11.

2017 Issue 103

ISSN 1470-5745

The Journal of Industrial Networking and IoT

Rise of cloud connectivity

drives smart factory 8

Common Industrial Cloud Single-pair balanced IIoT best practices using Fast roaming challenge
Interface for CIP data 12 Ethernet transmission 30 MQTT architectures 33 for industrial WiFi 42

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Contents
Rise of the Cloud Contents
Lost in all of the hyperbole about the
Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 Industry news 4
is the rise and importance of cloud computing.
Earlier this year, Oracle Corporation published Automation data leverages cloud connectivity architectures 8
a research study that showed that 62%
of businesses are currently implementing Common Industrial Cloud Interface for CIP data transfer 12
robotics technology, or are planning to do
so. More than 60% have or plan to work with
Artificial Intelligence. POWERLINK and CODESYS enable Industry 4.0 solutions 18
Most companies also realize that a reliable
cloud infrastructure is required to bring these
Future-oriented communication for setting up machine networks 20
technologies to life. Again, 60% believe
an enterprise cloud platform provides the Cloud-based, cellular SCADA system for water treatment 22
opportunity for organizations to capitalise
on innovation such as robotics and artificial Gigabit Ethernet addresses requirements of Industry 4.0 24
intelligence. And believe it or not, a large
majority of businesses are on-course with their Next generation software-defined Wide Area Networks 26
plans to establish a single integrated cloud
model across their organization. Open architecture enables edge-computing applications 28
The Oracle study went on to say that,
while only 8% currently have an integrated Single-pair balanced Ethernet transmission for IoT applications 30
cloud model in place that works for legacy
applications and new platforms, 36% say they
are implementing one in 2016 and another
IIoT best practices: guidelines for MQTT architectures 33
40% expect to do so in 2017. Only 5% have
no plans in place to make this transition. Industrial web-based computing: is data intelligence finally here? 38
This issue is filled with perspectives on cloud
computing and its benefits. Fast roaming: a challenge for industrial Wi-Fi applications 42
On page 8, youll find how Cloud
communication architectures are
New Products 45
providing options for enabling IoT
applications by integrating connectivity Private Ethernet 50
with field level devices. IoT gateways
and controllers that offer intrinsic cloud
connectivity are combining with OPC UA
to provide powerful, secure and flexible Industrial Ethernet Book
solutions. The next issue of Industrial Ethernet Book will be published in January/February 2018
Deadline for editorial: December 21, 2017 Deadline for artwork: January 12, 2017
On page 12, we take a look at the
Common Industrial Cloud Interface and Product & Sources Listing
how it leverages cloud technologies All Industrial Ethernet product manufacturers (not resellers) are entitled to free of charge
to provide consumers and producers entries in the Product locator and Supplier directory sections of the Industrial Ethernet Book.
the most value throughout the entire If you are not currently listed in the directory, please complete the registration form at
lifecycle of devices that use CIP www.iebmedia.com/buyersguide/ to submit your company details.
technologies for data transfer.
Update your own products
On page 26, you can learn how next If you wish to amend your existing information, login to the Editor section
generation software-defined networking www.iebmedia.com/buyersguide/register.htm and modify your entry.
is transforming Wide Area Networks.
Do you want to receive issues of Industrial Ethernet Book? Call, mail or e-mail your details, or
And on page 38, we look into how fog subscribe at www.iebmedia.com/service/
computing and cloud technology are
actually working together to provide
more power for control centres.
Editor: Al Presher, editor@iebmedia.com
In the world of automation and control, there Contributing Editor: Leopold Ploner, info@iebmedia.com
is no question that network connectivity
Advertising: map Mediaagentur Ploner, info@iebmedia.com
has become the focal point of technology
initiatives. And the cloud in all of its various Tel.: +49-(0)8192-933-7820 Fax: +49-(0)8192-933-7829
incarnations is becoming squarely at the Online Editor: Adela Ploner, info@iebmedia.com
center of future plans. We hope you continue Circulation: subscriptions@iebmedia.com
to look at the Industrial Ethernet Book as your
source for information on these key topics. Published by
That is certainly our goal, as we strive to serve IEB Media, Bahnhofstrasse 12, 86938 Schondorf am Ammersee, Germany
our readership and their plans to make the IoT
ISSN 1470-5745
and Industry 4.0 vision a reality.
Al Presher

1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k 3
 IIC consortium testbeds provide
Industry news

real-world IIoT deliverables

Testbeds enable members to think through innovations, test new applications, processes, products, services
and business models to ascertain their usefulness and viability before taking them to market.

THE FOLLOWING IIC TESTBEDS have shared

important first results.
Track & Trace Testbed: Initially formed to
trace process tools, the team deployed sensors
that provided information about the location
of tools and assets in use. It was expanded
from tools to logistics equipment and forklifts.
Results: The testbed identified
standardization opportunities in localization-
technology interfaces, tightening-tool
interfaces, enterprise-system interfaces, data
models, data communications and device
management. It also identified reusable
interfaces that opened the solution to
components from different vendors.
Time Sensitive Networking Testbed: Time-
sensitive networking (TSN) enhances Ethernet
to bring more deterministic capabilities to
the network, including time synchronization,
which schedules traffic flows and manages
central automated system configuration.
This testbed applies TSN technology in a
manufacturing system with a wide range of
automation and control vendors.
Results: The testbed deployed early-phase
IEEE 802.1 and IEEE 802 Ethernet standards.
The testbed will improve upon those standards,
making the use of TSN where it can improve
efficiency, such as manufacturing and energy.
Manufacturing Quality Management
Testbed: This testbed will improve
manufacturing quality by retrofitting outdated
factories using modern sensory networks and
analytic technologies. The initial success was
shown using the welding section of the air
conditioner production line in a factory.
Results: In March 2017, an optimized noise
detection analytic engine was proven to help
reduce the false detection rate by 45%. In
June 2017, the analytic engine for noise
detection was integrated into the production
line and the accuracy of pass/fail detection
was dramatically improved.
Communication and Control for Microgrid
Applications Testbed: A microgrid combines
generation and storage into a local power
system. It allows more reliable use of
renewable sources like solar or wind power in
conjunction with, or even isolated from, the
rest of the power grid. Near-term uses are for
limited areas, such as a campus, corporation,
hospital, factory or residential area. Someday,
the microgrid architecture will enable deeper
use of renewables throughout the main grid.
Results: This testbed proves the viability
The Manufacturing Quality Management testbed is focused on improving manufacturing quality by retrofitting
outdated factories using modern sensory networks and analytic technologies.
of a real-time, securely distributed control
architecture for real-world microgrid
applications. It leverages an Industrial
Internet Reference Architecture (IIRA)
pattern called the layered databus that
federates multiple connectivity domains into
a larger system. The testbed implemented the
pattern with the Data Distribution Service
(DDS) standard as explained in the Industrial
Internet Connectivity Framework (IICF)
guidance. The testbed validated both the
pattern and its implementation, contributing
to the Open Field Message Bus (OpenFMB)
design, now a power industry standard.
INFINITE Testbed: The INternational Future
INdustrial Internet TEstbed (INFINITE) uses
software-defined networking to create virtual
domains so that multiple virtual domains can
run securely on a single physical network.
Results: This testbed enabled intelligent
route planning for ambulances to improve
response times, leading to better pre-hospital
emergency care experiences and outcomes for
patients. It also led to improved safety and
effectiveness of first responders in emergency
situations, especially in harsh environments. A
third use case enabled detection of anomalies
or fraudulent behavior within the power grid
through machine learning algorithms.
Condition Monitoring and Predictive
Maintenance Testbed: This testbed provides
SOURCE: IIC
insight into the health of critical assets. It
leverages advanced sensors that automatically
predict equipment failure and notifies a person
or system so that pro-active steps can avoid
equipment damage and downtime.
Results: This testbed demonstrated how
to make older assets smart, collecting asset
health data from four pump/motor skids used
to pump chilled water from an HVAC system.
Smart Factory Web Testbed: This testbed
networks a web of smart factories to improve
order fulfillment by aligning capacity across
production sites.
Results: Factory assets can be registered
and searched for in the Smart Factory Web
(SFW) portal. IEC standards OPC UA and
AutomationML are used to achieve semantic
interoperability and are applied to exchange
information between engineering tools.
The IIC reviews testbed proposals to
identify goals, value, potential partners and
commercial viability of each testbed. The
testbeds must offer a solid business case and
have relevance to IIC IIoT frameworks to help
members develop IIoT systems more rapidly.
The full report, Why We Build Testbeds:
First Results is available on the IIC website
at http://www.iiconsortium.org/test-beds.htm.
News from Industrial Internet Consortium.

4 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
IEB103_p5.indd 5 08.11.1745 10:44
 Microsoft demonstration walls
Industry news

highlight Azure Industrial IoT

Microsoft partners with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Honeywell, Mitsubishi, Rockwell, Siemens,
Schneider, Beckhoff, Harting and Leuze showing the Microsoft Connected Factory.

OPC FOUNDATION HAS DELIVERED the

SOURCE: OPC
first Azure IoT Suite Connected Factory
demonstration walls that will be displayed
internationally at the Microsoft Technology
Centers. These interactive walls demonstrate
vendor devices from different verticals
showing a bidirectional connection to Azure:
Device-to-Cloud (D2C): Devices push
telemetry data to the Azure IoT platform
Cloud-to-Device (C2D): Allows secure
browsing of rich OPC UA information
model from Azure IoT platform and
command and control machines
Microsoft first demonstrated OPC UA
integration into Azure IoT Suite at Hanover fair
in April 2016. Over 30 companies participated
by providing OPC UA enabled devices for an
integrated Connected Factory demonstration.
This Hanover demonstration was later turned A purpose of the Azure IoT demonstration wall is to illustrate device-to-cloud and cloud-to-device connectivity.
into a decision by Microsoft and the OPC
Foundation to actively promote the Connected Microsoft Innovation Center in Taiwan: We Microsoft Technology Centers, the IoT Labs in
Factory demonstration by developing see OPC UA as a critical standard for ensuring Redmond, Germany and China and the newly
freestanding OPC UA demonstration walls. interoperability between manufacturing established IoT Innovation Center in Taiwan,
The Connected Factory demonstrates the OPC processes and equipment, spanning decades of to demonstrate the strong ecosystem with
UA technology as a solution for Industrial investment for many companies. We have been connected OPC UA devices and the Connected
IoT, Industrie 4.0, Made in China 2025, Korea working with the OPC Foundation on building Factory preconfigured solution running on the
Manufacturing and other initiatives. up 40 OPC UA devices walls which are currently Azure IoT platform.
Jason Zander, Corp. Vice President Microsoft being distributed to the Microsoft Executive
Azure said during the opening ceremony of the Briefing Center in Redmond, worldwide News by Microsoft and OPC Foundation.

Integration of IO-Link into OPC UA

THE IO-LINK COMMUNITY has founded a

SOURCE: OPC
technical working group for specifying the
integration of IO-Link into OPC UA based on
existing use cases. The Industry 4.0 platform
sees OPC UA as a suitable architecture model
for implementing integration of IT on the field
level. This is why a corresponding standard for
a data and function model is being developed
within the framework of the IO-Link community
so as to accurately represent future IO-Link
Devices and IO-Link Masters in OPC UA. This
approach follows the general recommendation
A final proposal for the companion specification is to be available before the end of 2018.
for developing OPC UA Companion Standards.
Over the past few years, IO-Link as a point- and actuators can be connected to the Devices into systems on a higher level than the
to-point protocol for sensors and actuators various different field bus systems without field bus in order to evaluate sensor data. This
has been able to solidly establish itself and further adjustment. Such masters can even functionality is often designated as a sensor
increase its presence. It is manufacturer be economically integrated into simple to the cloud to express that sensor data is
independent (and thus field bus independent), devices today. IO-Link offers access to a very analyzed by IT systems outside the automation
has come to support more than 4,500 devices broad range of sensors and actuators in a process. In this way, sensor data can also be
and enjoys steadily increasing acceptance. standardized way and fieldbus independent. seamlessly linked to MES and ERP systems.
Through the use of corresponding logic, As Industrie 4.0 efforts progress, it is also
so-called IO-Link Masters, IO-Link sensors necessary to semantically incorporate IO-Link News by OPC Foundation.

6 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
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 Automation data leverages
Applications
Technology

cloud connectivity architectures

Cloud communication architectures are providing options for enabling Industrial Internet of Things
applications by integrating connectivity with field level devices. IoT gateways and controllers that offer
intrinsic cloud connectivity are combining with OPC UA to provide powerful, secure and flexible solutions.

CLOUD COMPUTING and the Internet of Things

SOURCE: SIEMENS
promise interesting possibilities for industrial
companies by enabling enterprise solutions
from process design to new business models.
A key prerequisite is a sufficiently wide
database transmitted from the field level to the
cloud. But this also requires a powerful, secure
and flexible communication architecture.

Big Data algorithms

So the idea is to transmit sensors from the field
level which, for example, monitor temperature
curves, vibrations and power consumption of
a machine, to the virtual evaluation platform,
the cloud, as the basis for big data algorithms.
Direct connectivity of sensors to the cloud
via the Intranet and Internet, though, seems
rather difficult in practice. Many sensors
today are not even Ethernet-enabled; instead
they transport the measured values to a
programmable logic controller (PLC) via a
current interface (4...20 mA).
Modern sensors may offer an IO-Link
interface, which is also not cloud-capable,
and therefore must first be compiled into the
corresponding protocols including a routing
capability by means of a master module
and a gateway. Even if the sensor system
came with the necessary Ethernet interfaces
and protocols, several thousand Internet
connections from the field to the cloud would
be very difficult for IT administrators to
control, not to mention the vast amounts of Cloud connectivity requires a powerful, secure and flexible communication architecture.
data without a clear business case that would
have to be processed in the cloud. acquisition and communication to the cloud. network path.
The acquisition part is used to cyclically query As an alternative, controllers can also
Effective system architectures the data to be transmitted from the field offer intrinsic cloud connectivity. Although
It therefore makes more sense to provide level, primarily from the PLC. The Ruggedcom the automation project has to be adapted in
an aggregation unit on the control level RX1400 industrial IoT gateway from Siemens, the process, the possibilities are much more
that compresses the data and bundles the for example, offers the Simatic S7 protocol, diverse. For instance, information about
information from the large number of sensors. which allows the query of data without prior the context of the cloud data is available
From the automation point of view, this task adaptation of the automation program, an in the PLC, whether a machine is starting
can optimally be carried out by a PLC, since effective solution for existing plants. up, is operating normally or is in standby.
most of the sensor data accrues there anyway, For other device types, the RX1400 also Derived from this, different data can then
e.g., for machine monitoring. In addition, the supports OPC UA on the field level. So that be transmitted, or the cycle time for the
PLC already performs its own compression, besides using Ethernet, the data can also transmission be dynamically adjusted tight
e.g., through logical or arithmetic linking of be transported via WLAN. For transmission time periods during startup, rather sporadic
the data. to the cloud, the gateways support various status reporting in standby mode.
In order to realize the communication from communication protocols, e.g., for the This helps reduce the communication
the PLC to the cloud, there are basically two connection to MindSphere. Furthermore, load and avoids flooding the cloud with
approaches with specific advantages. On the gateways are useful with regard to the security irrelevant information noise. For these
one hand, IoT gateways can be used. These of the communication networks, since the reasons, MindConnect FB technology provides
devices possess two logical units for data cloud connection can take place via a separate corresponding communication blocks for the

8 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
 Ethernet communication between electronic equipment has increased with Industry 4.0 which brings
efficiency of manufacturing with ICT technology. In response to this increasing demand HIROSE
had standardized a new miniaturized Ethernet mating interface in compliance with IEC/PAS 61076-
3-124. The ix IndustrialTM socket size is reduced by 75% compared to the existing RJ45 modular
connectors, and offers ideal space saving cabling for applications with miniaturized requirements.

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IEB103_p9.indd 9 09.11.1745 14:30

 SIMATIC S7-1500 PLC and the MindSphere

SOURCE: SIEMENS
operating system, which are configured and
Technology

programmed in the TIA Portal. This also

means that the engineering data for the
cloud connection is automatically contained
in the project backup and can be duplicated
on other controllers, an important advantage
for manufacturers of standardized machines.

Importance of security
Security against attacks remains of utmost
importance when it comes to intrinsic
communication. Although the MindConnect
FB library already features an encrypted
transmission of data, the use of a separate
communication module is recommended for
maximum security, such as the CP 1543-1.
This plug-in module for the SIMATIC S7-1500
decouples the cloud communication from the
automation network as it provides a separate
Ethernet interface. To fend off attacks on the
CP, a firewall is integrated into the module.
Denial of service attacks (DoS attacks) on the
automation network can also be averted.
In addition to the actual communication
architecture, the information design has to be Variations for cloud connectivity include MindConnect FB and CP 1543-1 (left) or an industrial IoT gateway (right).
considered as well; put simply, this means the
protocols to the cloud. From the perspective
of a data analyst, proprietary data formats for IIoT is required, which preferably is supported Companion specifications
devices or manufacturers are to be avoided at by all devices in the same way. The Unified A fundamental integral to the success of
all costs to avoid complex normalizations in Architecture of the OPC Foundation (OPC UA) OPC UA, though, are industry-specific and
the cloud. Furthermore, it is important to also offers the best conditions for it. OPC UA is application-specific supplementary standards,
transport the semantic context of the PLC data non-proprietary, can be deployed on a variety so-called companion specifications. This is
to the cloud, i.e., the identifier, the data type of hardware platforms and operating systems, where manufacturer consortia or industrial
and the location in the object model. Only in offers comprehensive services ranging from associations together with the OPC Foundation
this way can a failsafe connection be realized, dynamic exploration of a device interface to formulate specific versions of OPC UA to really
and with little effort. powerful security functions and, above all, is make the different devices or applications
To this end, a common language in the supported by a broad alliance of manufacturers. interoperable.
An example is a temperature probe
manufacturer which can, of course, integrate
SOURCE: SIEMENS

its own object model into the sensor. But what

is the symbolic name: Temp, Temperature,
or just t? Is the value output in degrees
Celsius, degrees Fahrenheit, or Kelvin? Is
it an integer or a floating point value?
Determinations of this kind are made in the
companion specifications; only then does OPC
UA become truly IoT-capable.
One such companion specification was
developed for AutoID devices (RFID or optical
codes) by manufacturers such as Siemens and
Harting together with the OPC Foundation. At
the 2017 Hanover Messe, the OPC Foundation
demonstrated the interoperability between the
Simatic RF600 RFID reader and a device from
another manufacturer.
The development of these supplementary
standards, though, is relatively complex and
requires a group of manufacturers that jointly
pushes forward the work. It will therefore
still take some time until comprehensive OPC
UA modeling for all devices and objects of a
factory becomes available.
As a common language, OPC UA can integrate all levels of the IIoT.
Markus Weinlnder, Product Manager, Siemens.

