A standard integration layer
for equipment data
The gateway standardizes data from CNC machines, laser cutters and welders, robots and PLCs for integration through HTTP, MQTT, MODBUS, direct database writes and MCP. Available data and write operations depend on equipment support and API authorization. MCP currently provides 13 read-only tools. English protocol documentation is available online; evaluation can start with one gateway.
Key technical specifications
What each device type returns, and what can be written back, is listed under Coverage below
Up to 255 devices on the same LAN, per gateway
Wired networks: regular sampling configurable down to 100 ms; factory default 5000 ms, confirmed per control type on site
Also supports direct database writes. MCP is read-only; see the relevant APIs for write operations
Read / upload / download / back up / push in bulk
Resumes after a network drop; computes before reporting
InfluxDB · MySQL · SQL Server · PostgreSQL
Permission management plus per-interface and per-feature limits
How devices connect,
and what data you get
The gateway connects devices by machine type and normalizes brands, vintages and interface conditions into one set of data points. Different models of the same brand return different data; the manual is the reference for what each system and model supports.
CNC machines
- Run state, alarms, part count, current tool number and program information
- Coordinates, program block, feed and spindle speed, load
- Machine time data for OEE and utilization
- Tool offset read and write, tool life
Read and write PLC addresses, plus macro variables and system parameters on supported models; read, upload, download and delete part programs, manage directories and select programs, with bulk send and backup.
Laser cutters and welders
- Run state, alarms and program information
- Coordinates and feed data
- Laser power (model-dependent)
- PLC data reads
Program transfer and directory management on some models.
Robots
- Run state, alarms and program information
- Joint, base, user and world coordinates
- PLC data reads
Alarm and operation logs, and PLC writes, depend on the model.
PLCs
- Standard protocols such as Modbus and OPC UA, or vendor protocols
- Address-based reads and writes: integer, float, string, boolean and more
- Custom tags and post-processing rules
Machine state, part count and current alarms can come from PLC task results, in the same form as CNC machines.
Legacy machines with no network interface
- An IO module reads stack lights, cycle-start and other digital signals, which the gateway converts into machine state
- Peripherals read through an external PLC
- Address-based reads where the builder supplies a point list
Those readings stand in for the native interface and still come out as standard part count, machine state and current alarms.
Which interfaces each system and model supports: Manual 11.4, Supported Devices. Device not listed there? Tell us the model →
Three steps: from power-on to the first record in your system
An overview of the connection process. See the manual for the full procedure.
The gateway joins the shop LAN and finds devices on the same subnet — up to 255 per unit. Nothing about the machines’ existing network has to change.
CNC controls take a per-brand adapter (Fanuc, Siemens and Mitsubishi among them); laser cutters and welders, robots and PLCs are registered by machine type. The gateway manages the configured connections.
Your system consumes standardized data over MQTT subscriptions, HTTP pulls or MODBUS mapping. Writes — programs, tool offsets — go through the two-way API. Call the gateway address on the shop LAN (base path /api/cnc), the Bivrost Cloud address from anywhere else: same interfaces.
Typical integration patterns
Machine state, alarms, OEE and output are exposed through the API, so an LLM can query live shop-floor data to answer.
See the protocol reference: interfaces and data pointsWhen an in-house dashboard, MES or data platform is missing the equipment layer, one interface gets you standardized points from the whole floor. No per-brand drivers to write.
See the protocol reference: MQTT / HTTP chaptersRead, upload, download, back up and bulk-push programs, and read or write tool offsets — all through the API. This replaces manual USB transfers with API calls. DNC Pro manages controlled versions, approvals and transactional deployment above the gateway.
See the manual: program transfer chapterHexagon uses Bivrost gateways to connect machine tools from multiple brands and access equipment data through standardized interfaces, reducing per-brand protocol integration work.
For a big-data platform vendor, adapting in-house to that many machine tool systems carries enormous cost. With the device connectivity layer handed to Bivrost, deployment got faster and integration cost came down.
Documentation for deployment
and application integration
The gateway manual and the protocol reference online in English, plus the DNC Pro manual in Chinese. No registration.
Complete coverage of gateway features, installation, configuration, connection steps and day-to-day administration.
Read onlineHTTP／MQTT／MODBUS interface definitions and data point descriptions, for your own systems and AI tool chains.
Read onlineSetup, program vault and approval, six-stage transactional transfer, rolling mirror, permissions and audit, REST API for the CNC program management system.
Read onlineMCP Server: let AI clients query your machines directly
The gateway has a built-in MCP server at /mcp, sharing the HTTP port and authentication. It exposes 13 read-only tools in four groups — configuration, machine state, analytics and system information — where get_fleet_status returns the whole fleet in one call, read_machine reads several items from one machine, and analyze / query_history cover time-window statistics and history. Configure it in Claude, Cursor or any mainstream MCP client and an LLM can query live shop-floor data. Bivrost Cloud offers the same endpoint with the same tool list and relays calls to the gateway you choose; the gateway’s HTTP endpoints are reachable there too.
The MCP service is off by default and enabled from the gateway console; which tools a key can call is governed by that key’s authorized-API list.
Planned: MCP write tools and event notifications
Beyond the read-only tools, the gateway will expose a set of MCP write tools and event push, delivered with a firmware update. Write tools map one-to-one onto the existing HTTP write endpoints. They reuse the authorized-API allow-list and protected-API rules, add a write audit log and per-key rate limits, and every write tool requires explicit confirmation.
- Write tools
- Monitoring thresholds · collection task control · machine registration
- Event push (MQTT)
- State changes · alarm raised and cleared · part count increments
- How to connect
- Your own agent; Claude, Cursor and other remote MCP clients via the cloud relay
Not yet released. Final capabilities will be defined by the released version.
Frequently asked questions
- Can one gateway connect several machines at once?
- Yes. As long as the machines and the gateway sit on the same LAN, one gateway unit is all you need. Each gateway connects up to 255 devices and samples them in parallel.
- How do we size a gateway, and how do editions differ?
- Size it by the number of devices on the floor and the features the project needs — each gateway connects up to 255 devices. Editions differ in feature scope, so you pick what the project requires.
- How is the gateway deployed and used?
- The gateway is browser-based and accessed over the local network, without installing a desktop client. Supported models use standardized data points; connection and collection settings depend on the equipment.
- Can we buy one unit first to evaluate?
- Yes. A single gateway can be reconfigured to test machines of different brands and models. Use the form below to request a trial, or contact us directly.
- Can it integrate with other software?
- Yes. Third-party systems can integrate through HTTP, MQTT, MODBUS, direct database writes and MCP, with remote gateway access through Bivrost Cloud. MCP is currently read-only; other operations depend on equipment and interface support.
- What do I gain from one gateway serving many machines?
- One gateway collects from several devices in parallel. Supported models can be configured and maintained centrally, reducing the need to install collection hardware on each machine.
- Which network types are supported?
- Wired, WiFi, 4G and 5G.
- Is there technical support after purchase?
- Yes. Engineers provide one-to-one remote support. Response and resolution times follow the contract.
One gateway is enough to evaluate.
No line-wide retrofit
Share equipment models, quantities and application requirements to help confirm the trial configuration, pricing and shipping arrangements.
If no message appeared, copy the text below and send it to contact@bivrost.cn.