This step is the key to getting to the industrial Internet.

Source：Updated：2018-05-14 08:15:26

As is known to all, Ethernet has become the most widely accepted standard for communication protocols for family, enterprise and data center network connectivity and interoperability. However, due to its determinacy, timeliness and reliability, traditional Ethernet is not suitable for industrial data communication.

For example, the CSMA/CD mechanism exists in Ethernet. When the network is in conflict, it needs to constantly resend the data, which brings challenges to the real-time network. In addition, due to the harsh working conditions and serious interference between lines, Ethernet reliability is greatly reduced.

So, because at the beginning of the design of Ethernet is not starting from the industrial network applications, has prompted the major manufacturers in the field of industrial control of industrial Ethernet protocol developed for industrial control products, such as Siemens Profinet, schneider Modbus TCP/IP, Ethernet/IP, and EtherCAT rockwell, Powerlink, the CC - Link and so on. And industrial Ethernet, compared with the traditional Ethernet, field bus, such as real-time, transmission rate and other aspects of the obvious improvement.

However, these proprietary industrial Ethernet protocols still face bottlenecks, even though they are more than sufficient to meet machine movement control.

Because when cloud computing, big data technology gradually infiltrated the industrial areas, industrial data communication is no longer limited to machine to the sensing layer, also is not limited to machine to machine, but extended to the, application of cloud and richer connection with people. More type and more vast amounts of data need to transmit and process, for the data processing chain is longer, including in the edge of the side, including the cloud, including and enterprise production system and management system through step by step.

Therefore, how to deal with the connection and transmission of mass data through higher bandwidth, how to achieve more precise deterministic control and lower delay is still a great challenge for industrial manufacturing. Therefore, a broken communication protocol, and the standard of service for unified data link, are more important for the future of industrial manufacturing.

The "unification" of industrial data communication

TSN (time-sensitive network) + OPC UA (OPC unified architecture) is the best partner for building a comprehensive communication infrastructure from sensors to the cloud.

The working principle of TSN is preferred (IEEE P802). 3br) mechanism to give priority to packet priority in transmission. This means that the key data does not have to wait for all non-critical data to be delivered before it starts, ensuring a more determined, faster transmission path. In essence, TSN establishes a set of new standards that enable Ethernet to be real-time and deterministic.

Based on providing passes on the network communication of high uncertainty and low latency, OPC UA, provides a platform-independent service-oriented architecture (soa), which defines the unified standard and the information model, can implement equipment and equipment, equipment, and enterprise, as well as the interaction between different manufacturer's equipment.

It passes + OPC UA combination provides a real-time, high uncertainty and truly independent of the communications network equipment manufacturers, will be in bandwidth, security, interoperability, delay and synchronization, etc, bring great improvement.

, for example, in the operation of data acquisition, transmission and production in the factory, will need to the scene of the energy consumption of machine status, production, quality, production of related parameters acquisition, with passes on + OPC UA, data need not through the PLC controller, the SCADA system, MES... You can connect directly to the cloud. As a unified format of data transmission, OPC UA can be deployed both in the sensor layer and the cloud platform layer to maintain the unity of the whole stack information model.

That is to say, TSN+OPC UA, like the unified standard of the emperor qin shi huang, completely unified the service standard of data link, which is to completely unify the nearly 100 fragmented communication protocols of the industry. A unified, effective data structure is no less a contribution to the development of digital society than that of the first emperor of qin.

To achieve this unity, will inevitably cause a series of disruptive joint reaction, the pyramid structure of traditional industries in large probability will be broken, directly into a flat structure, need not through layer upon layer equipment, data can be directly "leapfrog" through the data analysis and application.

TSN+OPC UA seamlessly integrates IT and OT.

Of course, the application of TSN+OPC UA in the industrial field is still in its infancy, and more and more industrial suppliers, ICT manufacturers and chip suppliers are also accelerating their testing and verification.

At the newly held hannover industrial fair in 2018, several organizations and manufacturers jointly launched a test verification for the application of TSN+OPC UA scenario. Including industrial Internet industry alliance (AII), Avnu alliance, edge computing industry alliance (ECC), Fraunhofer FOKUS, huawei, schneider electric, hollysys, national instruments (NI), Mr Calais (B&R), TTTech, think bollen communication (Spirent Communications), such as more than 20 well-known manufacturers, international organizations and industry jointly issued the Internet contains six industrial scenario of the passes + OPC UA intelligent manufacturing test bed.

Europe's biggest applied science research institutions Fraunhofer institute for association - open communication system (Fraunhofer FOKUS) Alexander Willner, says Dr "since the advent of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), optimization of the industrial automation process of the strengthened.

The exciting integration between OT (operation technology) and IT (information and communication technology) will bring interesting innovation experiences. The combination of OPC UA and TSN enables the industry to realize real-time information exchange and interoperation. The scenarios demonstrated in the joint test bed demonstrate our respective technological advantages, and we are excited about the future of digital networks.

In the last layer, control layer to the information from the spot, the best solution is to use similar products supplier just easy integration and penetration, but now, by the enterprise competition caused by the sign of "artificial boundary has been broken, because whatever product type, brand and function differences exist, can easily achieve from bottom to top through and integration.

, of course, in the industry for passes on + OPC UA rage is not because of its high with high reliability, real-time performance so simple, more importantly, rewrite them through industrial communications infrastructure, really opened the door for intelligent transformation.

Whether Germany's "industry 4.0", or China's "made in China 2025" strategy, the technical foundation behind it is the opening of the Internet of things. TSN+OPC UA is the key to the last kilometer of industrial interconnection, which is the key to realize the integration of OICT and accelerate the intelligent manufacturing.

TSN+OPC UA will accelerate the formation of mature industrial Internet applications and production systems by changing industrial data communications, as it brings the flow of data unimpeded.