Methods and systems for the industrial internet of things

A system for data collection, processing, and utilization of signals from at least a first element in a first machine in an industrial environment, the system comprising:

• a platform including a computing environment connected to a local data collection system having at least a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal obtained from at least the first machine in the industrial environment;
• a first sensor in the local data collection system configured to be connected to the first machine;
• a second sensor in the local data collection system;
• and
• a crosspoint switch in the local data collection system having multiple inputs and multiple outputs including a first input connected to the first sensor and a second input connected to the second sensor, wherein the multiple outputs include a first output and a second output configured to be switchable between a condition in which the first output is configured to switch between delivery of the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal and a condition in which there is simultaneous delivery of the first sensor signal from the first output and the second sensor signal from the second output, wherein each of multiple inputs is configured to be individually assigned to any of the multiple outputs, wherein unassigned outputs are configured to be switched off producing a high-impedance state, wherein the crosspoint switch includes a third input that is configured with a continuously monitored alarm having a pre-determined trigger condition when the third input is unassigned to any of the multiple outputs.