10 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
 Engineer a Better Network
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IEB103_p11.indd 11 08.11.1745 11:06

 Common Industrial Cloud
Technology
Interface for CIP data transfer
The goal of ODVAs Common Industrial Cloud Interface is to leverage cloud technologies to provide
consumers and producers the most value throughout the entire lifecycle of devices that use CIP technologies
for data transfer.
The three main architectural components in the Common Industrial Cloud Interface reference architecture are CIP Device, CICI Gateway and the Cloud.
THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IIoT)
is bringing new technologies, challenges
and opportunities to industrial automation.
Companies are looking to the internet and
cloud computing to provide new ways to
improve operations, increasing productivity
and generate more revenue. Acquiring data
from devices is a primary focus of IIoT in
the market today, but there are definitely
opportunities to do more. What are the
challenges presented by these relatively new
applications? What technologies are being
leveraged to solve these challenges? What
capabilities are needed to allow CIP devices
to provide an advantage in these applications?
Introduction
A new Special Interest Group (SIG), the
Common Industrial Cloud Interface (CICI), is
grouped under the Optimization 4.0 banner
among ODVA activities. Its goal is to develop
standards that enable new cloud applications
to be developed by the member community
leveraging the rich data available in devices
that conform to ODVA standards.
The new SIG intends to leverage cloud
technologies available today and connect
them with the rich information defined in
CIP Devices in a simple and secure manner.
The objective is to focus on making available
means to discover CIP devices and the data
available in those devices, along with also
looking for opportunities to manage devices
and collections of devices through gateways.
Cloud computing offers many advantages
12
that were previously unavailable, starting with
the ability to connect to devices across an
enterprise or a machine type across multiple
enterprises. In addition, the ability to scale
computing power and storage are enabling
new possibilities for analyzing data streams.
In the sections below, we will highlight some
of the basics of cloud computing and explore
a set of Information exchange patterns that
are common to all applications that include
devices, gateways and cloud.
As an overview, the three main architectural
components in the reference architecture are
CIP Device, CICI Gateway and the Cloud.
CIP devices
In the context of CICI reference architecture, a
device is a CIP-enabled device connected to a
CIP enabled network. The CIP devices purpose
doesnt change within the CICI context, nor
do its characteristics or behaviors. This
statement is very important to consider when
contemplating the role of the CICI Gateway
and Cloud as well as the guiding principles
spelled out later in this article.
Only conceptually does the CIP-enabled
Device change. In the CICI Reference
Architecture, a CIP Device engages in an
extended, much wider architectural context
that includes the Cloud. In this wider
architectural context, a CIP Devices data
(telemetry, etc.) can be published (indirectly)
to the Cloud, to be processed, stored and
analyzed by services and applications
executing there. Likewise, commands and
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
SOURCE: ODVA
notifications can originate from those same
cloud-based applications and be pushed back
down through the CICI Reference Architecture
to CIP Devices. This is made possible because
of the CICI Gateway. No changes to a CIP
Device are required for it to interoperate
within the CICI Reference Architecture. CIP
Devices in CICI reference architecture are
decoupled from the Cloud; all integration
requirements are handled by the CICI Gateway.
This important requirement enables full CICI
interoperability for legacy CIP Devices.
CICI gateway
A CICI Gateway is a middle-tier architectural
component that is physically located
on-premise and that logically bridges between
the CIP network and the Internet and Cloud.
Logically, it has two logical interfaces:
downstream connects to the CIP-enabled
network and n-number of CIP Devices;
upstream connects to the Internet and Cloud.
As a middle tier CICI Gateway maintains
contextual information for n-number of CIP
Devices on its downstream interface. On its
upstream interface, it maintains context (e.g.
security credentials, endpoint URIs, etc.) of
multiple Cloud-based services, messaging
systems.
A CICI Gateway performs a number of roles,
most visibly bi-directional secure routing of
Device-to-Cloud (D2C) and Cloud-to-Device
(C2D) messages between CIP Devices on
its downstream interface and Cloud-based
services and apps on its upstream interface.
11.2017
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IEB103_p13.indd 13 08.11.1745 11:14


Technology
The diagram above shows the Telemetry Information Exchange pattern used in conjunction with the Common Industrial Cloud Interface (CICI) reference architecture.
A CICI Gateway translates and normalizes
message payloads as they pass across the
domain boundaries of CIP and the Cloud.
This crucial operation satisfies a core guiding
principle: CIP stays home.
Logically, a CICI Gateway can be
implemented at the level of a CIP Device, e.g.
a CIP Device performs its own CICI Gateway
functions. This approach is a two-tier, device
direct to cloud connectivity pattern and is not
recommended.
Cloud
In the CICI reference architecture, the
Cloud is the Public Cloud. Technically, the
public cloud is a complex collection of cost
effective, scalable, geographically distributed
infrastructure, software and platform services.
Conceptually, however, the Cloud should be
thought of in simpler terms: as the data
collection, processing and analytics platform
on which value will be created for the next
generation of CIP customers.
Value for CIP customers is provided by
actionable information which can be used
to make asset management and business
decisions. Actionable information is derived
by the CIP Device related data. Once collected,
processed and analyzed, this data results
in the ultimate value for ODVA customers:
actionable asset information. Cloud-based
applications will also consume raw CIP Device
data as well as the derived actionable data.
Deriving actionable data is the ultimate
goal of CICI since this is generally where
value is provided to customers. For example,
high levels of value to customers due to
cost reduction can be achieved in the area
of asset maintenance. As device monitoring
is increasingly understood and analyzed,
maintenance action can evolve from costly
run-to-failure (reactive), to more efficient
preventive (proactive) to the most cost
effective, predictive.
Public Cloud Computing
This section introduces Cloud Computing
concepts as related to CICI, so that readers can
14
share a basic understanding of this complex
technical landscape.
Public Cloud Computing, aka the Cloud or
Cloud Computing, represents a significant,
disruptive shift from traditional information
technology (IT) and software product
creation and delivery. In some cases, the
Cloud will compete directly with an existing
technological model, such as with on-premise
hosted Data Center, potentially displacing
it. In other cases, the Cloud should be seen,
not as a competitive or displacing force to
existing technologies, such as CIP, but as
a complementary extension and enabler
for developing new and different types of
applications and solutions which leverage
existing technologies.
Irrespective of it being a competitive or
complementary force, Cloud Computing is
disruptive to both technology and business
models and brings significant risk for
companies and industries attempting to adapt.
The simple reason for this is that modeling
and implementing Cloud-based solutions such
as IIoT is complicated and multi-dimensional.
This is not just a question of technology, but
extends to business models, the increasing
emphasis of OPEX over CAPEX, difficulties with
costing imprecision, and the reformation of
sales channel and revenue stream, etc.
The first big challenge is that the Cloud
Computing marketplace evolves daily and
presents a bewildering and expanding set of
choices among technologies, service offerings,
service costing models and vendors. Secondly,
the landscape of public Cloud vendors is
complex and confusing: small, medium and
large vendors compete for business in general
purpose and specialized niche service markets.
Finally, because of the rapid evolution of the
Cloud there is no single path for successful
Cloud adoption for a company or even its
individual lines-of-business.
However, for companies and industries
that are able to navigate these complications
and can adapt to and leverage the Clouds
capability new possibilities emerge for
developing customer value and driving
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
SOURCE: ODVA
business opportunity. Cloud Computing offers
companies extensive infrastructure, platforms
and software services that traditionally
have been available only at the corporate,
enterprise or data center infrastructural level.
These service groupings are referred to as
as-a-Service resources and are as follows:
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is a self-
service model for using storage, servers,
networks and related virtual resources. The
user of the service is usually responsible for
managing applications, data, configurations,
licensing and updates of related resources,
including in some situations, the operating
system. Resources usually have a number
of options for performance and quality of
service levels and can be very cost effective. A
common use of IaaS is for hosting, networking,
load balancing and storage for applications.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) is vendor
managed platforms and middleware on
which vendor applications and solutions
can be rapidly developed, tested, operated
and maintained. Messaging middleware,
integration frameworks, databases and
business process management are common
PaaS services. These services are rapidly
leveraged and require no maintenance.
Similarly, to IaaS services, PaaS services offer
a choice of service level and/or are billed per
a consumption-based subscription model.
Common uses of PaaS are the deployment
of non-monolithic services, integrating
decoupled components in a distributed
system, storing of quantities of information
at Big Data scale and deploying analytics
algorithms.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is software
deployed in the Cloud, yet accessible virtually
anywhere by clients. SaaS represents the large
and growing field of cloud-based application
services and offers as well as new architectural
concepts such as microservices. SaaS
applications are often accessed via thin-clients
such as Web Browsers and mobile applications
(native or hybrid) and, therefore, generally
require very limited downloaded installation
components or none at all. A common use
11.2017
The factory of the future is already here

Realize it with Cisco Connected Factory.

#digitizemanufacturing www.cisco.com/go/iot
IEB103_p15.indd 15 08.11.1745 11:21

Applications
The Inquiry Information Exchange pattern using the reference architecture.
(and ultimate goal) of SaaS for vendors is to
use it as a platform for deploying products
and solutions which include capabilities
that are simply not possible with traditional
on-premise deployment: Big Data analytics;
geographic redundancy; IoT-level scalability;
and world-wide access.
Cloud computing has introduced, or at least
raised to a high degree of public awareness,
many new technologies and concepts. Big
Data describes data sets of magnitudes and
complexities never seen before. Big Data
implies analysis of these data sets using
specialized tools, algorithms programming
languages and technologies to discover trends
and patterns which may be used to drive
business value. Data sets are characterized by
the Four Vs, described below.
Four Vs of Big Data
The Four Vs of Big Data are Volume, Velocity,
Variety and Veracity.
Volume: Represents the scale of the data
sets. One hears of systems running at Big Data
Scale, which implies that they can consume
and process data sets of unimaginable size.
Technologies been built exclusively to address
the need to scale with the many orders of
magnitude expansion of storage needs. An
example of this is NoSQL databases, which
can scale to Big Data scale in IoT systems,
replacing SQL databases which cannot.
Velocity: Represents the ubiquitous and
persistent collection and delivery of data, from
consumers, sensors, systems into cloud-based
Big Data oriented-systems.
Variety: Represents the ability to combine
dissimilar data sets which previously could not
have been combined are now being processed
together. The Cloud enables the combination
of public and private data to provide insights
previously unattainable. Tweets, traffic,
weather, Facebook, stock prices postings
are examples of well-known dissimilar data
sets which could be combined and analyzed
16
to provide previously unattainable analytic
outcomes.
Industrial examples of public/private data
sets are current power costs, impending
weather events, raw materials cost, motor/
machine/plant efficiency metrics, etc.
Veracity: Represents the fact that much
of Big Data information available is of
questionable quality.
Inaccuracy of data in consumer-based Big
Data applications is a challenge, requiring
cleansing and validation processing and
assessment. It may not pose such a challenge
in more tightly managed and audited
Industrial environments. Nevertheless, it must
be accounted for.
NoSQL
NoSQL is a database model/approach which
has evolved during the Big Data era and which
contrasts markedly with Relational Database
Management Systems (RDBMS or SQL): NoSQL
databases have relaxed or non-existent
referential integrity requirements, flexible
storage options and limitless scalability and
redundancy built in from the ground up. The
acronym NoSQL originated from non SQL and/
or arguably not only SQL.
AMQP
AMQP, Advanced Message Queuing Protocol, is
the open standard and has emerged as a very
popular protocol for sending messages to and
receiving messages from Cloud-based systems.
In addition to being open and standard,
AMQP was designed with these characteristics
Security, Reliability, Interoperability.
MQTT
MQTT, Message Queue Telemetry Transport,
is an ISO standard (ISO/IEC PRF 200922),
publish/subscribe, lightweight messaging
protocol used for Cloud-connectivity for
limited network bandwidth and remote
applications.
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
SOURCE: ODVA
JSON
JSON, JavaScript Object Notation, is a terse,
readable, structured data format. It is very
popular as a payload format for Device-to-
Cloud and Cloud-to-Device messaging. A
benefit to using JSON is that many stream
processing applications are built to natively
consume JSON structures efficiently and
cost-effectively. Below is a very basic JSON
message:
{
name=CICI,
message=Hello World!
}
Guiding principles or concerns
As we apply cloud technology and cloud
communication patterns to use cases, a
number of concerns have been identified.
These concerns form the basis for guiding
principles to be applied to any resulting work.
The technical, semantic and application
difference between cloud-based and CIP
Device-based ecosystems is vast. The purpose
of CICI is to define an integration approach
to bridge between the two environments so
that cloud-based applications (and application
developers) can consume CIP Device data and
produce actionable information useful to the
CIP Device, directly or indirectly. It is not the
purpose of CICI to replicate the CIP network-
based ecosystem in the Cloud but to abstract
and represent CIP Device data so that its use
by Cloud applications is simple and efficient.
The following are some of fundamental
differences of Cloud-based from CIP-network
based application development:
Distribution: Cloud-based applications are
intrinsically distributed, combining resources
from multiple compute, storage and service
platforms to achieve function.
Real-Time: due to its distributed nature
and platform dependencies, the notion of
real-time is an uncommon concept in public
cloud computing.
11.2017
 Protocols and Payloads: Cloud-based
application developers expect message
payloads that are easily programmatically
digestible, potentially extensible for business
process purposes and normalized to contain
meaning for a given application domain, such
as Asset Management analytics. Abstracting
CIP details satisfies these expectations while
exposing CIP protocol or payload formats
would cause lost productivity for developers,
potentially large, incremental, profit impacting
unmarshalling/marshalling costs.
Applications: Cloud-based applications have
very broad scope and virtually no limitation to
the types of functions that can be performed.
Cloud-based applications can be modified
and updated very rapidly (in minutes, hours)
and often integrate multiple streams of
information simultaneously to produce results.
Communications between entities on the
cloud are generally based on widely used
open standards which are not industry specific
and which may be replaced at any time. CIP
communications, while standardized, are
industry specific and slow to change.
Developer Pool: Cloud developers master
a variety of programming languages, cloud
oriented development and cloud architectures
that are very different from those needed
by CIP network application developers.
Abstracting CIP details with a normalized
Device Asset domain model, for example,
greatly increases the pool of potential
developers for CICI-based Cloud applications.
In order to not compromise security of
on-premise resources, CICI Gateways and
CIP Devices are not exposed the internet
by publicly available interfaces such as
publish/subscribe broker or http web service
endpoints. Device-to-Cloud and Cloud-to-
Device communications are through an
established CICI Gateway. For example, to
support Cloud-to-Device communications,
Cloud applications send messages to devices
indirectly through Cloud-based egress queues
to which the CICI Gateway subscribes.
All communication must be performant
and scalable across a variety of networks.
This means that CIP must stay home or
stay on premise where responses are timely
and consistent. Any solution identified
should avoid a specific implementation, but
instead be described in general terms. On one
hand, this document avoids recommending
implementation technologies.
Instead, the focus is on D2C and C2D
information exchange patterns common in
the solution marketplace and relevant to the
design of CICI and CICI-based solutions. On
the other hand, some technologies (AMQP,
MQTT, JSON, etc.) are included in typical CICI
architectures to illustrate how contemporary
IIoT/Cloud integration are achieved and relate
to information exchange patterns important
to CICI.
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
Information exchange patterns
Four Information Exchange Patterns generalize
the logical patterns of communication that
will occur between the cloud and gateways
or devices.
Telemetry
Telemetry is one-way, with information
flowing that a device or gateway volunteers
to a collecting service, either on a schedule
or based on particular circumstances.
This information represents the current or
temporally aggregated state of the device or
the state of its environment, like readings
from sensors that are associated with it.
Telemetry is initiated by the CIP Devices
based on a previous configuration or runtime
subscription request. Data flows from the CIP
Device to the CiCi Gateway and sent to the
Cloud to be available for Cloud applications.
Note that security had been omitted for
simplicity, but the connection to the cloud
would be set up before data would begin
to flow following a Telemetry Information
Exchange pattern. The exchange pattern is
one way, so that the CIP Device does not
expect a response from the Cloud application.
Inquiry
With inquiries, the device or gateway solicits
information about the state of the world
beyond its own reach and based on its current
needs. An inquiry is a singular request, but
might also ask a service to supply ongoing
updates about a particular information scope.
A vehicle might supply a set of geo-coordinates
for a route and ask for continuous traffic alert
updates about particular route until it arrives
at the destination.
Inquiry is initiated by the CIP Device and
flows through the CICI Gateway to the Cloud
application via its messaging endpoint.
The Cloud application receives the Inquiry
message and creates a response. The Cloud
app then sends the response message to the
Egress queue to which the CICI Gateway is
subscribed. The CICI Gateway routes the
message to the correct Device.
The Inquiry exchange pattern differs
from Telemetry in that a response or
acknowledgement from the Cloud application
is expected. Of note is the use of Correlation
IDs in the messaging between the CICI Gateway
and the Cloud application. Correlation ID is
an Enterprise Integration Design Pattern used
to relate a response to the correct request
in asynchronous, non-guaranteed ordered
communication scenarios.
Notifications
Notifications are one-way, service-initiated
messages that inform a device or a group
of devices about some environmental state
theyll otherwise not be aware of. Wind parks
will be fed weather forecast information and
cities may broadcast information about air
pollution, suggesting fossil-fueled systems to
Technology
throttle CO2 output or a vehicle may want to
show weather or news alerts or text messages
to the driver.
Notifications are initiated by the line-
of-business Cloud applications. Cloud apps
send Notification messages to the egress
queue to which the CICI Gateway has
subscribed. The CICI Gateway then routes the
notification messages to the appropriate CIP
Device or group of devices. The Notification
exchange pattern is the logical inverse of the
Telemetry exchange pattern and, therefore,
the Cloud application does not expect an
acknowledgement or response from the device.
Commands
Commands are service-initiated instructions
sent to the device. Commands can tell a
device to provide information about its state,
or to change the state of the device. That
includes, for instance, sending a command
from a smartphone app to unlock the doors of
your vehicle, whereby the command first flows
to an intermediating service and from there
its routed to the vehicles onboard control
system.
Command is initiated by the line-of-business
Cloud application. Command messages are
sent to the Digital Twin or directly to the
egress command queue to which the CICI
Gateway is subscribed. The CICI Gateway sends
a synchronous request to the CIP Device and
relays the response to the Cloud endpoint.
Command is the logical inverse of Inquiry.
Therefore, the Cloud application expects a
response from the Device. Once again, the
Correlation ID enterprise integration pattern
can be leveraged for correct message logical
routing and processing of responses.
Next steps
This article covered new technologies that
are being introduced into the industrial
automation marketplace. It provides a first
pass definition of one of the communication
patterns and an example of how that
communication pattern could be realized.
It can be easily observed that the Common
Industrial Cloud Interface work is just getting
started. There is a lot of ground to be covered
to completely define the remaining three
communication patterns at a high level.
The next steps will be to fill in more
details, referencing all the technologies and
standards available and keeping in mind the
guiding principles enumerated. But the goal
is to leverage cloud technologies to provide
consumers and producers the most value
throughout the entire lifecycle of devices.
Stephen C. Briant, Technology Manager for
Rockwell Automation and Thomas Whitehill,
Remote Services Architect, Schneider Electric.
17
 POWERLINK and CODESYS
Technology

enable Industry 4.0 solutions

New technology tools have been developed that enable integration of POWERLINK Industrial Ethernet
technology into the CODESYS IEC 61131 development environment. These innovations enable manufacturers
to deploy control systems already working in CODESYS as a POWERLINK master.

SOURCE: EPSG
Integration of POWERLINK in CODESYS: The POWERLINK Configuration Editor from BE.Services is a plug-in for the CODESYS IDE. The CODESYS I/O driver is embedded in
the runtime system and accesses the openPOWERLINK stack. Any device that can be written via XDD file, whether I/O module, sensor or actuator, and can be integrated
into the POWERLINK network.

THE CODESYS DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT
is often used by small and medium-sized
manufacturers of control systems but the
amount of programming work that has been
required for POWERLINK integration, until
now, has been prohibitive.
To combine the two technologies, a
POWERLINK software module has been
developed that enables use of this real-time
protocol as a POWERLINK master, and creates
user advantages including high performance,
noise immunity and openness.
Solution overview
The technology includes a package of software
and services that consists of four components:
a user-friendly, visual configuration editor
for POWERLINK in the form of a plug-in for
the CODESYS development environment;
an extension to the CODESYS runtime
system in the form of an I/O driver for
the openPOWERLINK stack; servicing and
integration services as well as an e-learning
course for POWERLINK technology.
Like the CODESYS IEC 61131 development
environment, the POWERLINK plug-in is
available free of charge from the CODESYS
store. An I/O driver is available for a buyout
price and includes support services and
a license for the BE.educated e-learning
platform. The first pilot customers are already
using these products in development projects.
For the large number of component and
control system suppliers already working with
CODESYS, POWERLINK is a viable option. All
of these manufacturers can now use their
control systems as a POWERLINK master and

18 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
 benefit from its real-time performance in The POWERLINK
their automation solutions. The POWERLINK- Configuration

CODESYS master will be tested at the upcoming
POWERLINK plugfest, with a goal to certify
POWERLINK products that will work together
on both the slave and the master side.
The BE.services software package has been
integrated to provide advanced functionality
and includes the ability to configure master
and slave parameters, as well as device-specific
parameters. This information is obtained from
the standardized device description files
(XDD) provided by product manufacturers.
In addition, there is support for advanced
POWERLINK functions such as poll response
chaining, cross-traffic and modular devices.
Linux is generally used as the operating
system, preferably with a real-time extension.
But openPOWERLINK can also be used without
an operating system, or with Windows.
Potential applications for the POWERLINK/
CODESYS combination range from the
automation of individual machines, to
production lines or entire factories. Mobile
automation and process control systems are
also possible areas of application.
The source code for the openPOWERLINK
stack is available under the BSD license free of
charge from SourceForge. The stack is entirely
software based and completely scalable; it can
be deployed on an FPGA or an x86 system, so
users can choose their hardware platform.
Moreover, the open-source approach
provides investment protection. Thats
becoming an persuasive argument, especially
in this time of disruptive business models.
The CODESYS implementation also offers key
advantages for new designs as well.
CODESYS implementation
Within CODESYS, fieldbus and industrial
Ethernet communication modules are generally
implemented using IEC 61131 languages,
which are by nature slower than a native
porting. The openPOWERLINK stack is modular
and is available in C++. It can therefore be
Technology
Editor can be
used to configure
master and
slave devices.
Applications
can be written
in the CODESYS
IDE using any
IEC 61131-3
language.
compiled directly on the hardware platform
and benefits from FPGA hardware acceleration.
In collaboration with the OPC Foundation,
the EPSG has also developed a companion
specification that enables data to be
exchanged between OPC UA and POWERLINK.
Users get the benefit of POWERLINKs
performance at the machine level, as well
as the benefits of OPC UA TSN as the future
standard for communication at the controller
level and into the cloud.
Dr. Christoph Gugg, Technology Manager,
Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group
and Dimitri Philippe, CEO, BE.services.

