and retrieve data:
- We ensure that the monitor’s Ethernet mode (configured within the Aeroqual Connect software) is set to have a static IP address.
- Connect an Ethernet cable between the ePC and our modem.
- Log in to the API using its statically assigned IP address (e.g., 10.10.0.1) and a custom python script running on our modem. We make a GET request from the python script to the internal API to retrieve an access token for the API.
- The access token is then used as a payload for another GET request that retrieves the data from the Aeroqual API at specified time intervals.
Due to the compatibility of the Ethernet connection and the protocols that it uses, we can reliably use this method to retrieve data from the Aeroqual instrument and remotely transmit the data to our server from the modem.
It is not always easy to develop efficient and reliable ways to interact with electronic instruments that all have different data transfer protocols, but this method is secure and reliable. Contact us and find out how we can work around the complexity of data transfer to benefit you and your company.