Interfacing with hardware devices

Modern web browsers have strict security restrictions preventing direct access to hardware. Even with physical access, browsers block such connections. In some cases, hardware may be in a remote facility, unable to connect directly to the user’s machine.

Hardware devices must connect to an Agent running on a local computer or embedded device, acting as a bridge to the Blazor app. The device can be remotely controlled and send real-time telemetry to the user. This follows standard IoT principles, enabling remote monitoring and control over a network.

Scaling Blazor apps with multiple hardware device connections across servers presents routing challenges, especially with many-to-one or one-to-one user-device mappings. Load balancers with sticky sessions ensure the session stays on the same server, while message routing mechanisms ensure control commands and telemetry reach the correct user-device pair.

Different cloud providers, such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, offer various solutions for achieving scalable, reliable communication between users and remote hardware devices. These solutions often involve message brokers, event routing services, and IoT platforms:

Cloud deployment options for Hardware devices Telemetry/control