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 Future-oriented communication
Applications

for setting up machine networks

The growth of larger and larger automation networks is overtaxing the machine builders ability to manage
their networks. With the high amount of time needed for effective deployment rising and costs escalating,
more and more companies are looking for a solution that simplifies network management.

SOURCE: PHOENIX CONTACT

SEAMLESS ETHERNET-BASED
DATA EXCHANGE from
the field level to office
applications is one of the
central challenges that
Industrie 4.0 presents to
future machine networks.
Communication specialists,
therefore, needs to offer
appropriate solutions that
are not only comprehensive,
but also easy to handle,
secure and ready for the
future.
Whether man or machine,
one thing is certain;
without communication,
nothing works. However, in
the practice, it frequently
happens that participants
do not understand each
other, or not correctly. For secure connections between the machine and production network, tsecurity appliances provide extensive firewall functions that
Reasons include many protect the machine network against unauthorized access
participants speaking
at once, different languages or complex supplemented with new technologies. And all High-availability networks
ways of expressing themselves. It is a fact of that has to stay manageable for both their In the past, unmanaged switches usually
that misunderstandings can easily cause and the customers employees. served as interface between the network
errors with unforeseeable consequences. participants in machine building. The
Therefore, a uniform language and regulated Uniform control philosophy reasons included their low price and easy
communication are fundamental prerequisites To meet these demands, new device types are startup. However, these devices cannot meet
for trouble-free information exchange between used in the machine networks, in addition to the demands that arise from the growing
all participants. And that also holds true for switches that connect the components and communication needs of the constantly
the data exchange in machines and systems. control the data transmission. For example, increasing number of network participants.
In the past, the amount of Ethernet- to connect mobile end devices or transport For example, unmanaged switches have
capable components was still relatively systems to the automation network, wireless no mechanisms for network diagnostics or
limited, but thanks to the universal Ethernet modules are used. Security components are reducing data load. Therefore, they can only
communication, their number is continuously increasingly used to ensure safe integration be used in modern machine networks to a
increasing. As a result, the risk of unwanted of the machines into the production network. limited extent.
data traffic on the network also increases. Additionally, they allow encrypted and secure On the other hand, intelligent switches
Unauthorized devices that are connected or remote access to the machines. In machine have precisely these functions. Thanks
loops that are accidentally established can building, the pressure to be competitive on to optimally matched functionality, they
interfere with the production process. If the the global market is high. combine the advantages of the easy operation
user then additionally needs special protocols, To answer the demand for devices that of unmanaged devices with the powerful
such as PROFINET or EtherNet/IP, the devices are easy to handle, it makes sense to source capabilities of the managed switches. The
used have to fulfill special requirements to all the required network components from a new FL Switch 2000 product family of Phoenix
safeguard reliable data exchange. single manufacturer. This allows a uniform Contact additionally supports redundancy
Technology trends such as cloud-based control philosophy and creates leeway for mechanisms for loop suppression, as well
solutions, IT security, the use of smart price negotiations. With the FL Switch 2000, the essential functions of the PROFINET
devices or the possibility of secure remote FL WLAN 1100, FL mGuard und TC Cloud Client and EtherNet/IP transmission standards.
maintenance also influence the network product families, Phoenix Contact therefore An innovative Unmanaged Mode ensures
communication. For machine builders, this provides a diverse set of solutions for the user-friendly handling. It allows the device
means that they constantly have to plan special requirements of modern machine to be operated as unmanaged switch, while
and service larger networks that can be requirements. management functions for stabilizing the

20 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
network are active in the background. With
the FL Switch 2100 models, it is additionally
possible to set up machine networks for
gigabit communication.
Reliable wireless technology
The trend to integrate mobile devices and
driverless transport systems into the machine
network makes wireless data communication
essential, for example using WLAN. To ensure
that the data is reliably transmitted to the
receiver, an access point that sends out
a WLAN signal should be installed at the
respective machines. Usually, the access point
is installed in the control cabinet and at least
two antennas are mounted on the machine.
With the FL WLAN 1100 product family,
Phoenix Contact has created an easy solution
for full WLAN reception at machines and
systems (figure 2). The wireless module not
only unites an access point and antennas
in one device, but, with a little work and
using a single-hole mounting method, can
also be installed directly on the machine, on
the control cabinet or on a mobile vehicle
even as retrofit. The two antennas integrated
into the access point support all customary
WLAN standards (IEC 802.11a/b/g/n) and
frequencies (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), as well
as the MIMO antenna technology (Multiple
Input Multiple Output). This ensures fast and
reliable data transmission.
Secure remote access
Connecting the machine to the production
network, integration into a cloud-based
solution or remote maintenance by the
machine builder: regardless of the application,
secure and therefore encrypted communication
is crucial. The remote maintenance modules of
the TC Cloud Client and FL mGuard product
families make it possible for service personnel
to remotely connect to the machines and
systems via the Internet. Depending on
what is needed, this connection is either
established via the operators networks, or
via the global 4G LTE mobile network.
The mGuard Secure Cloud makes it possible
to set up a scaleable VPN infrastructure with
encryption by means of the IPsec security
protocol. This safeguards the confidentiality,
authenticity and integrity of all exchanged
data. For secure connections between the
machine and the production network, the
FL mGuard security appliances additionally
provide extensive firewall functions that
protect the machine network against
unauthorized access.
Easy configuration
Many machine builders prefer using devices
that are easy to operate in their networks. To
avoid the additional time and costs involved
in configuring more complex components, the
machine builders make conscious decisions to
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
forfeit the advantages of a robust, diagnosable
network. As mentioned above, unmanaged
switches with plug-and-play capabilities are
frequently used. These simply have to be
connected to a power supply and the network.
No settings have to be configured.
To minimize the configuration work needed
for components with management functions,
without forfeiting the many benefits they
offer, the new devices of Phoenix Contact
have been optimized for machine building
applications and are easy to configure. In
addition to the configuration options usually
offered, such as web-based management
in a browser and SNMP (Simple Network
Management Protocol), the switches of the
2000 product family and the TC Cloud Client
are equipped with an SD card.
With the card, the configurations created
can be replicated as often as needed. And
if the user needs to replace a defective
component, the extensive work involved in the
initial configuration need not be repeated for
the replacement device. The wireless modules
of the FL WLAN 1100 and FL Switch 2000
product families additionally offer the option
of configuration by means of a command-line
interface (CLI).
Transparent network management
Larger and larger automation networks - this
trend is overtaxing an increasing number of
machine builders ability to manage their
networks. Additionally they complain about
the high amount of time needed and the
resulting costs.
As a result, many companies are looking
for a solution that simplifies network
management. With the FL Network Manager,
Phoenix Contact offers a new software tool
that encompasses all important functions
for managing switches, as well as WLAN
and security components from first device
configuration and monitoring functions during
live operation, to user-friendly configuration
and firmware management.
In the past, it was necessary to perform
firmware updates on each individual
device. With the FL Network Manager, it
is now possible to update all components
simultaneously. The device configuration in
the network is just as easy. All configuration
files can be saved locally with a single step,
to then be loaded onto a (replacement) device
when needed. Integrated BootP/DHCP and
TFTP server functions eliminate the need to
use several different tools to configure the
device parameters. The FL Network Manager
thus unites all important management
functions for an automation network into a
transparent tool.
Jan Aulenberg, M.Sc., product manager
for network technology, Phoenix Contact
Electronics GmbH.
21
 Cloud-based, cellular SCADA
Applications

system for water treatment

Systems integrator Perceptive Controls has designed a cloud-based, cellular SCADA system for rural water
and wastewater treatment systems. By using a RESTful API, developers gained secure, programmatic access to
data from new or legacy physical assets wired to a programmable automation controller.

SOURCE: OPTO 22
Using its Polaris software and a SNAP programmable automation controller-based system, Perceptive Controls was able to deliver a low-cost SCADA system that avoids expensive
servers and hardware while still providing the monitoring, control, alarming, and reporting functions that water and wastewater plant operators require.

LIKE PLANTS AND PEOPLE, cities need water
to grow. The average Americans daily use of
water reaches upwards of 100 gallons. Major
cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles
need billions of gallons of water per day.
And when people turn on their faucets, they
expect the system that delivers their water to
just plain work.
In reality, a lot more goes into delivering
clean, potable water than most people
realize. Transporting water and wastewater
throughout municipalities is a complex
task that requires significant investments
in advanced SCADA technology. But not all
water districts have the budget to acquire the
necessary technology.
The challenge
Modern water and wastewater treatment
regulations require water districts to maintain
systems for monitoring, data acquisition,
alarming, and reporting on the quality of
water delivered to residents.
While large cities can afford the technology
investments required to transport billions
of gallons of water per day, smaller water
districts, often located in remote and rural
areas, can struggle to find the budget required
to implement a modern SCADA system.
Instead, processes remain manually driven
and as a result are prone to errors that can
lead to a system failure.
The rugged and remote location of many
rural water districts can also pose a challenge
in implementing a SCADA system. Most
modern municipal water systems use some
form of wireless technology, often 900 MHz
radios, to establish a SCADA network between
remote sites.
These radios are a good solution for
SCADA networks because they operate in an
unlicensed spectrum and do not require a
service provider network to relay data from
site to site. However, in rugged terrain it can
be difficult to obtain the direct line-of-sight
connection 900 MHz radios require.
Cellular connections are often the next
best option to establish a SCADA network
between remote sites. But the data charges
associated with cellular connectivity can be
cost-prohibitive, due to the scan-based poll/
response communication architecture of
traditional SCADA systems.
Recognizing the needs of smaller water
and wastewater treatment plant operators
to add affordable SCADA systems to their
operations, systems integrator Perceptive
Controls developed a cellular, cloud-based
SCADA system called Perceptive Polaris to
overcome these challenges.
The solution
Using Perceptive Polaris software with an
Opto 22 SNAP PAC control system, Perceptive
Controls was able to deliver a low-cost SCADA
system that avoids expensive servers and
hardware while still delivering the monitoring,
control, alarming, and reporting capabilities
water and wastewater plant operators require.
One of the key challenges engineers at
Perceptive Controls faced during development
of the solution was how to reduce the amount
of data sent between lift station sites on the
SCADA network.
We knew that using cellular modems meant
one of the most important requirements of
this project would be the ability to transmit
the smallest data packets possible, with as
much data in each packet as possible, said
Kevin Finkler, software engineer for Perceptive
Controls. We had to stay under the data caps
of the cellular provider we planned to use.
Our original design was to use a script
running on an Opto 22 PAC-R2 controller,
added Finkler. The script would collect data
from municipal equipment and perform an
HTTP POST to transmit the data to a cloud-
based server we host for our clients. The
server is where our Perceptive Polaris software
application resides.
During evaluation and testing of the first

22 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
SOURCE: OPTO 22
Lift stations can be monitored in real time, with map overlays to give operators real-time situational awareness.
version of the system, posting large amounts
of data from the controller to the cloud server
proved to be slow and processor intensive.
In addition, the cloud server didnt have a
reliable method for ensuring configuration
changes, such as HMI setpoints, were sent
back to the controller.
This posed a problem, said Chris Parish,
senior application engineer at Perceptive
Controls. The controller would often check
for configuration changes, only to have the
server respond back saying that no changes
were needed. It wouldnt work to have the
controller check less frequently, because we
wanted the controller to be able to respond
in a timely manner.
We decided to consider alternate options
for transferring data. So we investigated the
RESTful API capabilities built into Opto 22
SNAP PAC controllers, Parish added.
SNAP PAC controllers come with a
built-in, secure HTTP/S server with an open,
documented API, effectively creating a
RESTful architecture. RESTful architecture
and its technologies, like HTTP/S and JSON
(JavaScript Object Notation), are intrinsic
to the Internet of Things and paramount
to web, data, and mobile-based application
development. With their RESTful API and
secure server, the SNAP PACs offer valuable
alternatives for application development.
Through the RESTful API, developers can
gain secure, programmatic access to data
from new or legacy physical assets wired to
the PAC.Developers can use any programming
language that supports JSON to access control
variables and input/output (I/O) data.
After switching to the new RESTful API
method, we now have a cloud-based software
application running on a dedicated server that
uses the SNAP PACs RESTful API to request
data directly from the controller, Parish said.
Requests are made over a private cellular
network to avoid cyber security-related
concerns and avoid opening ports in firewalls,
Finkler added. We store data in float tables on
the PAC (about 44 indexes per table) and the
software can grab up to 100 tables of data per
request without slowing down communication
performance.
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
The cloud application then uses the
RESTful API to write back how many tables
were retrieved, so the controller can delete
the old data and move everything up in the
table, with new data again at the top. This
ensures that all data was received into the
cloud application.
Its more efficient to make the cloud
application process large amounts of data,
instead of making the controller do the work
in addition to its normal operations, noted
Finkler. This method saved an average of 5.8
KB per data set transmitted, which ended up
saving us about 250 MB per day, adding up to
significant savings in cellular data charges.
Using the RESTful API, Perceptive engineers
can also send configuration changes on
demand. Since configuration changes rarely
occur after the initial setup, 99% of the
previous configuration traffic has been
eliminated, and data is transmitted only when
necessary. The cloud application also monitors
for alarms and sends out notifications to
operators if necessary.
Using the Perceptive Polaris solution, water
and wastewater customers can monitor their
lift stations and SCADA network in real time,
with advanced map overlays that provide
operators with real-time situational awareness
of the SCADA system.
Operators can view and respond to alarms
through the website, and authorized users
are alerted to alarms via email and/or text
messaging. Operators who receive an alarm
can acknowledge it by replying to the text
message. Historical data is stored on cloud
servers hosted by Perceptive Controls and
backed up regularly.
Looking ahead
The engineers at Perceptive Controls are
currently developing a mobile app that will
communicate with the Perceptive Polaris
server and allow users to respond to alarms
and change setpoints as needed. In the
future, the entire SCADA system will be able
to be managed from almost any authorized
mobile device, Finkler said.
Application article by Opto 22.
 Gigabit Ethernet addresses
Technology

requirements of Industry 4.0

Is Gigabit Industrial Ethernet adoption the key to achieving Industry 4.0 goals? While there may still be
some debate about what Industry 4.0 really means, there is no denying that greater interconnectivity of
devices and increased network capability will be the key drivers behind achieving the goals it sets out.

CC-Link IE Field Network topology examples

SOURCE: CLPA
AS MANUFACTURERS EXAMINE FUTURE
challenges around low volume production,
increased customisation and increased
competition, it is easy to understand why
the concepts of Industry 4.0 have come to Line topology
the fore. Industry 4.0, combined with the
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), not only Master Local Remote Remote Remote
holds the key to addressing many of these station station station station station
challenges, but also promises to deliver
innovations that todays manufacturers have
not even thought of yet.
Industry 4.0 can be defined as the
combination of cyber-physical systems with
the IIoT. Underpinning it are Ethernet and Station-to-station distance: max. 100 m
Internet-based technologies that provide the
connectivity for everything to communicate
with everything else, regardless of where
a device or system is physically located, or Overall cable distance: 12000 m
what it actually is. Today, while we talk about
high levels of interconnectivity, usually there
are incompatibilities in networks that mean
Star topology
Master
projects are divided into separate islands. station
As we overcome these incompatibilities
and drive ever greater levels of integration
and interconnectivity, Industry 4.0 will Layer 2 switch Layer 2 switch
allow production machines to provide more
transparency and cooperate to a higher
Station-to-station
degree. Some say that this will ultimately lead
distance: max. 100 m
to intelligent factories capable of autonomous
production changeovers, reassignment of
production equipment and perhaps even
scaling their capacity as demand increases. By Local Remote Local Remote Remote
extension, this will also take in the Internet station station station station station
and collaboration with vendors and customers
to a greater degree than is possible now.
None of this can happen, though, without Ring topology
the networks to carry the information between
the places where its needed, in real-time. Master Local Remote Remote Remote
Ethernet provides a good foundation for this station station station station station
infrastructure, but being able to deliver the
necessary performance will require technology
with greater capabilities than is common now.
CC-Link IE technology, however, is addressing
all of these requirements today.

Gigabit Ethernet in automation

One of the key requirements of Industry Station-to-station distance: max. 100 m
4.0 applications is the need to share large
amounts of data from multiple devices in Overall cable distance: 12100 m
real-time. Hence bandwidth is critical to the
successful operation of these systems.
CC-Link IE offers a performance increase
of around 10 times compared to any other Support for multiple topologies is important to addressing the need to share large amounts of data in real-time.

24 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
SOURCE: CLPA
Ring type wiring
Star type wiring
CC-Link IE topologies can be combined together to provide systems that offer maximum flexibility.
similar protocol today, and offers the highest
bandwidth available at 1Gbps, delivering the
performance needed to connect the most data-
hungry processes together.
CC-Link IE is based on the Ethernet standard
IEEE 802.3, and allows for ring, line and
star topologies. In addition, the line and
star topologies can be combined together
to provide systems that offer the maximum
application flexibility. The ring and line
connections are particularly attractive, as
they permit simple daisy chaining of devices,
meaning the added cost and complexity of
network switches can be avoided.
Addressing cyber security concerns
One of the key concerns related to the
increasing adoption of industrial Ethernet is
cyber security. While the use of Internet-based
technologies has increased the possibilities of
what can be achieved in manufacturing, it has
also increased the threats.
Some industrial Ethernet protocols are
based on a standard TCP/IP (UDP/IP) stack,
which can arguably cause some security
vulnerabilities. CC-Link IE combines the
physical and data-link layers of the OSI
hierarchy with an open protocol that extends
from the network to application layers. The
result is an open, but controlled knowledge
base that CLPA partners are free to implement,
but reduces the exposure to unauthorised use.
Another concern potential users may have
regarding the protocol is its compatibility with
TCP/IP (UDP/IP) traffic. While current network
design practice encourages segmentation
of networks for security and performance
reasons, sometimes its still necessary to
support non-control related network traffic.
CC-Link IE supports this with the capability
to encapsulate TCP/IP (UDP/IP) packets for
transmission across the network, allowing
this traffic to tunnel through the CC-Link
IE system.
CC-Link IE technology also allows
considerable application flexibility by
supporting multiple protocol types on the
same network. This reduces costs and increases
maintainability. In addition to the standard
I/O control, it also offers safety (SIL3), motion
control and energy management on the same
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
Line type wiring
cable. This allows the CLPA to offer a cost-
effective, simplified, flat network architecture
that meets the needs of nearly all applications
in the discrete sector.
Speed and simplicity Precise and simple!
When it comes to actually using the network,
again, the emphasis is on simplicity. CC-Link Time synchronization
IEs basic communication technique is based
on a shared memory model. All the devices on
using IEEE 1588/PTP
the network occupy an area of the controllers
memory. To communicate with them, its only  7LPHV\QFKURQL]DWLRQYLD
necessary to change the value of the data in (WKHU1HW,3RU3URQHW
the area corresponding to the relevant device.
The network automatically handles the traffic  +LJKHVWWLPLQJDFFXUDF\LQ
via the standard cyclic (synchronous) QDQRVHFRQGUDQJH
communication.
The same process happens in reverse  5HGXQGDQF\WKURXJKDXWRPDWHG
for communication to the controller from VZLWFKLQJRIUHIHUHQFHFORFNV
devices. For high priority, unscheduled events  /RFDOJHQHUDWLRQRIWLPHFRGHVOLNH
such as alarms, or lower priority non-cyclic
,5,*%'&)RU33;3XOVHV
transmissions such as diagnostic information,
an alternative transient (asynchronous)
communication method is available. The
technology has been designed such that
even high levels of transient traffic do not
impact the deterministic regular cyclic
communication, meaning normal system
functions are not impaired and the scan cycle
is completely deterministic.
Deterministic performance is achieved with
a token passing method, allowing dependable
system operation. In practice, this allows
network update times to occur in a few tens
of microseconds, depending on system size
and configuration. CC-Link IE also offers the
ability for redundant controllers, so even a
OMICRON Lab IEEE 1588/PTP
controller failure will not necessarily result in
lost production.
Timing Solutions:
We can see, then, that CC-Link IE technology OTMC 100
can help manufacturers reap the benefits of ,(((373*UDQGPDVWHU&ORFN
greater connectivity across their processes,
with improved network performance delivering TICRO 100
tighter control, greater data throughput at ,(((3737LPH&RQYHUWHU
high speed, deterministic performance and
inherent security. It is also set to play a key
role as manufacturers push towards models of www.omicron-lab.com/timing
Industry 4.0 in order to address the production
challenges of tomorrow.
John Browett, General Manager, CLPA Europe.
Smart Timing Solutions
 Next generation software-
Technology

defined Wide Area Networks

Software-defined WAN technology leverages and virtualizes multiple types of connections between business
locations, as well as connections between data centers, remote offices, and cloud resources. SD-WAN also
provides a way to leverage broadband Internet while incorporating traditional dedicated WAN technologies.

