Taking process data from smart HART field devices and sharing it with higher level systems, no longer has to be difficult or expensive. Industrial Ethernet backbones and wireless networks, IIoT HART devices, open industry protocols and ease of programming provides a quick and seamless way to share process data.

Most security protocols, including TLS, are point-to-point solutions that do not support multicast. However, multicast can be extremely useful, especially for I/O in an industrial environment. No single standard has emerged as the de facto method but there are several potential methods for securing multicast traffic.

EtherCAT G uses 1 Gbit/s data transmission of standard Ethernet; while the EtherCAT G10 variant, presented as a proof-of-concept technology study, achieves data rates of up to 10 Gbit/s. The considerable increase in data rates compared with standard 100 Mbit/s EtherCAT significantly increases the possible data throughput.

Industrial IoT (IIoT) offers the promise of business outcomes through the use of innovative technology. The challenge for industrial operations is to develop a balanced security stance to take advantage of IIoT innovation while maintaining the integrity of industrial security best practices.

Cyber-attacks have increased over time and require a more comprehensive, proactive approach for industry to protect critical systems. Protecting control systems will be an ongoing responsibility that everyone must share by following standards and implementing a defense-in-depth approach to cybersecurity.

This article is a summary of a new architecture proposal to integrate OPC UA, Data Distribution Service (DDS) & Time Sensitive Networking (TSN). The goal is to build a coalition of vendors, consortia and standards bodies to support this approach to define and standardize the architecture to unify industry.

Similar to equipment connectivity, a good visual management program should easily synchronize data with existing networks and servers. This synchronization enables the displaying of target KPIs and allows the manufacturer to pull all its collected metrics into common data analysis tools.

The MQTT message transport protocol, in conjunction with the Sparkplug Specification, provides a modern, event-driven, Message-Oriented Middleware infrastructure upon which customers can drive their digital transformation implementations.

A new proof-of-concept TSN conformance testing tool enables systems designers the chance to see how their devices and networks perform in real-world settings, before they are being rolled out as products. The goal is to create a faster process towards an open, interoperable ecosystem of devices.

Cellular networking solutions are making it possible to connect, monitor and control remote assets. The goal is to build unmatched intelligence through a single cellular networking platform that provides an optimal solution to connect, monitor and control systems and processes and create smart remote sites.