Single pair ethernet about to supercharge IIoT
Factory and process automation worlds recognize SPE as an ideal tool for building a bi-directional IIoT network December 21, 2020 by Jon DeSouza, president of Harting Americas
Another big piece – many would say
the biggest – needed to accelerate the digitalization of industry is falling into place. Implementing the Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, involves integrating Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems, the latter performing field-level control in the classic automation pyramid. Full IT/OT integration requires a single, seamless, high-speed data network from the field to the cloud to connect every machine, every device, indeed every system at all levels. For the better part of the past decade, the factory and process automation worlds have recognized Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) as the ideal tool for building such a bi-directional IIoT network. It’s now on th
Networks Take Center Stage
With networking technologies increasingly taking the lead role and acting as the heart of automated processes, does that change the role of controllers in more connected industrial environments?
Dec 14th, 2020
As industry undergoes its digital transformation, networks often seem to be taking the spotlight away from controllers in many automated processes. Sure, controllers still play a crucial role, but not as squarely positioned center stage as they once were.
The reason is the growing popularity of the distributed control premise promoted by Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 initiatives. More and more devices now have programmable microcontrollers built into them, and conventional controllers are increasingly being placed closer to the devices rather than in centralized cabinets. Like other devices on the network, these distributed controllers are reporting data over the network for aggregation, visualization, and analysis elsewhere.