SOURCE: VELOCLOUD
Software-defined WAN leverages and virtualizes multiple types of connections between business locations including data centers, remote offices and the cloud.

SOFTWARE-DEFINED WIDE AREA NETWORKS are
becoming the basis for a new generation of
WANs for enterprises and service providers.
Just as Frame Relay and ATM migrated to MPLS
for business connectivity, the combination
of SD-WAN, migration to the cloud, and
commodity Internet broadband are offering
a compelling, affordable and flexible option
to augment the WAN. The move to SD-WAN
becomes imperative as demand increases for
business critical, bandwidth hungry real time
applications in offices and field locations.
The traditional WAN
Before diving into the new world of SD-WAN,
lets review traditional wide area networks.
A WAN traditionally connects a companys
business locations together, creating whats
essentially a single large network that might
span multiple locations within a city, locations
in many cities, or even locations across
national boundaries or around the world.
Those businesses might have one or more data
centers, and multiple offices that have remote
workers. The goal is to provide seamless
connectivity between remote locations and
the applications they reply upon, no matter
where those applications are hosted.
Workers inside a business location are
connected via a local area network (LAN),
which is a private, high-speed network,
installed, owned and maintained by the
business. The LAN can be wired and wireless
using technologies like Ethernet and WiFi.
Likewise, servers within a data center are also
tied together with high-speed LANs.
The WAN ties those sites together. By
contrast with the high-speed, private
LAN owned by the business, WANs are
services traditionally provisioned by
telecommunications companies. WANs are
much slower than LANs, and incur monthly
charges based on bandwidth, guaranteed
reliability, and the distance between the sites.
WANs can take weeks or months to set up, and
just as long to make service changes, such as
to adding bandwidth to handle new demands.
There are many telecommunications
technologies used to implement traditional
WANs. Older technologies include leased
lines, Frame Relay, ATM (Asynchronous
Transfer Mode). One of the most popular WAN
technologies today is MPLS (Multi-Protocol
Label Switching). While MPLS-based WANs
run across one or more carriers networks
using complex protocols, they can be thought
of as highly reliable, very secure, point-to-
point links between a business sites. The
downside of MPLS-based WANs is that they
are expensive, slow to provision, and difficult
to change to adapt to varying requirements.
Why not use the Internet for connecting
business locations? The Internet is ubiquitous,
inexpensive and flexible. However, the
Internet is famously unreliable, both in
terms of uptime and in the ability to deliver
consistent throughput. Its also insecure, and
without additional security, cannot be trusted
for intra-business traffic, such as accessing
key business applications, servers or files.
The challenge is that businesses are
increasingly frustrated with traditional WANs.
IT professionals and executives like that WANs
are reliable, predictable and secure. On the
other hand, businesses dont like the monthly
expense, slow provisioning times and the lack
of flexibility. They also dont like that WANs
become more complex when the business
locations are in different countries. Finally,
with the emergence of cloud computing, the
traditional WAN falls short architecturally to
the needs of the new paradigm.
The SD-WAN World
Software-defined WAN leverages and
virtualizes multiple types of connections
between business locations, including

26 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
data centers and remote offices, as well as
connections between data centers, remote
offices, and cloud resources. SD-WAN leverages
broadband Internet while providing the ability
to incorporate traditional dedicated WAN
technologies like MPLS. SD-WAN is transport
agnostic and overlays controls that deliver
quality of experience and ensure reliability,
predictability, security, manageability, and
reduced cost. For example, a company may
have several data centers, large offices with
hundreds of employees, and small field
offices. It may use cloud-based services for
applications, servers, and storage, with a
mandate to eventually migrate the bulk of its
data centers to the cloud.
From the users perspective, SD-WAN
is a single wide area network that offers
trustworthy security, plenty of bandwidth,
service reliability, quality of service (QoS)
that ensures a good user experience when
making calls using Voice over IP (VoIP) or
videoconferencing, and seamless access to
both data center and cloud applications.
From the IT perspective, SD-WAN offers
a single interface to manage the wide area
network, with the ability to rapidly adjust the
services to accommodate new requirements, or
to provision new services. However, under the
surface SD-WAN takes advantage of multiple
types of network connections, including
traditional WAN technologies, the public
Internet, and even cellular data connections.
Demand is escalating for business critical,
real time applications such as voice, video
and virtual desktop applications. Adding
more private circuits for these bandwidth
hungry applications is expensive and does not
improve cloud application connectivity. A cost
effective solution is to leverage broadband
public Internet to augment the MPLS links by
using SD-WAN.
Employees in main offices and branches
need to access Software-as-a-Service
applications. SD-WAN understands the
location of those applications, and will direct
user sessions directly to the cloud efficiently,
using the high quality link for the highest
priority applications. This represents a
significant improvement over the traditional
WAN architecture model, which routes remote
employee traffic over the MPLS network back
to a data center and then redirects cloud
application traffic from there to the Internet.
This adds delay and consumes unnecessary
WAN bandwidth.
In short, SD-WAN leverages multiple WAN
technologies and other connections, lowering
monthly costs, simplifying operations, adding
agility, providing full security, and offering
end users an exceptional experience. Its a
perfect technology for connecting branch
offices and even short-term pop-up business
locations that need to be brought up instantly
such as construction sites.
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
Implementing the SD-WAN
Generally speaking, SD-WAN is a software
control layer that contains a few parts. There
is a management tool implemented in a
dashboard that provides easy administration
by IT professionals, with minimal effort by
staff in the field location. There is a control
plane, that actively and intelligently manages
and routes network traffic over all available
communications technologies in accordance
with business priorities. And there is a business
Machine
policy framework, which sets requirements and
baselines for security, quality of service, cost builders will
controls, user experience and priorities.
SD-WAN controls can be located within the love our new
IIoT product!
business data center, but optimally it will be
run via the cloud, where it is equally accessible
to all business locations, and where it can be
managed as Software-as-a-Service thereby
reducing the workload on corporate IT.
Enterprises have options when it comes to
choosing SD-WAN. They can contract directly
with a provider of the SD-WAN software
solution, and implement it using internal
staff. For some organizations, that will be the
best choice. For others, there are new SD-WAN
offerings from major telecommunications
service providers, who are adding SD-WAN to
their portfolio of WAN offerings.
For example, a new AT&T SD-WAN service will
let businesses prioritize and route data across
their networks based on the performance
requirements of the applications. The offering,
powered by SD-WAN, will also let businesses
better manage their bandwidth. The SD-WAN
offering will come in two flavors: a network-
based offering and a premises-based solution.
Cloud-delivered SD-WAN technology from
VeloCloud, part of this new SD-WAN solution,
offers technology for true multi tenancy,
automatic link monitoring, auto-detection
of WAN and Internet providers and auto-
configuration of link characteristics, routing
and quality-of-service settings. QoS settings
are configured based on a database of more
than 2,500 applications, and helps determine
the best paths for applications based on the
business policies set by the customer.
In addition, the system provides resilience
that goes beyond both the public Internet and
traditional MPLS WANs, taking advantage of
real-time network performance to ensure that
performance-dependent applications, such as
To be discovered at
voice and video calling, are given the proper
priority and blackouts, brownouts, and
excessive delay and jitter can be remediated
quickly, with sub-second responses. SPS IPC DRIVES
For agile businesses, branch office
connectivity is not a luxury; its business- Hall 2 - Stand 419
Hall 10 - Stand 420
critical. SD-WAN introduces enterprise WAN to
the cloud era enabling quality of experience,
reduction in Capex and Opex while simplifying
branch WAN infrastructure.
Mike Wood is VP Marketing at VeloCloud. www.ewon.biz
/awesome
 Open architecture enables
Technology

edge-computing applications
Fragmentation and vendor lock-in are preventing companies from adopting IoT solutions to remotely manage
devices at the edge. There is a need for standard-based, flexible and modular device application frameworks
to develop IoT and edge-computing applications.

SOURCE: WSTERMO
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, together with a
steady decline of the price of sensors and devices,
has led to a constant increase in the number of
interconnected devices. Billions of devices will
reportedly be interconnected in the next years.
The fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0,
is based on the assumption that devices are
becoming smarter, thanks to advanced software
applications which allow simple and cost-effective
communications among them.

Edge vs. cloud computing

Traditional IoT cloud architectures are based
on physical assets which collect data and send
them to cloud data centers for further analysis.
However, for some field applications latency is not
an option. Data has to be managed at the field
level and response must be immediate, and cloud
computing might not be the best option. There
is a need to bring the data center to the field.
In addition, bandwidth and infrastructure costs
become an issue when huge amount of data need
to be transferred (e.g. via cellular connectivity); Java/OSGi-based building blocks for developing IoT applications.
local data management is usually limited to some
filtering, triggering or averages in order to make
distilled information. Gateway initiative (OSGi) model can speed application development at
Reducing system architecture complexity is a key success factor in the IoT edge-device level, as well as offer advanced remote management
IIoT applications as well as turning field devices into edge computers. capabilities not available through traditional embedded agents. As a
They become able to process data and apply intelligence, so that matter of fact, still some of the agents are often constrained on specific
only the data which have already been analyzed are published to the hardware and mostly hard coded in C/C++, preventing developers to
cloud. This simplifies business applications development and leads to apply changes (they are rarely allowed to access some APIs to set
increased productivity. Moreover, bringing IoT application development a few parameters). Those agents cannot ensure advanced remote
to the field implies that edge computing can reduce the gap between management capabilities. Remote maintenance, over-the-air updates
information (IT) and operations technology (OT). and upgrades are difficult to perform, and developers often have to
Interoperability between the factory and the office becomes possible start from scratch to upgrade the devices.
thanks to IoT edge devices that securely connect the service platform At the edge-device level, a more robust and open device application
layer with the factory environment. These powerful edge devices, or framework is desirable to enable advanced device management
next generation gateways, become bridges for IT/OT communication features. A Java/OSGi-based application development framework
that benefit both layers. IT has a direct and remote access to field offers a portable, modular and flexible solution to easily communicate
processes and devices, whereas OT can interact with data analytics and with cloud-based management platform and develop advanced IoT
other advanced applications to optimize production processes. applications for remote monitoring and control.

Java and OSGi for edge computing platforms
Even if some effort has been put in place in order to provide some
standards and common protocols there are still some barriers that are
responsible for slowing down the process of adopting IoT solutions such
as vendor lock-in and fragmentation. At the edge, things connect
to field machines through sensors, actuators, controllers, agents and
gateways. There are numerous cloud platforms for data storage and
analysis, and in several cases, each of them has its own communication
protocols. Therefore, IoT solutions are usually tied to specific vendors,
generating deeper fragmentation between IT and OT.
Java-based device application frameworks in the Open Services
Advanced device management
Companies are interested in more advanced remote management
capabilities and broad access to a wider range of parameters to
control field devices. For example, a multi-national manufacturing
company would want to remotely access data coming from its plants
distributed worldwide, in order to monitor them and perform predictive
maintenance and software updates, thus reducing maintenance costs
and optimizing the production line. This kind of advanced device
management can be achieved with an edge-computing platform,
and Java/OSGi is the best way to ensure open standards, modularity,
flexibility and a standard interface.

28 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
 OSGi is a modular platform Virtualized devices are now
for Java that implements a ready to be connected to the

Technology
Case Study
complete component model, cloud. This is possible thanks
providing modularization to a Cloud Service API which
of Java applications manages data collected by the
and infrastructure gateway and publishes them
allowing components to a remote server via the
to communicate locally MQTT protocol. A store-and-
and across a distributed forward functionality provides
network with a vendor- out-of-the-box support for
independent approach. As connecting to different IoT
a result, developers have cloud providers, allowing the
access to a coherent IoT development and deployment
services architecture based of IoT gateway solutions that
on specifications that are are not tied to a particular
highly scalable for long-term vendor. In addition, the API
remote management and Visual IoT application architecture for connecting field devices to the cloud. simplifies the implementation
maintenance. As an OSGi of more complex interaction
deployment bundle, Java-based applications can be remotely managed flows such as request/response or remote resource management and
and easily configured. By adding and/or removing new application offers a policy-driven publishing system to abstract the application
bundles it is easy get directly into the application management layer. developer from the complexity of the network layer and the publishing
An edge-computing platform deployed this way, by means of its Java/ protocol used.
OSGi-based applications architecture, allows the developers to easily From a security standpoint, the platform offers an extensive security
manage various parts of the device from an application standpoint. management set of services to provide a secure application execution
Developers do not like fragmentation. They prefer to develop and environment, to reduce risks related to remote management of field
manage their apps in the same way across different edge devices, devices and to simplify the management of certificates, keystores,
whether it be a Raspberry Pi or custom-built hardware, it should be application signing and system integrity. Additionally, a VPN client
managed in the same way. Using a hardware abstraction layer on top service allows system administrators to access the devices using a
of an OSGi-based container and Java Virtual Machine (JVM) simplifies secure VPN connection via Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular modems.
application development and optimizes portability across systems and
hardware architectures. Leveraging a proven architecture and software Technology report by Eurotech.
building blocks that provide extensive services, an edge-computing
platform will allow shorter device software development. Once this
standard software platform is in place, processing valuable data
becomes easier than it has ever been before. Moreover, integrating
Eclipse Kura (a Java/OSGi based open-source project for IoT applications
development) means preventing vendor lock-in and guaranteeing the While you look ahead
protection of the software investment.
we have an eye for the rest.
Simplifying edge-computing application development
After providing the Eclipse Foundation with the Kura programming
code, Eurotech enhanced it and realized a commercial version for
the development of IoT applications at the edge-device level. Basic
requirements for effective and integrated IoT applications are:
Connectivity to field devices
Virtualization of field assets
Connectivity to IoT cloud services
The platform simplifies the communication between the edge-
computing device and the devices by employing a single model: it
Nuremberg
comes with pre-installed field protocols libraries (Modbus and OPC-UA, 28-30 November 2017
for instance), so that a common format can be reused across different Hall 9, Stand 231
devices. Thanks to a device abstraction layer, it creates a digital twin
of the device, by providing APIs to connect to I/O interfaces of an IoT
gateway, such as Serial communication (RS 232/485), Bluetooth 2.1
and 4.0, BLE, USB and CAN Bus. 360 Network Reliability
The virtualization of field devices enables visual development of IoT for Smart Factory Automation
applications. The Wires programming environment offers a modular
3 industrial protocols with one-click setup
data flow programming tool to define data collection and processing
2 installation options: DIN-Rail and Rackmount
pipelines at the edge by simply selecting components from a palette 1-page configuration dashboard
and wiring them together. This way users can, for instance, configure
Moxa Solutions. Protected, easy, intelligent.
an asset, periodically acquire data from its channels, store them in the
edge device, filter or aggregate them using powerful SQL queries, and
send the results to the Cloud. Different components are represented as www.moxa.com
wired nodes and added and connected with drag-and-drop, freeing
the developer from programming any code.

1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k 29
ME_AZ_FA_IEB_85x120mm+Stoerer_E_DU010917.indd 1 07.11.17 14:23
 Single-pair balanced Ethernet
Applications
Technology

transmission for IoT applications

The mega trends in communication technologies, and their impact on associated cabling philosophies,
are being influenced and driven in no small way by the emergence of the IoT, Industry 4.0 (I4.0), cloud
computing and smart technologies -- ultimately leading to new connector and cabling solutions.

ETHERNET IS THE LEADING NETWORK PROTOCOL

SOURCE: HARTING
in LAN applications and is increasingly
gaining ground in new areas. At the start of
the Ethernet era in the early 1980s, coaxial
cabling dominated (thick Ethernet yellow
cable, thin or cheap Ethernet), from the 1990s
the focus shifted to cabling solutions based
on symmetric cabling (twisted pair) and fibre
optics.
Initially, twisted pair cabling relied on
two-pair cables. This utilized a wire pair as a
transmission and reception line (100Base-TX).
This principle, limited to a transfer rate of
100Mbit/s, still represents the main transfer
principle in industry and automation systems
technology today and is often achieved using
star-quad cable designs.
In order to achieve higher transfer rates of
1 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s, a transfer technique
was selected, which requires four symmetric
pairs in connection with 8-pole connectors.
Now, lets discuss the transfer of Ethernet
with a single strand pair, in other words, a
Overview of co-action of standardization bodies to strengthen cabling guidelines and technology.
solution that quite obviously runs contrary to
the technical development of Ethernet and its
associated cabling. At the same time, data transfer should routes in vehicles. The solution is called:
This article deals with the background of remain cost-efficient. For devices, cables and single-pair Ethernet for transmission distances
these developments, with the technical details connecting hardware this means they must up to 15 m or 40 m.
and the normative activities as well as the achieve higher performance, be smaller and This Ethernet technology has since been
applications for single-pair Ethernet. We stronger as well as possess a high degree of published in the standards (Gigabit Ethernet
consider the performance of new chipsets and modularity and compatibility (exchangeability over single-pair balanced copper cabling) and
discuss the classification of single-pair cabling and plug-compatibility). These demands can 802.3bw 100Base-T1 (100 Mbit over single-
with respect to existing two and four-pair only be fulfilled through innovation, i.e., pair balanced copper cabling).
versions as well as future n-pair cabling. new development of products with consistent To achieve simultaneous transmission of
international standardization. data and energy, PoDL was also defined under
Mega trends in communications Another trend in network technology and IEEE 802.3bu (Power over Data Lines = a
The development of new communication cabling is the increasing use of Ethernet principle suitable for single-pair transmission
technologies and their associated cabling protocols in new application areas. This for remote powering).
philosophies, are influenced and driven in no includes many automation protocols and, On the basis of these standards chipsets,
small way by the current ICT mega trends, such increasingly, sensor/actuator applications. devices, cables and connecting hardware are
as IoT, Industry 4.0 (I4.0), cloud computing Numerous traffic and transport platforms such now being designed, developed and produced
and smart technologies. as rail, tram, bus, ship and aircraft, are fitting for integration in private cars.
This leads to new demand profiles regarding their fleets with Ethernet. Cabling for private cars focuses on a
communications technology and the network While Ethernet has been successfully transmission distance of up to 15 m and, in
infrastructure behind it, based on cables and employed, in particularly for passenger general, needs to be produced in unshielded
connectors. information systems and for WLAN services for form due to weight and spatial constraints.
Demands include: high availability, short many years now in the methods of transport Larger vehicles such as trucks and buses
access times including distributed data mentioned above, it remained more or less require longer transmission distances of up
and fast transport of this data from A to B. unused in the private car/truck market for to 40 m and, due to the associated higher
Secure transfer of large datasets in different a long time. The automobile industry has EMC requirements, need to be fully shielded.
application areas up to determinism (real-time now recognized the advantages of Ethernet In fact, the latter single-pair shielded
transfer and, for example, guaranteed data and started an initiative to develop Ethernet transmission distance also has other
transfer within a defined timeframe). protocols for short-distance transmission non-automotive application groups and

30 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
has piqued the interest

SOURCE: HARTING
of manufacturers. This

Technology
is because, in general, Cross-section of SPE cable
shielded single-pair
Ethernet cabling offers 1. Conductor:
all of the features Uncoated Cu (stranded), AWG26/7
required to fulfil the
mega trend described 2. Isolation stranding element:
above. They are fast, 1 Cell-PP, wire : NW 1.25 mm, pair
space-saving, cheap and
3. Alu-coated polyester film, metal-side
simple to implement. 2
For this reason, external (PiMF)
industry, whose 3
automation profile is 4 Tinned Cu-meshing, optical covering
now largely based on 4 approximately 90%
1000 Mbit Ethernet
(100BASE-TX), is 5 5. Halogen, flame-resistant compound
showing increasing
interest in solutions
with single-pair New designs offer the ability to transmit Ethernet according to 1000Base T1 over a single-pair cabling channel.
Ethernet. In fact, within
building automation
developers are actively considering the via a 15 m UTP channel (Type A, unshielded) Therefore, a technical report is being
different possibilities provided by integrating and a 40 m STP channel (Type B, shielded) prepared under the title TR ISO/IEC 11801-
single-pair Ethernet within the hierarchy and is defined. Both channels are specified for a 99xy One Pair Channels up to 600MHz, which
structure of contemporary building cabling. bandwidth of 600 MHz, may contain up to four describes shielded single-pair transmission
Then there are also numerous other application connections and guarantee a transmission channels. The target applications are the
areas, which present attractive opportunities capacity of 1 Gbit/s. so-called non-automotive segments or
for the development of single-pair Ethernet. IEEE 802.3bu Physical Layer and Industry 4.0, IoT and smart lighting in the
The interest in single-pair Ethernet also Management Parameters for Power over Data style of IEEE 802.3bp.
reflects a general trend in standardised Lines (PoDL) of Single Balanced Twisted-Pair These transmission channels allow
network cabling, and diversification of Ethernet bidirectional transfer of 1 Gbit/s by using a
structured cabling for specific application Analogously to PoE (Power over Ethernet), balanced pair up to 40 m with simultaneous
areas. this also specifies the parallel provision of energy supply of end devices.
ISO/IEC JTC1 SC25 WG3 currently includes energy up to 50 W via single-pair Ethernet The transmission channels typically consist
activities or projects which deal with the channels. of a permanent link 36 m in length which
realisation and implementation of the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC25 WG3 currently includes incorpo-rates up to four connections and
technical results of IEEE 802.3 within activities or projects which deal with the two 2 m long patch cords. This document is
structured building cabling. realisation and implementation of the scheduled for completion in 2018.
technical results of IEEE 802.3 within As part of the restructuring and updating
Single-pair transmission channels structured building cabling. of ISO/IEC 11801 standards series (as 3rd
What do the standards activities look like for
single-pair Ethernet communication?

