ALPON Platform: System Overview & Architecture

The ALPON platform is an edge computing solution that simplifies IoT device management and enables secure connectivity across industries. It combines hardware, software, and cloud services into a robust environment for IoT applications — running the same architecture on ALPON X5 AI and ALPON X4.

ALPON X5 AI ALPON X4 K3s · Containers Edge AI/ML

ALPON · Overview · Architecture · Platform

What is the ALPON platform architecture?

ALPON is a containerized edge computing platform built on lightweight Kubernetes (K3s). It secures device-to-cloud traffic with a Wireguard VPN, exposes an IoT gateway over cellular, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi, and runs core services (Supervisor, Network Manager, Geolocation, Device Manager, Modem Manager) on every device. Applications ship as containers, deploy through Sixfab Connect, and integrate with ALPON Cloud for fleet management — the same on ALPON X5 AI and ALPON X4.

Infrastructure

The ALPON platform is built on a containerized architecture, enabling flexible and scalable IoT deployments. The key infrastructure components are:

Container orchestration Lightweight Kubernetes (K3s) for efficient container management.

Secure VPN Wireguard VPN secures communication between edge devices and the cloud.

IoT gateway External connectivity over multiple interfaces: Cellular (LTE), Ethernet, and Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

Edge AI/ML Supports AI and machine learning workloads at the edge.

Key services

The platform provides several core services to manage and monitor IoT devices and applications.

Supervisor

Application lifecycle Manages deployment, updates, and monitoring of applications.

System updates Keeps the system and applications up to date.

Health monitoring Continuously monitors the health of applications and the system.

Secure VPN management Manages VPN connections between the ALPON and Sixfab Cloud.

Network Manager

Interface management Manages network interfaces (Wi-Fi, LTE, Ethernet).

Routing control Controls network routing and prioritization.

Network metrics Provides real-time network performance metrics.

Priority-based networking Ensures critical traffic is prioritized.

Geolocation API

Geolocation management Manages location data and geolocation services.

Location monitoring Monitors and tracks device locations in real time.

Geofencing Configures geofencing rules and boundaries for location-based triggers.

Device Manager API

Device management Manages device configurations and states.

LED control Controls LED states and RGB colors.

System monitoring Provides system health, readiness, and version information.

Modem Manager

Cellular connectivity Manages LTE connections and configurations.

Connection monitoring Monitors cellular network performance.

APN configuration Configures Access Point Names (APNs) for cellular networks.

Application development

The platform supports containerized application development and deployment, letting developers build scalable IoT solutions.

Deployment options

Containerized applications — deploy using the K3s infrastructure for container orchestration via Sixfab Connect.
Standard Kubernetes manifests — supported, but not recommended; we strongly recommend using Sixfab Connect.
Custom application definitions — define custom applications tailored to specific use cases.

Application requirements

Container format — applications must be packaged as containers.
Network policy compliance — ensure compliance with network policies.

Development guidelines

Container best practices — follow best practices for container development.
Resource constraints — define and adhere to resource limits.
Network access patterns — use the appropriate network interfaces (Wi-Fi, LTE, Ethernet).

API access

The platform provides APIs for seamless integration and management of IoT applications.

RESTful APIs — access services via the Sixfab RESTful API for device management and monitoring.
Status monitoring interfaces — monitor system and application status through dedicated interfaces.
Token-based access — use tokens for secure API access.

Deployment process

1

Prepare the container image

Create and prepare the container image, ensuring it meets the platform's requirements.
2

Upload to the Sixfab Registry

Upload the container image to the Sixfab Registry for secure storage and management.
3

Deploy with Sixfab Connect

Use Sixfab Connect to deploy the application to the ALPON device, ensuring proper configuration and integration.
4

Monitor deployment status

Track the deployment through the Supervisor to confirm successful installation and operation.

Monitoring the ALPON platform

Device health status — continuously monitor the health of ALPON devices, including hardware and software performance.
Resource utilization — track CPU, memory, and storage usage to optimize performance.
Network connectivity — monitor performance and connectivity across Wi-Fi, LTE, and Ethernet.
System metrics — collect and analyze system-wide metrics for proactive management and troubleshooting.

Best practices

Network usage

Use appropriate interfaces — select the right network interface (Wi-Fi, LTE, Ethernet) for each communication.
Follow priority schemes — prioritize network traffic based on application needs.
Implement retry logic — add retry logic for network operations.

Security

Secure sensitive data — protect data through encryption and secure practices.
Follow container guidelines — adhere to container development best practices.
Hardware security — the onboard TPM 2.0 security chip provides TLS encryption and USB drive locking, ready to use when needed.

ALPON Cloud integration

The platform integrates with ALPON Cloud, a powerful IoT device management and monitoring ecosystem. Key features include:

Device management OTA updates, remote terminal access, and hardware watchdog monitoring.

Network management eSIM profile management, global LTE coverage, and network redundancy.

For assistance with deployment, API documentation, or troubleshooting, contact support at [email protected].