Industry 4.0: Connecting sensors and actuators to the network

So it does not matter whether machines communicate with an adjacent machine in the same factory hall or with a machine in a factory on the other side of the globe. In the future, it will also become easier to address third-party systems. Web technologies – such as HTML5 and JavaScript – are equally used in HMIs. As a result, the same code can be run on all devices for the first time ever. The only thing that it needs is a browser. This lightens the workload of the software department because the application only has to be programmed once, and only minor adaptations for the various devices’ relevant screen resolutions and operating concepts are required. At the same time, it increases the application’s benefit many times over for the reason that the end customer can run them on their preferred device.

What does all of this mean for a control system? Since the HMI runs in the browser, it needs access to the control system’s sensors and actuators to enable it to display and influence their statuses. Sensors, for their part, send actual values to servers, which are either located within the factory or in the cloud. The data are stored in database systems there and processed by intelligent algorithms. Because these data are exchanged through the use of web technologies, the control system must consequently master these protocols.

Indel Inco V, the fifth generation of the Indel communication stack, implements these requirements elegantly. Indeed, each fieldbus participant has a unique IPv6 address and masters the necessary Internet protocols – fully in line with the Internet of Things. The sensors and actuators are therefore connected to the network directly and, if required, exchange data with other machines and even with web participants. GinLink, Indel’s Gigabit Ethernet fieldbus, ensures swift data transfer. Its bandwidth of one gigabit per second, which is unusually high for Industrial Ethernet, means it can effortlessly transfer these data side by side with the real-time data. This renders additional cabling unnecessary. All communication is optionally encrypted (TLS 1.2), and since not every user is allowed to view and influence the system’s features, user login – which Inco V implements by means of OAuth 2.0 – can be requested.

Inix V, the fifth generation of the Indel service tools, includes pure HTML5/JavaScript applications. This means that they run on any PC, smartphone, tablet and embedded system with a current browser. Moreover, all the tools can be integrated in the customer’s HMI and, thanks to CSS, can be adapted to the customer’s own company colours. They access the control system’s data directly via Inco V. In the factory, the service and operating staff use these applications on their smart devices (such as a smart watch) and can access all the relevant production data at any time – no matter whether they are in the factory hall or in the break room.