SOURCE: HARTING
First of all, standardisation is a continuous,
dynamic process, which develops and publishes
new standards, revokes existing papers or
updates and launches new standards projects.
Therefore, this white paper is just intended to
be a snap shot of the state of standardisation.
Standards activities in IEEE802.3 define the
Ethernet transmission protocol and define the
minimal requirements for link segments (link
segments are not identical but similar to the
transmission channel of cabling). ISO/IEC JTC1
SC25 WG3 defines the required cabling and in
doing so relies on the component standards
for cables and connectors, which are given in
the IEC standards groups.
As already mentioned, the following IEEE
802.3 standards have already been published:
IEEE 802.3bp 1000 BASE-T1 Physical Layer
Specifications and Management Parameters for
1 Gb/s Operation over a single Twisted Pair
Copper Cable.
In this, single-pair Ethernet transmission Cabling design standards on European and international level scheduled for 2018/19.

1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k 31
 edition) it will also be determined in which combine Gigabit Ethernet performance,

SOURCE: HARTING
application-specific parts an addition with transmission reliability, optimal
Technology
Technology

single-pair shielded balanced cabling is handling and remote powering as well

technically and economically feasible. as space and weight savings.
Initial consideration seems to suggest The normative basics have already
this is so for ISO/IEC 11801-3 (industrial been defined in IEEE 802.3 Standards
applications) and ISO/IEC 11801-6 for applications within the automotive
(building automation). Publication is and non-automotive sectors. For the
expected in 2018. respective non-automotive applications,
At the same time, the cabling the planning orientation incorporated
specifications allow the requirements for within the international standards of
the components, cables and connectors to ISO/IEC and IEC is used. The respective
be derived. This is performed for cables in standardisation projects have been
the IEC SC46C standards committee and started.
for connectors in the IEC SC48B standards The compact design of the device
committee (SC = subcommittee). connectivity and the Ethernet
compatibility according to IEEE802.3
Cables for 1 Gbs over one pair offer device development, e.g. within
These international standards titles automation as well as sensor and
describe cables that are suitable for IP20 and IP67 T1 connector design studies for SPE. actuator production, a networking
transferring 1 Gbit/s over a balanced concept that represents a simple
pair. Application areas include office, home according to 1000Base T1 over a single-pair change from bus- to Ethernet technology.
and industry. cabling channel. This allows Ethernet to penetrate further
The use of 4-pair data cables should also On the one hand, this protocol can be into the field level, reduces enormously
be possible, which are capable of operating 4 transferred using existing four-pair cabling times for parameterisation, initialisation
single-pair transmission channels. This feature according to category 7 / transmission class and programming and expands the range of
is also known as so-called cable sharing. The F (specified up to 600 MHz) or according to functions of devices.
transmission parameters should be defined category 7A / transmission class FA (specified Single-pair cabling saves space, installation
for a frequency of up to 600 MHz. This up to 1000 MHz) according to the relevant time and costs. At the same time new
international standard should be published by qualification and with consideration of the applications are tapped, which were previously
2018/2019. length restriction of 40 m. This opens up the reserved for cable-based infrastructure. After
IEC 61076-3-125: Connectors for electronic option of cable sharing, which allows several the internet and Ethernet have connected
equipment - Product requirements - Detail single-pair Ethernet services to be transferred people, computers and machines both in terms
specification for 2-way, free and fixed using a four-pair cable. of space and time, this is now also happening
connectors for data transmission up to 600MHz On the other hand, and this is generally with objects and things. The backbone of
with current carrying capacity the case, new single-pair cable and connector this new technology is provided by, amongst
Following the application areas and products are created to serve new single-pair others, single-pair balanced copper cabling.
performance of the single-pair cables, the cabling structures on the basis of single-pair With this it becomes clear that the connection
two-pole connectors are being standardised Ethernet. Important points for the design of between single-pair Ethernet technology and
up to min. 600 MHz. Standardisation of the the cabling components include: is more prevalent within the mega trends of
connector means that the mated interface will Impedance 100 , bandwidth 600 MHz IoT and I4.0 than in cloud computing and big
be fully defined. Definition of the interface and the associated fixed parameters, data.
ensures plug compatibility and guarantees such as insertion loss, return loss, alien Single-pair Ethernet represents an important
that products from different manufacturers cross-talk etc. technological progression, but is still only an
can be used. It is expected that various Complete shielding to ensure addition to existing Ethernet technologies
designs of single-pair connectors will then be transmission quality under extreme EMC that use multi-pair copper cables or fibre
available in safety class IP20 to IP65/67. The conditions optics and will not replace them.
publication of this standard is also scheduled Single-pair cable with the smallest
for 2018/2019. possible outer diameter (space and Final thoughts
weight savings) for fixed and flexible Single-pair Ethernet cabling opens up new
Balanced transmission channels installation application areas, such as in industry and
The theoretical basis for designing a Two-pole connectors in the smallest represents a useful addition to existing
40 m channel with single-pair cabling has possible design form for use in IP20 four-pair cabling systems. Therefore, single-
already been worked out. This means that the and IP65/67 environments mutually pair Ethernet particularly supports trends
interested manufacturers of electronics and compatible plug interfaces. such as IoT and I4.0. In particular, single-
cabling have all the necessary information pair Ethernet can provide an important
on the development and design of chipsets, Conclusion and outlook technological basis to the further development
cables and connectors at their disposal. The increasing network requirements driven by of multi-pair cabling within the development
The first chipsets are already available on the demands of I4.0 and IoT rely on innovative of cloud computing.
the market. However, a range of new products, and application-specific solutions. Single-pair
which offer optimal support for the individual Ethernet offers a solution for cable-based Matthias Fritsche, Product Manager Device at
applications, are still expected. Accordingly, communications infrastructure. Particularly HARTING, Rainer Schmidt, Business Develop-
devices fitted with single-pair Ethernet are for application areas in industry and building ment Manager for HARTING and Yvan Engels,
expected within two to three years. There management, this represents a smart addition Strategic Market Development / Standardization
are basically two ways to transmit Ethernet to the communications landscape, which BU Datacom, LEONI Kerpen GmbH.

32 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
 IIoT best practices: guidelines

Technology
for MQTT architectures
MQTT has three distinct features that make it an ideal IIoT protocol: low bandwidth, TLS security and
stateful awareness. Among protocols in the pub-sub category, MQTT provides a foundation for building new
architectures as long as users follow best practices and effective technical guidelines for implementation.

SOURCE: INDUCTIVE AUTOMATION

MQTT decouples devices from applications and reduces bandwidth usage. Devices connect directly to a MOM, or the MQTT server, where data is gathered.

THE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION INDUSTRY is
benefiting from the incredible opportunities
made possible by the Internet of Things
(IoT). While the IoT has shown incredible
promise within the corporate and consumer
environment, the true value of the IoT can
be found in the industrial space, and the
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
The thirst for industrial data has ignited
this IIoT movement to bring operational
technology (OT) up to speed with its enterprise
counterpart, information technology (IT). This
movement aims to overcome hurdles that have
handicapped the growth of the industrial
world, and to connect data across a wide
network throughout an organization.
The IIoT unlocks data, clearing the way
for easy access and shareability. By working
with IT, OT can leverage the scalability and
flexibility of open technologies to access and
share all types of data with every level of an
organization. In this article, well provide
some best practices when approaching new
IIoT infrastructure projects.
New IIoT infrastructures
There is a lot of hype about the IIoT and many
organizations want to leverage the benefits it
promises. However, for many organizations,
the path to technological adoption seems
unclear, and some still question if IIoT will
ever happen.
Fortunately, with current and emerging
offerings, organizations can actually take
full advantage of IIoT today. Before making
the leap, though, they should recognize that
legacy devices are still in use. Planning and
patience are required as your team moves
forward with an IIoT solution for your
organization. As the old saying goes, look
before you leap.
Build a parallel infrastructure
There are still hundreds of millions of
proprietary legacy PLCs and devices being
used by organizations today, and they will
continue to be in use for many years to
come. Upgrading all of these devices would
be incredibly cost-prohibitive. It would also
be very difficult to just switch to a new
technology, because making a quick switch
could result in a catastrophic failure and loss
of revenue.
The best approach is to build a parallel
infrastructure alongside with your existing
installation and gradually transition
devices from your old system to a new IIoT
infrastructure. Many systems are critical in
nature and upgrades could cause outages,
which are unacceptable. Building a system in
parallel allows you and your organization to
compare data from your established system
with your new system. The gradual approach
helps to make sure your new system works,
and is stable before making a complete
infrastructure transition.
Allow time for testing
Migrating to a brand-new IIoT system of
a large magnitude requires thought and
thorough planning. This is a process that
shouldnt be rushed or taken lightly.
Taking your time affords the ability to
test your system. As your company gradually
builds new infrastructure, testing along the
way makes sure that communication is stable.
Furthermore, if a failure occurs while you
install your new infrastructure, the current
system is still available, mitigating any
downtime.
As your team begins developing a plan for
your new IIoT infrastructure, you should start
looking at which communication protocols to
use in your infrastructure. The protocol chosen
will determine the IIoT devices and software
for your infrastructure. Take the time to
understand the needs of your organization and
how your current system is setup. The final
solution you choose is a large commitment.
Once implemented, your infrastructure will be
in place for many years to come.
In the next section, well look at MQTT and
why it is an ideal communications protocol
for IIoT.
MQTT as IIoT messaging protocol
The entire IIoT solution will heavily depend
on the protocol selected, as it is the backbone
of your system.
Most common IIoT protocols fall into two

1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k 33

Technology
Cirrus Link MQTT modules leverage a rich feature set and SQL database capabilities to take existing equipment and systems into a robust IIoT infrastructure.
categories. One category is the publish-and-
subscribe (pub-sub) protocols which connect
and publish data to a topic on an intermediary
broker. MQTT, AMQP, DDS, and XMPP are
examples of pub-sub protocols.
The other category is the poll-response
or client-server protocols, such as Allen-
Bradley, Omron, and Modbus, in which clients
continually connect to the server and make
requests to determine if any data has changed.
Of the two categories, which one should
your team choose? To effectively build a
highly scalable solution with a high level
of efficiency, it is best to adopt a publish-
subscribe communication protocol. Rather
than connecting applications directly to
devices, publish-subscribe protocols decouple
devices and allow applications to connect to
middleware. Through middleware, the system
can connect any application that requires data
from any device without placing any heavy
demands on the network.
From the list of available protocols in the
pub-sub category, we highly recommend using
MQTT. More than just a protocol, MQTT is the
foundation for building new architectures,
making IIoT a reality today.
MQTT communications protocol
While MQTTs recent emergence into the
limelight may suggest that its a brand new
technology, MQTT has been around for quite
some time. In 1999, Dr. Andy Stanford-Clark
of IBM and Arlen Nipper invented a messaging
protocol that was mainly intended for
real-time, oil-and-gas SCADA systems. At the
time, operational technology and information
technology were two separate worlds. Unlike
IT, bandwidth in OT was neither free nor
unlimited.
In an effort to circumvent the
communication limitations of OT, MQTT was
designed to be a lightweight, pub-sub protocol
that economizes on bandwidth. However, the
34
true value of MQTT is now found in its ability
to decouple edge devices from applications
that need the data. Traditional poll-response
communication protocols can eat a lot of
bandwidth without providing any real value.
MQTTs pub-sub method allows devices to put
data on message-oriented middleware (MOM).
Instead of applications constantly checking
devices for any value changes, applications
can connect to a MOM and subscribe to the
important data that they need, including
device state information.
Since MQTT has proven to be a formidable
communications protocol, its use has gone far
beyond the oil and gas industry, and it has
emerged as the de facto standard for IIoT and
M2M messaging. In the Eclipse Foundations
2016 IoT Developer Survey, 80 percent of
the respondents chose MQTT as the leading
protocol for IIoT. MQTT is becoming more
available as manufacturers begin to embed
MQTT onto their devices. With so much interest
in MQTT, it is safe to say that MQTT is the best
choice for your IIoT solution.
MQTT the ideal protocol?
MQTT has three distinct features that also make
it the ideal IIoT protocol: low bandwidth, TLS
security, and stateful awareness.
Limited bandwidth presents a serious
challenge to IIoT, especially for remote
locations, which is why MQTT is the perfect
solution. It is a lightweight, low-bandwidth
communications protocol that uses a pub-sub
methodology. Poll-response protocols send
and receive a lot of repetitive data which can
take up an unnecessary amount of bandwidth.
MQTT employs a MOM which decouples devices
from applications and thus reduces bandwidth
usage. Devices connect directly to a MOM, or
in this case the MQTT server, where data is
gathered. Applications then connect to the
MQTT server, getting an update whenever there
are changes to the data.
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
SOURCE: INDUCTIVE AUTOMATION
The second important feature is the use
of a cryptographic security protocol called
Transport Layer Security (TLS), which provides
communications security over a computer
network. TLS aims to provide privacy and
data integrity between two communicating
computer applications. It is designed to
prevent eavesdropping and tampering. By
using TLS, MQTT establishes a secure, private
connection via a handshake process. Once a
connection is made, data is encrypted and
transmitted between the client and the server.
If the handshake fails, data is not transmitted.
In addition to providing low bandwidth and
a high level of security, MQTT has a useful
feature called stateful awareness. While current
SCADA implementations purely transmit data
from devices, MQTT also sends the device
state data about the health of the device or
network connection. This is important for
remote locations because it enables operators
to determine if network connections are
operational or devices are unavailable.
As we dive deeper into the best practices for
IIoT, we will discover that stateful awareness
is one of the key ingredients to a successful
IIoT implementation. Next, lets look into the
importance of stateful awareness and how to
implement MQTT.
Built-in stateful awareness
With its low-bandwidth publish-subscribe
methodology and TLS security, MQTT has
proven to be a formidable IIoT communication
protocol. Another feature that is critical
to your IIoT infrastructure is the stateful
awareness that is built into MQTT.
Stateful awareness is important for SCADA
systems, especially for remote installations.
Knowing the health of the device and the
network connection helps to mitigate any
downtime and ensures data is being shared
with all levels of an organization. By having
stateful awareness, data becomes more stable,
11.2017
reliable, and contextual.
Most enterprises still depend on legacy poll-
response communication protocols to be able
to know the state of the network connection
between devices and the SCADA system. Un-
fortunately, devices must be polled frequently
to determine whether or not a network
connection is good, which can put a strain
on the system.
Stateful awareness in MQTT
MQTT has stateful awareness built in and it
is the only stateful architecture available. It
is designed with a last will and testament:
if the device stops working and falls off the
network, then the MQTT server will publish
a death certificate and the device will be
marked as being unable to publish data. On
a larger scale, with thousands of devices
connected to the MQTT server, it is important
to know within seconds the state of each
device: whether it is online and ready to
publish data or if it is unavailable.
Lets say that youre using the Ignition
platform with an MQTT server and an MQTT
client. When a device connects to an MQTT
server, it registers its state and then it
registers its last will and testament. Ignition
and the MQTT client will know that the devices
are online and will deliver information if and
when it changes.
In the event of hardware failure or
environmental issue, the MQTT server will
publish the fact that the device is no
longer available. In Ignition, those tags are
represented as stale data and the device is
marked as unavailable. When the device comes
back online, it republishes its birth certificate.
The MQTT client knows that the device is
available, and Ignition shows the updated tags
and the devices availability.
Awareness improves processes
Stateful awareness is a subtle but powerful
feature of MQTT. There are many MQTT
implementations that are stateless, but for
SCADA implementations, stateful awareness is
essential. MQTT uses reporting by exception
(RBE), which is made possible by stateful
awareness. Data is only sent when there are
changes to the state of the device or when
data values change, which reduces the amount
of useless data taking up bandwidth resources.
Knowing the device state is valuable since
it helps to provide context to the data.
Operators, especially, can keep track of devices
and quickly pinpoint any trouble spots without
having to send a technician out to a location
to verify an issue. On the organizational level,
data can be verified to be up-to-date and
accurate.
Ways to implement MQTT
Now that we have established that MQTT is the
ideal communications protocol for your IIoT
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
system, our next step is to look at ways to
start implementing MQTT. There are three main
strategies to transition your SCADA system over
to MQTT: converting existing devices to MQTT,
enabling existing devices to communicate with
MQTT platforms, and embedding MQTT directly
onto devices.
The first strategy is to convert legacy devices
to use MQTT. An edge-of-network device is
designed to communicate with legacy devices
using their native protocol. The edge gateway
then connects directly to an MQTT server. The
poll-response is moved to the local level, and
data is converted to MQTT and published to an
MQTT server. This strategy is ideal for current
installations using legacy equipment and
traditional poll-response protocols.
The second strategy is to enable edge
devices to communicate with MQTT platforms
using the Sparkplug specification from Cirrus
Link Solutions. Cirrus Link provides open-
source software, tools, and the Sparkplug
reference specification to allow applications,
sensors, devices, or gateways to seamlessly
integrate with Ignition using the Cirrus Link
MQTT modules.
The third strategy, which is appropriate
for newer installations, is to use devices
with MQTT already embedded into them.
Manufacturers have begun to offer devices
that have the Sparkplug specification enabled,
making them ready to install and connect to
your MQTT server and to the rest of your IIoT
implementation. In this strategy, these edge-
of-network devices do not require a separate
edge gateway since the MQTT functionality is
already built in.
Now that we have established the
importance of stateful awareness and how to
implement MQTT, we can turn our attention
to edge-of-network devices, which act as a
bridge between PLCs and the MQTT server or
broker. This capability makes them a critical
component in the MQTT architecture and IIoT
infrastructure.
Redundant edge gateways
Regardless of whether a location is local
or remote, connectivity can pose a major
challenge. Local locations tend to rely on
hardline connections to transmit data. Remote
locations rely on wireless services such as
cellular or satellite. In either case, the main
communications conduit could potentially
fail. As a best practice, especially for mission-
critical systems, make sure to integrate
failsafes and install redundant edge gateways.
Edge devices and gateways
Edge gateways are a type of edge-of-network
device. Edge-of-network devices are a key
component in MQTT architectures, providing
an entry point into an enterprise core network.
Edge devices can include routers, routing
switches, integrated access devices (IADs),
multiplexers, and a variety of metropolitan-
area network (MAN) and wide-area network
Technology
(WAN) devices. An edge gateway can be
thought of as a combination of a router,
network box, terminal server, and a net- work
arbitrator.
As their name suggests, edge gateways live
at the outermost edge of a SCADA system. With
an abundance of legacy PLCs and devices still
using poll-response communication protocols,
edge gateways act as a bridge to connect to
these legacy devices, converting them to
MQTT, enabling them to communicate to MQTT
servers, and allowing enterprise networks to
access the data.
Redundant edge gateways
Putting in failsafes is a must for the SCADA
transition. The data youre collecting and
sharing is important and any failures can
lead to negative effects on your organization.
Because edge gateways are critical, adding a
redundant edge gateway is a best practice.
It is also highly recommended that you add
redundancy to your IIoT infrastructure as a
whole. Make sure there isnt a single point
of failure that can cripple your operation.
You should add redundancy at every point
in the system where data is published. Make
sure you have edge gateways that are able
to communicate via cellular and satellite. Set
up multiple MQTT servers and use all available
channels to make sure data is available at all
times.
Always have backup systems
Redundancy is crucial for your IIoT
implementation, especially when you have
installations in remote geographical areas.
Having a failsafe ensures your data is safe and
available when it is needed the most. If there
are system failures, having backup systems
ensures smooth operation and minimizes
downtime, which could save your organization
thousands or millions of dollars.
The key to a redundant architecture is to
take advantage of multiple communication
channels. Having a hardline system is always
preferable, but having a wireless backup such
as cellular or satellite ensures your system has
continual coverage to ensure your valuable
data is safe and your system keeps running
smoothly. Next, well discuss options for the
edge devices, MQTT servers, and MQTT clients
in your MQTT architecture.
Use MQTT modules for IIoT apps
MQTT is an incredible communications protocol
that is ideal for your IIoT infrastructure. Yet,
you still need an industrial platform that fully
takes advantage of MQTT and brings IIoT
together. With Cirrus Links MQTT modules,
Ignition becomes the ideal IIoT platform. The
Cirrus Link MQTT modules leverage Ignitions
rich feature set and superb SQL database
35
 capabilities to take existing equipment and
systems to create a robust IIoT infrastructure.
Technology
Depending on specific needs, be it an edge
gateway, an MQTT server, or enabling MQTT
functionality, the Cirrus Link MQTT modules will
create a solid solution. Ignition architectures
with MQTT are comprised of several elements:
edge devices, MQTT servers, and MQTT clients.
Each of these elements plays an important role
in your ability to take a legacy system and
migrate into a cutting-edge SCADA system.
Edge-of-network devices
The edge-of-network device is the first
important component of the MQTT
architecture. Edge devices which include edge
gateways (also known as directors) allow you
to communicate to legacy devices such as
PLCs and RTUs, to collect tag and state data,
convert it to MQTT, and publish that data onto
an MQTT server. Edge gateways, along with
MQTT, allow you to decouple devices from
applications, thus improving bandwidth usage.
There are four methods for implementing an
edge-of-network device. The first method is to
use a dedicated edge gateway to bridge legacy
devices to new devices or to an MQTT server.
The second method is to install a brand-new
edge device that natively communicates
via MQTT. Several manufacturers are now
embedding the Sparkplug specification
onto their devices, allowing for direct
communication with an MQTT server.
The third method is to use the Cirrus Link
MQTT Transmission Module on an Ignition
server. The module turns the server into an
edge gateway, allowing you to collect and
publish edge data to the MQTT server. The
fourth method is to use Edge MQTT, a limited,
lightweight solution that turns touch panels,
client terminals, or virtually any embedded
PC or field device into an MQTT-enabled edge
gateway.
MQTT servers
The second piece of the architecture is the
MQTT server, often called the broker. This
is where the message-oriented middleware
(MOM) resides. All edge-of-network devices in
the MQTT architecture publish MQTT tag and
state data to the MQTT server.
The MQTT server then enables MQTT clients
to securely connect and subscribe to the
devices published data. Since MQTT is an open
standard, there are many companies making
their own brand of MQTT servers. For example,
theres AWS IoT from Amazon, Azure IoT Hub
from Microsoft, and Chariot from Cirrus Link, as
well as HiveMQ, CloudMQTT, Red Hat AMQ, and
VerneMQ. There are many options to choose
from, whether it be a locally hosted or cloud-
hosted solution.
As a best practice, use the Cirrus Link MQTT
Distributor Module. The MQTT Distributor
Module is launched by the gateway and is a
36
small, self-contained MQTT server. It provides
you with a complete MOM solution that is best
suited for an on-premise MQTT infrastructure
with a limited number of edge-of-network
devices.
The module provides rapid development and
is ideal for situations where communications
are restricted or costly. Its designed to
simplify and speed up the process of getting
a complete MQTT infrastructure going. Its also
very effective at increasing data throughput
for high-performance plant-floor solutions.
MQTT clients
The third piece of the MQTT architecture is
the MQTT client, which connects to the MQTT
server and subscribes to one or more topics of
information, bringing that data right into an
application. While there are many MQTT client
tools available, it is recommended to use the
Cirrus Link MQTT Engine Module for Ignition.
The MQTT Engine Module is the key component
that enables Ignition to act as a native MQTT
citizen.
The MQTT Engine allows the platform to
communicate bidirectionally with MQTT-
enabled edge-of-network devices via the
MQTT server, which can be sent securely all
the way down to the device. It takes data from
the MQTT server and injects it into industrial
SCADA applications.
Now that we have covered all the available
options, resources, and best practices, it
is time to look at how to bring everything
together. In the last section, well take a look
at the best migration strategy to take when
implementing an IIoT infrastructure.
Optimal IIoT migration strategies
Migrating to a new IIoT infrastructure takes
time and careful planning. As we discussed in
the first best practice, you must approach the
migration transition slowly. There are many
pieces involved with an IIoT infrastructure and
when you factor in the added complexity of a
legacy system, you need a slow transition to
ensure that downtime is minimized.
Many organizations face a Catch-22
when implementing a SCADA infrastructure
upgrade. Current SCADA solutions still use
the poll-response protocol drivers that are
directly connected to field devices over a
communications channel or a TCP/ IP network.
Because of this, they cannot replace or upgrade
the poll-response protocol on the SCADA host
until the new protocol is in the field and, vice
versa, they cannot upgrade devices until they
have a new protocol on the SCADA host.
Best way to migrate systems
There is a proven four-step migration strategy
that uses the Ignition platform, the MQTT
Engine Module and an edge gateway.
The four steps are installing an edge
gateway, starting the poll-response, enabling
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
MQTT local masters, and switching over to the
pure MQTT solution.
Step 1: Install and set up an edge gateway,
such as an Elecsys Director. The edge gateway
acts as a TCP/IP cellular, VSAT, or Ethernet IP
endpoint. In this step, you are setting up the
edge gateway to communicate with PLCs or
edge devices using the poll-response protocol.
The edge gateway then connects to an MQTT
server using a TCP/IP link and sends collected
data via the MQTT protocol.
Step 2: Start the conventional poll-response
by connecting to the internal terminal
server and keeping poll-response going.
You will enable both the serial and Ethernet
connections between Ignition and the field
devices using the edge gateway.
Step 3: Enable MQTT local masters. Once
the conventional poll-response protocols
have been enabled, legacy SCADA users can
start to see the conventional use of Ignition.
The resulting parallel communication system
can compare values coming in from the
conventional poll-response and publish-
subscribe of MQTT.
Step 4: The system is now ready to switch
over to a pure MQTT solution. Once the
organization is happy with the final, pure
MQTT infrastructure, you can remove the OPC
poll-response components. This will greatly
simplify the network topology and creates a
clean and pure MQTT solution. Furthermore,
since the solution provides a plug-and-play
SCADA system, it is easily scalable and can
quickly grow with your organizations needs.
Best practices recap
To recap the best practices for a successful
IIoT implementation, we recommend:
Planning the strategy and adding to
your infrastructure in pieces, giving
opportunities for testing and making
sure everything is working.
Choosing MQTT as your IIoT messaging
protocol since its feature set is ideal for
an IIoT infrastructure.
Leveraging stateful awareness to
help maintain the health of your IIoT
infrastructure.
Employing a redundant strategy
throughout your solution.
Using advanced technology in the MQTT
engine, transmission and distributor
modules to simplify integration.
Finally, following the optimal migration
strategy to ensure a smooth transition to
a new IIoT infrastructure.
The best practices discussed in this article
are proven methods for success. Even with a
legacy system, the solutions offered reduce
friction and offer the resources needed to
move an existing installation into a state-of-
the-art IIoT and SCADA solution.
Technology report by Inductive Automation.
11.2017
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IEB103_p37.indd 37 08.11.1745 12:25

 Industrial web-based computing:
Technology

is data intelligence finally here?

Fog computing and cloud computing are no longer strictly processing partitioned, which leaves more power
in the control centre at quite minimal costs. Another key advantage is that no longer are very powerful
computers needed, nor is there a need for high levels of human intervention or even monitoring.

DATA INCLUDING TEXT, PICTURES, RAW BITS

and bytes that tell humans things has been
around for a long time, from the early grunts
and cave drawings, to the printed word.
Making sense of it all and to put data to
use, on the other hand, takes understanding
and processing. Processing needs a brain or
a computer to give us information. Why? The
amount of data can be huge and to bring it
down to a manageable size may lose points of
interest, so encapsulating that data in a wider
sense with understanding of where the data is
from and what it is about helps enormously in
forging solutions.
The UK Meteorological Office takes 10
million observations on the weather every
day but if you watch a weather forecast the
information presented rarely takes more than
5 minutes. How is this done; by targeting the
audience and encapsulating the raw data in
information packets, packets which have been
processed, analysed and organised in order to
provide succinct details.
An interpretation of this is much like one
word being able to insinuate many ideas;
the term congested road gives the picture
of a traffic jam or could simply be a road
containing many cars difficult to pass, would
this also lead to frustration and anger? If we
add just one further idea of congested urban
road then just that one extra piece of data
puts the visualisation into context and makes
clear the thought on the subject.
This leads to the preposition that digital
data can provide intelligence. In software the
idea of concatenating bits into binary arrays
where a 16 bit word contains digital flags
indicating many things, can be carried further
by defining an object structure of say Door
Operation, a door being opened or closed
and a time for how long the door has been
opened or closed. Add to the structure who
opened the door and then an extrapolation
may be made as to why the door was opened.
Such situations are seen as data providing
intelligence rather than being intelligent in
its own right. What if we pass to a centralised
core not real time data but extrapolated data
on the subject?
First, let us provide some definitions
on which we can more easily describe
the segmented parts of the subject under
discussion.
Using a ring topology can automatically correct standard errors and faults in the transport layers.
The cloud
An ethereal place of residence on networks
circling the globe, and today, of near orbit,
where servers and storage can be found and
used for data derived in a more physical world.
Provided and patrolled by an invisible though
powerful entity, the community at large, it
is very much indefinable though effectively
easily usable.
Cloud Computing
By having the processing carried out in
the cloud by multi-user and powerful
computers it alleviates the cost of having a
powerful computer in the local environment;
optimising machine cost and, to some extent,
development costs due to the application
frameworks or Applications as a Service, more
commonly today referred to as Software as a
Service (SaaS), provided by cloud computers.
Such points as regular backups and
validated recovery mechanisms are benefits
to this method of computing but there are
ongoing regular costs to take into account
also for such things as bandwidth usage and
amount of data storage.
Fog
In the Operational Technology (OT) world
the fog is so termed as it is, like the climatic
condition, is close to the ground or, more
precisely, close the real world interface layer
at the edge of the industrial topology used to
create effective plant networks.
SOURCE: MOXA
Fog computing
As the name implies, this is processing done
on the data but the computing engine is close
to the edge or at the point of data collection.
Unlike cloud computing this is very much
under the control of the application developer
and it is usually left to the developer to not
only implement it in the system but also to
ensure ancillary services such as connectivity
and backups are maintained as well.
Grammar
Akin to language we now look at how data
can be visualised more succinctly. The very
definition of grammar is placing meaningful
words in a correct contextual sense whereby
accepted words of the language are used
within an accepted boundary, the context.
This also provides the implicit facility to
have the same word having several different
meanings and raises the question as to how
we can utilise similar techniques with the
processed data both to aid understanding but
also ease the necessary processing to achieve
optimum usage and efficient deployment in
the network environment.
Shrink boundary & extend the area
It would seem incongruous to attempt to
take a circle and shrink the circumference
but increase the area covered by the circle.
Here we now move between the physical
world and the metaphysical, or possibly more
understandably, the modelled world.

38 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017
 SOURCE: MOXA
Technology
The reaction of the fog is far faster than that of the cloud, so even with a catastrophic failure the motor can be stopped in highly distributed control systems.

To take as an example a CNC machine which
has detectors applied monitoring such data
points as the size of the material to be worked
on, the speed of the cutters, the temperature
of the cutters, the temperature of the material
being worked, the position of the cutting
head, the power used in moving the head.
Those data points are our circle of the world
the CNC operates within but what else can we
achieve from these?
Obviously this close to the edge the
processing needed is required to act in real
time but only small applications are needed
with the objectivity detailed in small chunks
of processing. This can be achieved with
small RISC computers such as Moxas IA260 or
even the UC-8100 series which, in addition,
have the ability to communicate wirelessly as
required.
The fog computers themselves can receive
the real world data in standardised format
such as Digital IO or serial packets but having
networking connectivity can also receive
seemingly impossible paradox of both
removing the need for more sensors (shrinking
the boundary) as well as monitoring the whole
process more fully (extending the area). In
order to do this we need some processing
power to apply the necessary algorithms but
the question of the moment is, does this apply
intelligence to the data as the data points
are transformed from explicit data to implicit
information?
Clarify the picture
Taking a system as a whole entity we then come
to the question of how to define the details
of the needed processing and efficiently make
use of the system parts. For the most simple
of system the partitioning is straightforward
to utilise the whole attributes abilities to the
full or even not to take any heed of them.
However, for the more complex systems we
must understand in full how each system
attribute could be utilised most efficiently. So
what are these attributes? A typical list could
include the following.
At the fog or edge, the real world monitoring
and control data that will be passing through
the transport. For this, the cyclic parameter
must be determined; the cycle time obviously
must be sufficient for system accuracy but
also automatic failure detection and aspects
needed to overcome such failures.
Any processing that is to be applied in the
fog has to be sufficient to achieve the above
desired results. File storage and retrieval
times, computer bus speeds and ability to
be placed automatically in burst modes,
processor speed alongside number of pipelines
and manipulation of apparent parallelism by
kernels.
Latency and jitter imported to system
efficiency by all transport parts brought about
by the transport protocols in use.
Towards the cloud, the sufficiency of
buffering and local storage that can overcome

SOURCE: MOXA
digital format data such as in Modbus/fieldbus
format from serial to Ethernet converters as
well as Iologik IO modules, each of which
themselves also have variants for native wired
Ethernet or wireless capabilities.
Can we optimise anything here to lower the
total cost of manufacture? Take the cutter
temperature, if we statistically analyse the
profile of the material being worked and the
temperature of the cutting tool we can then
make an assumption as to the temperature of
the material. From there we can control the
speed of the machine, the cut depth, as well
as the optimum wear of the cutting tool for
the process being performed and ensure the
material tempering is not affected by the
cutting process itself. With this method we can
then, as you see, achieve a level of condition
based monitoring of the tool as well as the
material.
In this example we have overcome the All layers of the communication and machine control network can use the same basic network technologies.

1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k 39

Applications
Technology
Effective monitoring systems on wide area networks (WAN) can be created by integrating a combination of field devices, wireless data logging and monitoring software.
connectivity outages for small time intervals.
At the cloud, the level of information that
is to be utilised to achieve the desired needs
of the first point.
We can now see that there is the possibility
to have a distributed management process
overseeing the system as we would want much
of the data transform to be carried out in the
fog. Information rather than raw data is passed
up towards the cloud, lessening the required
throughput and leaving less to be completed
in the cloud which, although having possibly
powerful computers may be used by many in
a virtual machine environment (to minimise
costs) and are more than likely not under our
tight control.
Let us take another example, in this case
one most have encountered in some degree
over time, that of aircraft operations. Today
this is a good example of distributed control
and monitoring as many countries have, or
are migrating their airspace management to,
a centralised system. Taking two aspects that
are important, we have weather and aircraft
position. Aircraft only make profit when they
are airborne. As an aside, we often think of
the hierarchical view of Command and Control
as the real world being at the bottom and the
overview being at the top. In this case, it
is the aircraft that are physically above the
control centre so in essence the physical and
metaphysical have been reversed.
Weather is reviewed on a long cyclic view,
40
as the weather at height is important, not that
at ground level, so satellite data is taken in
as well weather monitoring stations. It is the
aircraft themselves that could monitor their
own weather (by radar and pressure sensors)
and pass this as a more local and accurate
view to the control centres. The centres can
then have not only weather information as a
2D object but also as a 3D model.
Ground-based radars throughout the country
are monitoring the airspace and their data
can now be joined to provide 3D positional
informational which can be used to check the
position being fed from other sensors both
on the aircraft itself as well as other external
aids. By distributing the monitoring between
aircraft themselves, airfields and localised
positions, the information provided to central
air traffic controllers can be seen to be very
accurate and clean.
Notice again, as in previous examples that
the fog is providing information forward and
not just raw data. Information, a joining and
contextualisation of several data points, is
being used in preference to raw data.
But what can go wrong?
The mechanism of providing information
has one big disadvantage. The closer to an
overview picture we move the information,
the more diluted the data gets. Here we are
looking at the distinction already described
between data and information.
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
SOURCE: MOXA
Failure in a good way
Driving a motor at the correct speed
continuously needs accuracy as, in the real
world, many controllable and uncontrollable
factors can affect the speed; not least of
which are power surges, ambient temperature/
moisture changes, friction build up etc.
However, monitoring the speed over time
can give us an indication of the serviceability
status of the motor in that answering the
question of the current wear level will show
when the motor may fail.
We have already discussed that at the edge,
or in the fog layer, the processing needs are
for accurate, fast computers and introduced
RISC computers but Moxa also has Intel
Processor based computers which come in
several form factors and capable to operate, in
some variants in hazardous environments. The
V2000A series being targeted at rail transport
and DA Series specifically made for the energy
generation markets.
Alongside these are Panel PC models as well
as straight processing platforms in the marine
market. Such points then can be used to aid
defining the function partitioning; whether to
use the fog to process the data or the cloud.
The time needed to get information to the
cloud and make the decision as to whether the
speed is correct may generally be satisfactory
but is it efficient enough to actually introduce
speed control? The fog would be more efficient
to apply the speed control aspect with the
11.2017

Microsoft Azure IoT and OPC UA can work together to provide effective links between the private and public cloud.
cloud monitoring the serviceability state.
There is also a further aspect to this. That of
maintaining control even if errors or failures
are affecting the system. The reaction of the
fog is far faster than that of the cloud so even
with a catastrophic failure the motor can be
stopped, possibly reducing secondary damage
and hence efficiently allowing maintenance to
be more cost effective. On the other hand,
maintenance can also be made more cost
effective if the cloud monitoring the motors
information can calculate when it is expected
to fail and so schedule maintenance at the
most appropriate time.
When designing the system, we can also
implement mechanisms as ring topology and
use standard protocols to automatically correct
standard errors and faults in the transport
layers. Defined and standardized to make the
system rugged, such methods also can allow
different devices to interoperate and ensure
the rugged platform, and as such, data and
information integrity, is maintained.
Failure in a bad way
Always good engineering practice, the
designer will obviously cater for most, if not
every, failure condition that could be met
within the system. Devices can fail, wiring can
fail but such events can be catered for within
devices and their reporting facilities but today
the thing that should be to the forefront of
everybodys mind is cyber-security.
A forced, intentional failure could be
approached and caused anywhere in the
system if it is open to abuse, the designer
should cater for such in the design. The
level of security applied is of course going
to increase the TCO but when offset against
such a potentially harmful failure, which could
go undetected for some considerable time, it
is more optimum to implement safety and
security features than not.
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
The story begins
Everyone has recently started discussing cloud
and fog computing but in reality they have
always, relatively, been there. It is only now
that the terms have been given meaning in
the system function partitioning that clarity to
the uninitiated comes and helps to target the
system architecture design decision thought
processes.
System design can be seen to be based
around a simple derivation; the data that is
obtained from the real world, the information
the data forms and the use the information is
put to. Detailing the transform to information
at the edge is where the fog lies. The transform
actually clears the fog from the system, easing
sight of the overall picture or control needed,
allowing optimum use of resources such as
lessening the bandwidth needs of information
moving towards the cloud as well as aiding
the edge peer to peer use of the information
derived. Obviously, from such operations we
have now formed several aspects of the system
layer definition with time and effort to do so
making time to market less.
Take for example a water tank fed by
streams used to irrigate farmland. It is desired
to keep the water tank at a specific level to
ensure good pressure to the irrigation system.
Function partitioning is by functions looking
at items which can be controlled in the fog
and items which cannot be controlled locally
too well are pushed to the cloud. Water purity
and temperature are fed to the cloud but tank
level is monitored and controlled in the fog.
It would be pointless having an on/off
control for letting the water into the irrigation,
far better to have a variable opening which
maintains the pressure but controls the efflux
amount over time as the amount of influx
changes with the level of water in the streams.
In such a system the amount of data passed
to the cloud is far less than having all the
SOURCE: MOXA
Applications
pressure/level/efflux data passed upwards.
cloud processing and storage is far less and
so are cloud running costs.
Can data be intelligent?
We started this journey asking if data can be
intelligent. In most ways the answer has to
be no, as to exhibit intelligence processing
has to be involved. Intelligence in all guises
understood today would seem to point at the
need for an understanding of the end to end
needs but Artificial Intelligence is based on
many conjoined disciplines, not least of which
is that of system operation utilising operations
that behave akin to a neuron. A data point
becomes the data itself, some self-imposed
limits, feedback of the amortised data point
and its output. Effectively now we appear to
be on the cusp of data becoming intelligent in
its own right with little processing.
Add to this a data point becoming an
information point, where information is passed
through a similar neuron, as discussed the
raw data is diluted but the information now
aids a better overview and gives wiser system
usage and control. One of the better points of
all this metaphysical understanding is that,
with the power of quite small devices today it
is no longer the case that the fog computing
and cloud computing are strictly processing
partitioned. More, it leaves the control centre
with a newly acquired power at quite minimal
costs. No longer are very powerful computers
needed nor is there a need for high levels of
human intervention or even monitoring.
Look at the vehicle industry today. Cars
order their own spare parts to be replaced
at the next managed servicing period as well
as driving themselves. Intelligent data? Yes.
Possibly in a premature state today, but it is
definitely present.
Alan Harris, Field Application Engineer, Moxa.
41
 Fast roaming: a challenge
Technology
for industrial Wi-Fi applications
Fast roaming WiFi offers reliable and secure communication, especially for mobile applications. For train-to-
ground applications and automated guided vehicles, wireless IEEE 802.11 networks are suitable because of
long range and high data rates, and when participants can be moving over long distances at high speeds.
Application example of train-to-trackside communication.
IEEE 802.11 WI-FI WIRELESS NETWORKS are
used today in a wide variety of applications.
This technology is well known for its long
range and high transmission speeds. However,
fast roaming is a particular challenge for the
quality characteristics of Wi-Fi networks in
industrial environments.
Fast roaming is especially important when
the reliability and security of communication
in a mobile application scenario needs to be
unaffected. However, due to the complexity of
this application, optimizing a wireless network
for operation is far from straightforward and
offers technical challenges.
Wireless networks can offer many new
options for the implementation of industrial
applications. On the one hand, they offer an
easy-to-install option to provide facilities
in changing environments with network
communications.
On the other hand, the use of wireless
42
networks minimizes the cost of applications in
which wear and tear would damage or destroy
cable connections quickly. In addition, the use
of wireless communication systems becomes
mandatory whenever communication between
mobile clients needs to be implemented.
Thanks to their long range and high data
rates, wireless IEEE 802.11 networks are
suitable for the sophisticated application
scenarios of Train-to-Ground Communication
and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in
which the participants can be moving over
long distances at high speeds.
Factoring Wi-Fi network quality
The objective of train-to-ground
communication is to establish fast and
reliable signal transmission between trains
and the subway and track-side infrastructure.
The network on a train can connect WLAN
clients on the train via specialized Wi-Fi with
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
SOURCE: BELDEN
different access points along the route.
The communication range of the trackside
access points and the wireless network
on-train clients are particularly important for
the reliability and efficiency of such a system
since every switchover (roaming) of a client
between two different access points along the
route causes an interruption of the train-to-
ground connection. Hence, frequent roaming
degrades the connection quality, especially
when the interruption is long.
The network requirements for the AGV
application are very similar in terms of
coverage and interruptions. In this case,
vehicles are moving autonomously through
a manufacturing site to independently fulfil
various tasks.
The vehicles communicate with the
infrastructure about sensitive and time-
critical information necessary for autonomous
operation, such as receiving control
11.2017
commands. Thus any longer interruption on
the communication network might cause the
stop of an AGV which could lead to disruptions
in the manufacturing process.
The most important quality indicators
of how a wireless network can meet the
requirements of both applications are:
Packet loss rate: the percentage of sent
messages (or packets/frames) that are
not successfully received by the intended
recipient
Latency: the delay in transmission for
the delivery of a message via a wireless
connection
Data throughput of the wireless
connection: the ability to transmit a
certain amount of data within a specified
time
Interruption: a break in transmission that
takes place when a client roams from one
access point to another
Communication range: the area covered
by an access point or the seamlessness in
the coverage of a facility that determines
whether the Wi-Fi connections are strong
enough to reach all necessary locations
Generally speaking, the importance of
each parameter varies according to the
application. When it comes to train-to-
ground communication and AGVs, reliable
communication has top priority. The wireless
network must deliver a certain data throughput
with minimal packet loss at every point of the
area.
A standard requirement of a train-to-ground
installation is 20 to 80 Mbit/s data throughput
with less than 1% packet loss. Especially the
requirement on high reliability is similar
for AGV scenarios, since any interruption in
communication might cause the AGV to stop
its operation.
Quality of wireless networks
To ensure this reliability can be achieved,
the installation must have sufficient network
coverage; in addition, the interruptions of
a mobile client during the switch from one
access point to another should be as short
as possible (typically < 50 ms). Insufficient
coverage results in a stark reduction of the
data throughput, and frequent interruptions
that are too long lead to extreme packet loss.
For these reasons, an optimal mechanism
for changing the connection from the client
to the access points factors into these both
aspects. Roaming needs to occur as quickly as
possible and must be initiated precisely when
the client leaves the range of the current
access point and the next access point offers
a stronger signal transmission which leads to
a more reliable data throughput.
State-of-the-art technologies
Presently, there are various technological
wireless network capabilities to enable client
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
A mobile client on a train or AGV moves through the wireless networks of different access points.
devices to rapidly change between access
points. Since the security of the wireless
network should be ensured at all times,
including in scenarios with high mobility,
there should be no compromises of the
implemented security technology in favor of
faster roaming times.
Therefore, technologies for faster roaming
should always be viewed in the context of
the underlying security mechanisms. These
roaming enhancements are often specific to
special hardware or software features and
therefore are only available on certain wireless
network products. For example, the current
BAT devices of the Hirschmann access point
series support the following technologies:
Fast roaming
Although a mobile client moves through the
transmission range of several different access
points, the reliability of the communication
and the available bandwidth must be
guaranteed at all times. Ideally, to optimize
bandwidth, neighboring access points with
overlapping radio coverage should operate on
different channels to minimize interference. A
mobile client can connect automatically to the
access point with the best signal. Fast roaming
between wireless network access points has
been possible for a long time. Interruptions
of less than 50 ms can be achieved; however,
even faster roaming requires further technical
tricks and achieving such fast roaming times
with proper security is even more challenging.
Reducing scan times
When roaming between two access points,
an on-train client must first identify the
next target access point. This is not as
simple as it may sound, because in order
to avoid interference between adjacent
access points, these access points typically
operate on different channels, meaning
different frequencies. However, a client can
only communicate with access points on one
channel at a time. Therefore, when searching
for candidate target access points, the client
must deactivate its current communication
connection in order to search other channels/
SOURCE: BELDEN
Technology
frequencies for suitable access points.
A mobile client must therefore periodically
interrupt its established connection to scan
all eligible channels/frequencies to obtain
an overview of signal strengths of the other
access points in its environment. Only with
this information can a client decide whether
there is a possible connection with a better
quality than the present quality, and then
initiate the roaming process.
Depending on the trains speed and the
associated changes in the environment of
the WLAN client, the scanning processes must
be performed repeatedly. Since the active
connection cannot be used during these scans,
it is not possible for the client to transfer the
packets for the application during the scan
the network is not available whenever the
client scans. For this reason, scan processes
should be as short as possible.
Secure fast roaming
Whenever a client decides to switch its
connection to a different access point, it will
initiate the procedure for the fast BSS (Basic
Service Set) transition defined in the IEEE
802.11 standard, meaning the actual roaming
to the better access point. In consideration
of the highest WiFi security, fast roaming is
usually labelled as Fast BSS Transition.
The security of a WiFi connection can only be
guaranteed if a client properly authenticates at
the target access point when connecting and
if a valid key for this connection is provided
for encryption of the data packets. This takes
time and must be repeated with every roaming
process, unless special techniques are used.
Fast roaming is therefore only possible using
a faster authentication mechanism.
Over time, more and more (necessary and
important) security mechanisms have been
added to wireless networks, so that wireless
networks today are very secure. But this
security comes at a price: the connection
setup and connection switching between
access points is slower because the necessary
security parameters must first be negotiated
and exchanged. Here too, a certain level of
technical trickery is needed to create both
43

Technology
Application example of automated guided vehicle (AGV) communication.
secure and fast Wi-Fi when roaming. In order
to ensure both a fast and secure exchange, two
problems must be addressed:
How can the mobile client switch as
quickly as possible between access
points?
How can the time for the negotiation of
security parameters be minimized?
The following optimizations lead to a
significantly faster roaming while continuing
to maintain good security.
PMK (pre-master key) caching
The PMK Caching method also uses a full
authentication via IEEE 802.1X. However,
the client and access points store/cache the
negotiated keys and can reuse them for quick
access to their next connection. Nevertheless,
this method for fast roaming can only be used
to a limited extent, since a client would have
to log in to all access points in the system
for the roaming processes to use the stored
key information for a fast connection later on.
Pre-authentication
The Pre-Authentication method enables the
client to authenticate via IEEE 802.1X to
the next access point via the wired backhaul
network, independent from the actual roaming
procedure. This way, the client does not
communicate directly with the access point via
Wi-Fi but uses its currently active connection
with the wired LAN in order to connect to the
next access point.
During this early authentication process,
the Master Key is already negotiated between
the client and the access point, which
means that, when roaming at a later point,
the connection to this access point is made
without authentication.
Although this method makes fast roaming
44
possible, there are still some disadvantages: as
a requirement for Pre-Authentication, a client
must be able to predict with which access
point it will connect as early as possible. This
information may not be available in certain
circumstances, since a client would have to
scan the Wi-Fi channels in its surroundings
for access points often and continuously.
This in turn leads to loss of performance and
interruptions. Alternatively, of course, a client
can authenticate itself with as many access
points as possible, regardless of whether it
will connect with them later on. However,
since a full IEEE 802.1X process is required for
every authentication, this approach generates
a significant load on the authentication server.
Therefore, this Pre-Authentication method for
fast roaming has limited applicability.
Opportunistic key caching
The utilization of Opportunistic Key Caching
(OKC) can provide fast roaming without
generating a heavy load on the IEEE 802.1X
authentication server. The central approach of
this method is the managing of key information
for all access points by a Wi-Fi controller.
The Wi-Fi controller can distribute the
authentication information to all Wi-Fi access
points under its control. Therefore, a client
must no longer negotiate its own Pre-Master
Key for every access point but is able to use
the same Pre-Master Key for all access points
managed by the single Wi-Fi controller. The
Pre-Master Key will be negotiated during
the first IEEE 802.1X authentication. Thus, a
client must only complete a single IEEE 802.1X
authentication to any access point in order to
connect to all access points of the network.
For this reason, fast roaming times of 50 ms
are possible through the use of OKC, despite
the use of the full security of IEEE 802.1X.
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
SOURCE: BELDEN
IEEE 802.11r
A conceptually very similar procedure to the
Opportunistic Key Caching, 802.11r is specified
in the IEEE standard. A significant difference
between this specification and OKC is the
use of a defined key hierarchy at the Wi-Fi
controller and the connecting clients. Based
on this hierarchy, the access point and the
client are able to gain access to a part of the
necessary information for key negotiation.
System solutions
The software used for access points, clients
and WiFi controllers offers solutions for both
core challenges of fast roaming. On the one
hand, comprehensive configuration options for
scanning behavior facilitate efficient, optimal
roaming decisions. On the other hand, the
mechanisms for fast roaming in combination
with IEEE 802.1X authentication, such as Pre
Authentication, Opportunistic Key Caching,
and IEEE 802.11r are supported as well.
Reliability and security
Both train-to-ground communication and AGV
applications need reliable communication
between fast moving participants and the
stationary infrastructure. Based on the high
mobility and the specific requirements for
the data throughput with very low packet
loss, optimal fast roaming with the highest
WiFi network security is needed. Only with
optimization of the roaming behavior, and
with the very short interruptions associated
with it, can the target of low packet loss for
these mobile applications be achieved.
Dr. Tobias Heer, Technology & Innovations
and Dr. Bernhard Wiegel - Embedded Software
Development, Hirschmann Automation and
Control.
11.2017
Wireless access points
Siemens: Additions have been made to the
companys portfolio of network components with
the new Scalance W1788 Access Points, designed
to facilitate implementation of the current WLAN
Standard IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 in industrial
applications. Users will benefit from investment
protection for industrial networks, future-proof
wireless applications and projects in industrial
environments.
The standard will enable wireless applications
with high bandwidths to be implemented at
gigabit data rates, for instance, to transmit
video data or where a high user density is
involved. The integrated switch features two
managed Ethernet gigabit ports offering wide-
ranging networking possibilities such as link
aggregation.The industrial feature (iFeature)
iPRP (Industrial Parallel Redundancy Protocol)
ensures reliable redundancy via WLAN even in
tough ambient conditions.
Scalance W1788 uses MU-MIMO (Multiuser
Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology to
structure data flows and achieve higher data
transmission rates.
Wi-Fi gateway modem
Weidmuller: The WI-I/O-2-E-N-GBL wireless
networking I/O and Wi-Fi gateway accommodates
multiple I/O nodes and extends communications
to sensors and actuators in local, remote or
difficult to reach locations.
The gateway offers reliable and robust wireless
technology with multiple benefits for industrial
applications, including a simple web-based
user interface, and a standards-based wireless
protocol with a networking topology that is
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
simple to use and configure. Industrial ADSL/VDSL2 router
Product News
The new device can provide IP-based
networking across sprawling industrial
environments and includes built-in I/O capability
for digital and analog inputs and outputs. The
modem can be easily configured for use globally
via a built-in webserver.
The unit provides robust and secure two-way
wireless communications for challenging indoor
and outdoor industrial environments. An internal
radio transceiver is designed to operate reliably
even in applications with obstructed pathways,
using Weidmullers ProMesh redundancy
protocol. ProMesh networking provides mesh
node remote units the ability to automatically
detect available connectivity options and make
decisions based on link quality. It also offers the
ability to set fixed links, providing a high level of
connection reliability and redundancy.
Westermo: An industrial ADSL and VDSL2
IIoT gateway starter kit router/modem provides robust and secure
communications to remote industrial
automation equipment. The BRD-355 uses
the Internet to cost-effectively inter-connect
systems, allowing SCADA, HMI, PLCs and sensors
to communicate with each other. By providing
remote access to equipment, the BRD-355 helps
to remove boundaries, eliminates the need for
time-consuming site visits and creates a suitable
network infrastructure.
The BRD-355 has been designed to support
leased line replacement, analogue/dial-up
modem replacement, operating broadband over
ISDN and providing broadband for utilities. The
Moxa: To serve the needs of system integrators BRD-355 provides a fixed broadband connection
and engineers developing applications for the via ADSL or VDSL. Recent broadband protocol
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), a new IIoT technology changes by telecommunication
Gateway Starter Kit includes built-in support carriers has forced the industrial communications
for Amazon Web Services (AWS). This data- industry to adapt their solutions. The unit
acquisition-ready kit provides a ready-to-use supports most ADSL/VDSL2 communication
platform that simplifies development of IIoT standards including ADSL Annex J and VDSL2
solutions by providing all the essentials needed Vectoring. VDSL2 Vectoring enables data rates
to get data from edge devices to cloud services, to be doubled, helping users to achieve up to
with little to no programming required. This 100Mbit/s over copper cables. This is particularly
results in faster development, integration, and useful when fibre infrastructure is unavailable.
time to market, giving system integrators the
boost they need. NC integrated controller
The main component of the starter kit is
the ThingsPro Gateway, a ready-to-run data-
acquisition software platform that simplifies
the complex task of transferring edge data to
the cloud.
To simplify getting data, ThingsPro Gateway
provides a Modbus framework to easily connect
with Modbus RTU/TCP devices and SCADA
systems. It also includes extensive network OMRON: The NC Integrated Controller provides
support for 4G connectivity, wireless failover, G-Code functionality and numerical control
firewalls, and VPN to ensure that data can be functionality, enabling high-precision complex
easily and securely retrieved from remote field profiling and increasing the production capacity
sites. of processing machines.
To get data into the cloud, it has built-in client With changes and advancement of
support for services such as AWS IoT and Cirrus technologies, products with more diverse
Link Sparkplug. By integrating the AWS IoT and complicated shapes and materials are
Device SDK, ThingsPro Gateway lets a user set now increasing while product lifecycles are
up tags and devices on AWS IoT. becoming shorter. Along with these changes,
45
 manufacturing sites are facing challenges of
Product News
achieving more difficult processing at higher
productivity rates.
The NC Integrated controller provides both
NC and PLC functionality and synchronizes NC
processes and others at high speed. This will help
significantly increase the production capacity
of the entire machine. NC setting and G-Code
programming are added to the Sysmac Studio
which provides a true Integrated Development
Environment (IDE) for configuration,
programming, monitoring, and 3D simulations.
Function Blocks for NC make program structure
simple, even for synchronization between NC
process and others, cutting development time.
Unmanaged 8-port Gigabit switches
WAGO: Two new industrial unmanaged 8 port
gigabit switches have been added to its growing
switch portfolio.
Each of the RJ-45 ports support
10/100/1000Mbps speeds with auto-
negotiation and auto-MDI-/MDX detection.
Housed in compact enclosures of 50 mm, these
devices reduce the footprint of the control
cabinet. They each have an operating voltage
of 9 to 57 VDC and two LEDs per port for flexible
and easy-to-use operations. The 852-1112
style industrial switch is DIN rail mounted and
is powered with 24VDC.The 852-1102 industrial
switch offers dual power feeds for redundant
power capabilities as well as operations over
a wide voltage range and a monitoring alarm
relay. Differentiators between the two are as
follows:
The 852-1112 ECO switch provides the
following feature set: single power supply
connections and operating temperatures from
-32to 140F.
The 852-1102 standard switch offers:
redundant power supply connections, and alarm
relay, and operating temperature from -40to
158F. Both switches are offered at competitive
prices, allowing for flexibility in deciding which
works best for a given application.
Industrial IoT edge gateway
Robustel: Modular industrial IoT edge gateways
support various communication protocols to
facilitate fast application development.
46
The MEG5000 is flexible, easy to configure
and manage. It features three scalable cards
that support a variety of interfaces to meet
the changing demands of applications in the
industrial Industrial Internet of Thing (IIoT).
Thanks to quick deployment and simple
customization the gateway can be tailored to
virtually any industrial requirement.
Through edge computing, the MEG5000
gateway is able to process data right at the
network edge and in real time. It can therefore
collect, analyze and act on data more efficiently,
and it supports data optimization which is vital
in the IIoT.
When transferring large amounts of data to
the cloud over limited bandwidth, latency might
occur. MEG5000 supports up to 1300 Mbps Wi-Fi
speed ensuring that its edge computing power
helps to reduce data uploads by acting like a
local, edge-based cloud service tool.
Unmanaged Gigabit PoE+ switches
Antaira Technologies: The LNP-C500G
series is a five-port industrial gigabit PoE+
unmanaged Ethernet switch embedded with
4*10/100/1000Tx PoE+ (30W/Port) ports and
1*10/100/1000Tx RJ45 port. The small form
factor of this metal casing switch is 50% smaller
than the LNP-0500G series which allows for
more versatile implementations.
It is designed to fulfill industrial applications
that have small space requirements and need
high bandwidth capabilities such as security,
ITS transportation, power/utility, and water
wastewater treatment plants. This series also
works well in any other outdoor application
that is susceptible to extreme ambient weather
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
conditions. The LNP-C500G series provides
a 48~55VDC redundant power input with
power polarity reverse and overload current
protections. These switches also have high
electrical fast transient (EFT), surge protection
(2,000 VDC), and electrostatic discharge (ESD)
(6,000 VDC) protection to prevent against any
unregulated voltage. It can be mounted on
Din-rail and wall mountable orientations.
Condition monitoring for mobile
B&R: The modular X90 control and I/O system
can now be equipped with condition monitoring
functions. Problems can be detected in their
early stages and corrected before they result
in unplanned downtime. Condition-based
predictive maintenance can maximize machine
availability and save the cost of outages and
unplanned service calls.
The X90 module allows operators to
continuously monitor the status of mobile
equipment. The results help determine exactly
which components require maintenance and
when. Typical applications include continuous
monitoring of rotating machine components
such as hydraulic assemblies, belts, gears
and motors. The processed sensor data is also
available for further use in the application.
Protocol gateway devices
Advantech: The company has extended
its protocol gateway product line with the
introduction of two new EKI-1221IEIMB &
EKI-1221PNMB Protocol Gateway Series for
protocol conversion.
These new protocol gateway devices support
protocol conversion from Modbus TCP to
EtherNet/IP, and Modbus TCP to PROFINET.
11.2017
They provide a cost-effective solution and
enable seamless connection between different
devices with different protocols, and also
provide a high level of device management
efficiency.
The EKI-1221IEIMB and EKI-1221PNMB are
designed for reliable protocol extensibility and
seamless integration with existing network
devices. They offer a solution for efficiently
converting data from legacy devices and
reduce the possibility of costly software
programming errors.
With the addition of these protocol gateway
devices into existing network infrastructures,
customers can build a seamless data path
between otherwise incompatible network
devices and extend their useful life.
ONF Certified OpenFlow switch
Lanner: The company is partnering with
Brain4Net, a SDN/NFV solution vendor and
ONF member, to launch ONF-certified network
appliances, optimized by the B4N SwitchOS.
The network appliances in this collaboration
have successfully completed the certification
process under OpenFlow Conformance Testing
Program at the University of New Hampshire
InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), and
received the OpenFlow Version 1.3.4 Switch
Conformance Test Report. Lanners participating
x86-based appliances FW-8894 and NCA-5510,
along with B4N SwitchOS have become the first
OpenFlow switches that have passed extensive
rounds of testing and are able to guarantee
the highest level of product conformance
with OpenFlow specifications as well as the
ecosystem-readiness deployment.
Ethernet-based controller/drives
Advanced Micro Controls: An embedded switch
has been added to its line of Ethernet-based
integrated stepper controller/drives. It has
been designed to integrate with Allen Bradley
PLCs using the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP)
for communication, control and data gathering.
The embedded switch, added to the companys
EtherNet/IP integrated stepper drives, offers
support for Device Level Ring (DLR) installations
to provide a fault tolerant connection. AMCIs
powerful AC line powered stepper motor
controller/drives are self contained with their
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
own power supplies and are easily configured
and commanded through the PLCs existing
software, eliminating the need for a separate
plug-in card controller.
The embedded Ethernet switch in the
networked drives provide a network connection
for additional devices and eliminates the need
for an external Ethernet switch. DLR topology
provides a fault tolerant connection that can
detect a break in the network and redirect the
network traffic, maintaining communication
and system up-time.
IP65 Gigabit switches
Kyland Technology: A total of six managed
IP65 switches, specifically designed for train
networks, can also be deployed in other
applications in harsh environmental conditions.
Since the devices of the 86xx series support
routing, both subnets can be formed and
coupled with each other.
The switches have four Gigabit uplinks
(10/100/1000 BASE-TX) and eight, 16 or
24 Fast Ethernet ports (10/100 BASE-TX)
with M12 technology. Terminal devices can
be powered with PoE/PoE + via data lines.
Different redundancy protocols and security
mechanisms ensure high-availability and
secure data communication. A passive bypass
function guarantees that networks remain
functional even at multiple points of failure.
Further features of the switches, which can be
put into operation according to the plug-and-
play principle, include high shock and vibration
resistance, almost complete insensitivity to
electromagnetic interference and a temperature
range of -40 to + 70 C.
The switches provide industrial approvals
such as EN 50155 and EN 45545, and have a
metal housing intended for wall mounting.
SmartStart LTE industrial router
B+B SmartWorx: The SmartStart, industrial-
grade Wi-Fi-capable LTE machine-to-machine
(M2M) router is both cost-effective, and carrier-
agile.
SmartStart addresses the growing flexibility
needs of service providers and OEMs struggling
to connect unattended retail terminals and
Product
Industry News
remote devices in third-party locations. It
is also applicable for systems migrating to
LTE technology needing to connect to legacy
devices. In an effort to future-proof applications
and protect investments, SmartStart provides
fallback to 3G/2G technologies to ensure that
connectivity is reliable in areas where LTE is still
under development.
The SmartStart LTE router stands out in the
market when compared to similar LTE routers.
While other M2M devices are hindered by
carrier-specific support limitations, such as
only Verizon, only AT&T or only EMEA. Similarly,
SmartStart solves issues concerning LTE Cat 4
radio overkill, fixed power input, nonexistent
I/O, nonexistent Wi-Fi, annual software licenses
and more.
Industrial edge appliance
Opto 22: The enhanced groov industrial edge
appliance now offers OPC-UA drivers for Allen-
Bradley and Siemens PLCs, along with support
for MQTT protocol communications.
Added to the groov View software for web
and mobile visualization and the open-source
Node-RED development environment, the new
release offers engineers, technicians, and
developers a comprehensive set of tools for
edge deployment in industrial environments.
These new embedded capabilities are made
possible through forging close partnerships
with technology providers Inductive
Automation and Cirrus Link Solutions, and are
part of the Ignition Edge Onboard program.
Smart HART temperature transmitter
Moore Industries: A new member of its
Associated Intrinsically-Safe (AIS) family of
products has been enhanced with the release
of the THZ3 compact Dual Input Smart HART
Temperature Transmitter in DIN Rail Mount
housing with Associated IS sensor connections.
The intrinsically-safe -AIS option allows direct
connection of sensors located in hazardous
areas since it includes an internal intrinsically-
safe barrier in the front end of the THZ3. The
Universal mounting bracket easily snaps on
47

Product News
and off of 35mm Top Hat DIN-rails and standard
relay tracks. The THZ3-DIN with the -AIS option
is an associated apparatus suitable for mounting
in Non-Hazardous or Class I, Division 2/Zone 2
hazardous locations with sensor input terminals
connected to equipment or sensors located in
Class I, II, III, Division 1/Zone 0/1 hazardous
locations. Installation costs are reduced if an
associated apparatus like the THZ3-DIN with
-AIS option is used, since the intrinsically-safe
barrier is embedded in the receiving device.
Scalable computing for IoT data
Rockwell Automation: Three compute offerings
at the device level help operators make
faster, more informed decisions closer to the
source of information. Each offering allows
users to run applications in a Windows 10 IoT
Enterprise environment to gain better insight
into machines and equipment. The variety of
platforms also gives users flexibility to meet
individual application needs.
The Allen-Bradley ControlLogix compute
module allows users to add Windows 10 IoT
directly into the Logix system in existing
applications and provides high-speed access
to ControlLogix data across the backplane. As a
result, users can combine Windows applications
as close to the point of decision-making as
possible.
The Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5480
controller combines Logix5000 control and
Windows-based computing in one controller.
The controller supports Windows applications,
such as data collection, analytics and predictive
computations. It is designed for meeting the
demands of high-performance production lines
and information-driven smart machines.
Third, the Allen-Bradley VersaView 5000
48
industrial computers provide modern
visualization and data aggregation for smart
manufacturing. The computers use an open
architecture design, allowing users to install
software specific to their applications.
Connectivity software for IIoT
RTI : Connext DDS software ensures edge to fog
to cloud connectivity for secure and scalable
IIoT applications. Connext DDS 5.3 provides
connectivity software for building layered-
databus architectures and IIoT systems.
Typical IIoT systems require sharing data
across multiple networks, from the edge to the
fog to the cloud. For example, in a connected
hospital, devices have to communicate within
a patient or operating room, to nurses stations
and off-site monitors, to real-time analytics
applications for smart alarming and clinical
decision support, and with IT health records.
This is challenging for several reasons.
Built on the Object Management Group (OMG)
Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard,
Connext DDS 5.3 introduces support for the
recently finalized DDS Security standard. As a
result, devices and applications developed with
Connext DDS 5.3 will interoperate with those
that take advantage of future Connext DDS
versions.
Communication over power lines
Renesas Electronics: The new solution consists
of a PLC software modem (R9A06G037),
which manages the PLC communications,
and the RX651 microcontroller (MCU), which
controls the audio codec processing. The new
solution enables system manufacturers to
enhance security systems by incorporating
voice capabilities to an existing installation at
low cost. For a new installation that includes
various sensors as well as voice communication,
wiring costs can be reduced by approximately
60 percent while installation and maintenance
costs can be reduced up to 40 percent.
Facilities such as office buildings have a
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
variety of management systems installed
including climate control systems, lighting,
sensors of various types, building PA systems,
and security systems. In the past, each of
these systems would have required their own
dedicated wiring. Recently, trends have shifted
toward utilizing existing direct current (DC)
power lines in configurations where these
communication lines are shared with the power
system.
Fibre cables for Industrial Ethernet
HARTING: Fiber optic solutions are addressing
extremely tough environments. One new
solution for high data rates under extreme
conditions is an expanded beam cable assembly.
As a result, HD-TV is no longer a problem on
machines and systems because the fibre is
packed in a connector that cannot be affected by
dust, water or operation in harsh environments
environments.
Also, regular dis-connection and
re-connection of cabling in these environments
is less problematic compared to standard fiber
optic cabling. Even extending the length of the
optical connection is uncomplicated, and is as
simple as connecting an additional cable, with
no need to pay attention to the laying direction.
Thanks to the hermaphroditic mating face, an
additional adapter is not required. As a result,
the customer saves time and money, and also
the risk of having a mating face other than
needed at the end of the cable.
USB smart modules
Molex: Single port and dual port modules allow
for fast charging in automotive and commercial
vehicles.
The USB Smart Charge Modules are available
in both single port and dual port models.
Outside of the number of ports, the two
models are nearly identical. Each features
over-voltage, over-current and short-circuit
protection for safety. Both models also are
11.2017
equipped with a 2.4A output current, a battery
operating voltage of 9 to 16V, and can operate
at temperatures ranging from -40 to 85C.
Additionally, each have an automotive-grade
USB and are compliant to Apple MFI.
Support for Precision Time Protocol
Kithara Software: Support for the Precision Time
Protocol (IEEE 1588 v2) allows for the precise
synchronization of network participants with
Kithara RealTime Suite. PTP can be used for
image data alignment of cameras, determination
of exact measurement data or the execution of
parallel robotic tasks.
With the PTP stack, accurate timestamps
can be generated with deviations in the
sub-microsecond range for synchronization
of PCs. With a connection to GPS, computers
can be synchronized on a global scale. To run
the synchronization, the best master clock
algorithm (BMCA) can be utilized, which
will determine the participant with the most
accurate system clock within a network and set it
as reference for the other participants. With the
PTP stack, raw Ethernet as well as IP/UDP can
be used as transport layer. For high-precision
timestamping, a variety of PTP-compatible
network controllers are supported. The priorities
can be adjusted with the API.
Single & multitouch web panels
CANNON-Automata: Web panels are becoming
more and more important in the context of
Industrie 4.0. Web-based visualizations provide
access to the user interface of machines and
1 1. 2017 i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
systems from anywhere, at any time. The L1/
C1 automation panels in conjunction with the
WebVisu software offer a versatile platform for
web-based graphical user interfaces.
The web panels use the panels of the L1/C1
device series as a hardware platform. The over
10 different front units from 7" to 21.5" in 16:9
or 4:3 display format, which are available with
resistive singletouch or glass front with PCAP
multitouch, can be combined with different
system units. Variants with powerful 32-bit ARM
Cortex-A9 Multicore CPU, Intel Celeron or Core-i
CPUs are available. If required, front unit and
PC can also be operated separately from each
other via a single, up to 100 meter long cable for
video, touch screen and power supply.
Linux, web browser and Java-VM are the basis
for the use of the L1/C1 automation panels
as a web panel. Web browser and Java-VM
support HTML5/CSS and are optimized for
communication with web visualizations such as
CODESYS Web Visualization, ProconWeb, B & R
mapp View, TwinCAT PLC HMI Web, WinCC/Web
Navigator etc. Thanks to an integrated tool with
graphical user interface, L1/C1 web panels can
be easily and intuitively configured.
Layer 3 Ethernet backbone family
Belden: To meet the need for increased network
bandwidth and flexible future-oriented
solutions Hirschmann has designed a next
generation Layer 3 Ethernet backbone product
family: DRAGON MACH4000/4500.
Available in two major open variants, they
offer a maximum of 80 x 1Gb/s modular ports
and 8 x 10G fixed ports. The DRAGON MACH4000
family supports redundant internal power
supplies to increase device availability, and
low-cost future expansion is easy thanks to
spare slots for a total of 48 additional ports in
copper or fiber.
IoT gateway portfolio
Eurotech: A new ReliaGATE 10-12 gateway with
integrated LTE connectivity has been announced
including two expansion modules for extended
I/O capabilities and LoRa LPWAN connectivity.
The expanded IoT offering features LTE
connectivity for industrial and lightly rugged
applications.
ReliaGATE 10-12 is based on the TI AM3352
Cortex-A8 (Sitara) processor running at 1GHz,
with 1GB of RAM, 4GB of eMMC and a user-
accessible microSD slot. It provides a wide range
of connectivity capabilities, including LTE Cat 1
Product News
(available for Europe and North America), Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth Low Energy, and two Fast Ethernet
ports; other interfaces are two protected
RS-232/485 serial ports, two CAN bus, two
noise and surge protected USB ports, and four
isolated digital I/O.
ReliaGATE 10-12 is a low power (2W typical)
gateway with a wide range power supply (9 to
36VDC) and a wide operating temperature range
(-20 to +70C) making it particularly suitable for
demanding applications.
The gateway comes with the genuine Oracle
Java SE Embedded 8 Virtual Machine and
the Everyware Software Framework (ESF),
a commercial, enterprise-ready edition of
Eclipse Kura, the open source Java/OSGi edge
computing platform and middleware for IoT
gateways.
Remote connectivity HMI
Mitsubishi: The GT25 Wide HMI features remote
connectivity through the company's GOT Mobile
option.
GOT Mobile provides remote access via web
server functionality for production monitoring
and system operation. It is designed to monitor
controllers using web browsers on devices such
as tablets, phones and personal computers,
allowing machine operators, plant managers
and maintenance personnel to remotely monitor
and verify equipment status at any time from
anywhere.
The GT25 Wide HMI is equipped with two
Ethernet ports to physically separate the
information system network in the office from
the control system network at the production
site, creating safer and more secure network
architecture.
This high performance HMI also features a
built-in sound output interface, which provides
audio feedback, notifications and verbal
instructions to operators.
49
 Harald Bltand, king of
Private Ethernet

Denmark, Norway and Wireless

Harald was the the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod, and became king of Denmark in the
year 958. He introduced Christianity to Denmark and consolidated his rule over Jutland and Zealand. He
might be largely forgotten today, had he not had a bad tooth that appeared blue.

THIS BAD TOOTH LED TO King Haralds nickname

Bltand, which means Bluetooth. In 1941,
Swedish writer Frans Bengtsson included king
Bluetooth in his historical adventure novel
The long ships.
46 years later, a copy of this book landed
on the desk of Jim Kardach. He was a design
engineer at Intel, working on a short-link
radio technology. He proposed the name
Bluetooth for this new technology, as he
hoped that it would unite the different
communication protocols into one universal
standard, just like king Harald had united the
Scandinavian countries.

Hagalaz und Berkanan

This nordic origin is still present in the
Bluetooth logo, which combines the old runic
symbols Hagalaz und Berkanan.

The runic symbols Hagalaz and Berkanan form

the Bluetooth logo.

While the vikings conquered Scandinavia,

Bluetooth went on to conquer the whole
world. Today, the Bluetooth Special Interest
Group (SIG) has more than 30,000 members,
and experts assume that there is an installed PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA

base of nearly 10 billion Bluetooth-enabled

devices worldwide.

It started with headphones
The development of a short-link wireless
standard was initiated at Ericsson Mobile,
mainly to develop wireless headsets. The
engineers opted for short-wavelength UHF
radio waves in the globally unlicensed 2.4 to
2.485 GHz industrial, scientific and medical
(ISM) band.
Bluetooth is a packet-based protocol with a
master/slave architecture, where one master
may communicate with up to seven slaves. The
master defines the basic clock, with 625 s
The proud longships of king Harald and his Vikings
defined as one transmission slot. The master
transmits in even slots and receives in odd
slots, for the slaves it works the other way
around.
To ensure a reliable connection, Bluetooth
uses frequency-hopping spread spectrum
(FHSS), rapidly switching the carrier frequency
channels in a sequence that is known to both
transmitter and receiver. The inventors of
this technology are the Austrian actress Hedy
Lamarr, who had fled from Nazi Germany, and
composer George Antheil. They developed this
method to make US forces radio communica-
tions harder for enemies to detect or to jam.
Bluetooth divides transmitted data into
packets, and transmits each packet on one
of 79 designated Bluetooth channels. Each of
these channel has a bandwidth of 1 MHz, and
Bluetooth hops between these frequencies 800
times per second.

50 in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k 11.2017

IEB103_p50.indd 50 10.11.1745 15:21


PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA
Hedy Lamarr, contemplating frequency-hopping
spread spectrum technology
Originally, Gaussian frequency-shift keying
(GFSK) modulation was used, which limited
the bandwidth to 1 Mbit/s. The introduction
of Bluetooth 2.0 in 2004 allowed the use of
differential quadrature phase shift keying,
increasing the bandwidth to 3 Mbit/s.
Different flavours
With ongoing development, Bluetooth today
comes in three different flavours.
Classic Bluetooth, in Basic Rate or Enhanced
Data Rate, is still the dominant cable replace-
ment technology. It is what we all use for
wireless keyboards, mice, speakers and
headsets.
Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), introduced in
2010, is optimised to use as little energy
as possible. Powered by only a coin-sized
battery, it can often last for years. Almost
every smartphone or tablet today supports
Bluetooth LE.
The latest addition is Bluetooth mesh, which
was launched this summer. It is intended to
make the technology better suited for IoT
applications. Classic Bluetooth is a star-
topology in which all devices are connected to
a central hub, which limits the network range
to the furthest connected device. In the mesh
network, all devices communicate with each
other, which makes the area covered by the
network almost unlimited.
Beyond wireless speakers
So what can Bluetooth do beyond connecting
speakers or keyboards to our tablets and PCs?
To find this out, the Bluetooth SIG organizes
the annual Imagine Blue Awards. Designers
develop solutions that push the boundaries of
wireless connectivity. Here are some creative
projects from the Imagine Blue competition.
i n d u s tr i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
IEB103_p50.indd 51
Bluejay
After Sara Du got lost in the mountains, she
developed the concept of Bluejay, a combina-
tion of software and hardware that is able to
find missing people. Bluejay is a drone that
uses an onboard Intel Edison computer and
Bluetooth technology to communicate with
both people in need of rescuing and rescuers.
While cellular service may fail in such
situations, Bluetooth would still function, so
the drone could communicate with cell phones
and facilitate rescues.
PHOTO: SARA DU
TrackR
While we may not get lost at home, our car
keys sometimes do. Thats where TrackR comes
in. It creates a virtual floor plan of a users
home and helps track frequently misplaced
items. After attaching the coin-sized TrackR
bravo to keys, wallet or phone, the TrackR app
can locate it in seconds.
One smart feature is that the app even helps
you find items that you misplaced outside
your home through a crowd-sourced network.
11. 2017
When another TrackR user is within Bluetooth
Private Ethernet
range of the lost item, the owner will receive
a location update. Also, the app records the
last known location on a map, so at least you
know where to start searching.
Novalia
The Novalia project brings touch-based inter-
activity to virtually any printed material.
Paper thin self adhesive touch sensors from
printed conductive ink are combined with a
microcontroller module that handles processing
and Bluetooth communications. Touching the
sensors controls apps on a smart phone or
laptop. A single CR2016 coin cell powers the
system for up to one year.
Using this technology, Novalia created what
the world had been waiting for a long time:
The first playable pizza box DJ decks. The Pizza
Hut boxes come in a design modelled on a
modern DJ set-up. They feature two turntables,
a cross-fader, pitch volumes, cue buttons and
the ability to rewind the music. The decks
sync via Bluetooth to the users smartphone
with DJ software such as Algoriddims DJAY Pro.
The sound is produced from the smartphone
or computer, which can be linked to external
speakers.
The DJ decks work by sensing human touch
through conductive ink and can differentiate
between taps, long presses and even swipes of
the finger in any direction. This allows music
and pizza fans to mix and scratch their own DJ
sets by tapping and sliding their fingers over
the controls.
Its really a shame that this was only a
one-off promotion and limited to just a few of
the Pizza Hut restaurants.
Let us know if there is interest in a DJ-enabled
edition of Industrial Ethernet Book magazine.
Leopold Ploner
PHOTO: PIZZA HUT
51
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