May 2019, Industrial Ethernet Book by IEB Media

5.2019 Issue

112

ISSN 1470-5745

The Journal of Industrial Networking and IoT

Challenges in networking the smart oil field

Wireless mesh networks: Converged approach to Cyber security for oil and 25 petrochemical plants 12 automation standards 22 gas applications

Mobile configuration of 42 process devices

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Contents

IIC & Plattform Industrie 4.0 One very good thing that came out of the recent Hannover Messe was an announcement that the Industrial Internet Consortium, now including the OpenFog Group, and Plattform Industrie 4.0 announced that they have deepened their relationship. The first of new joint projects undertaken by the two organizations will focus on security, edge computing, Industrie 4.0 components and digital twin. To demonstrate and validate that the concepts and standards work, the two groups will produce a whitepaper on a common understanding of digital twins as well as set-up joint testbeds. Last year, the two groups affirmed that their respective reference architectures can be mapped and aligned to help address IoT challenges arising from different perspectives, and use in different industrial domains. The concept of a digital twin has been broadly touted as a powerful concept that will bring a new look to Industrial Automation. GE defines it as “a digital twin is a dynamic digital representation of an industrial asset that enables companies to better understand and predict the performance of their machines and find new revenue streams, and change the way their business operates.” But according to a presentation at the latest ODVA technical conference, it is also a concept in flux. A presentation and paper by Todd Snide and Merrill Harriman of Schneider Electric concluded that digital twins will be a major feature of all automation systems in the near future. But they also said that "in order for digital twin technology to be adopted, it must improve the Operating Expenses (OpEx) or the Capital Expenses (CapEx) for the customer. From the simulation aspects alone, it is easy to see how this technology will reduce both of these expenses. The customer will have confidence they are buying the best automation system available to them and have a very accurate estimation of the capital expense." The joint work of the IIC and Plattform Industrie 4.0 will be a welcome addition to the discussions on how to make this work. “This is good news for the industry that IIC and Plattform Industrie 4.0 are working together. There is an evolution of digital twin going on right now and it’s important that the two most influential organizations driving IIoT and Industrie 4.0 are so closely aligned,” SAP President Digital Supply Chain & Manufacturing Hala Zeine said recently. “Industry standards only work if everyone agrees to the same standard. Ensuring global collaboration makes a lot of sense and is good for the entire supply chain.” Joint industry collaboration is what's needed.

Al Presher 5.2019

Industry news

Challenges in networking the smart oil field

Wireless mesh networks in today’s petrochemical industry

Fully-automated handling robots for oil and gas drilling rigs

Industrial Ethernet: optimal for harsh oil and gas demands

How device testing supports growth of TSN for the IIoT

A converged approach to industrial automation standards

Cyber security for oil and gas industry applications

Synchronization of multi-axis motion over real-time networks

Holistic cybersecurity for Industrial IoT applications

Selecting a partner for connectors and cable assemblies

Round plug connectors for data, signals & power

PackML with OPC UA solution for machine integration

Mobile configuration of field devices in process industry

Sawmill achieves performance improvements with CC-Link IE

New Products

Private Ethernet

Contents

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Industrial Ethernet Book

The next issue of Industrial Ethernet Book will be published in July 2019 Deadline for editorial: June 8, 2019 Deadline for artwork: June 29, 2019

Product & Sources Listing

All Industrial Ethernet product manufacturers (not resellers) are entitled to free of charge entries in the Product locator and Supplier directory sections of the Industrial Ethernet Book. If you are not currently listed in the directory, please complete the registration form at www.iebmedia.com/buyersguide/ to submit your company details.

Update your own products

If you wish to amend your existing information, login to the Editor section www.iebmedia.com/buyersguide/register.htm and modify your entry. Do you want to receive issues of Industrial Ethernet Book? Call, mail or e-mail your details, or subscribe at www.iebmedia.com/service/ Editor: Al Presher, editor@iebmedia.com Contributing Editor: Leopold Ploner, info@iebmedia.com Advertising: info@iebmedia.com Tel.: +49-8192-994-9928 · Fax: +49-8192-994-8876 Online Editor: Adela Ploner, info@iebmedia.com Circulation: subscriptions@iebmedia.com Published by IEB Media, Bahnhofstrasse 12, 86938 Schondorf am Ammersee, Germany ISSN 1470-5745

i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k

Industry news

Open Industry 4.0 Alliance eyes digital transformation At Hannover Messe 2019, European companies from the mechanical engineering, industrial automation and software industries announced a cooperation agreement to pursue digital transformation in manufacturing. SOURCE: OPEN INDSUTRY 4.0 ALLIANCE

THE CHARTER OF THE OPEN INDUSTRY 4.0 Alliance is to create customer value through holistic interoperable Industry 4.0 solutions and services in a common framework powered by an alliance of leading industry partners to drive the digitization of the factory, plant & warehouse of our customers The alliance aims at accelerating the digitization in factories, processing plants and warehouses and thereby creating mutual benefits for both the customers and members. Founding members include Beckhoff, Endress+Hauser Group, Hilscher, ifm, KUKA, MULTIVAC and SAP SE. The alliance is open to all companies; other members include Balluff Group, Gebhardt Fördertechnik, Pepperl+Fuchs, ARVOS GmbH | SCHMIDTSCHE SCHACK, SAMSON and WIKA Alexander Wiegand.

Open Industry 4.0 Alliance

Key initiatives and goals include the following: • Founders and members endorse an open ecosystem and commit to using an Open Industry 4.0 Alliance Framework to achieve interoperability. • The open and interoperable approach provides attractive opportunities for companies of all sizes. • The Open Industry 4.0 Alliance aims for 80 percent of the machines in a smart factory to speak the same language. Members of the alliance are committed to creating a standardized and open ecosystem for operating highly automated factories and plants, including logistics and services. The alliance is working to avoid proprietary stand-alone solutions to better enable digital transformation in European industry. The companies plan to work with future members to create what is known as an Open Industry 4.0 Framework on the basis of existing standards such as IO-Link, OPC UA and RAMI.

Focus on feasibility and benefits

Operations in factories, plants and logistics centers in midmarket and large enterprises are characterized by heterogeneity — with things of many different classes, from many different manufacturers. Proprietary and varying standards in connectivity, data management, IT security and collaboration create additional effort and impede the rapid and comprehensive scaling of Industry 4.0. The founders and members of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance

The Open Industry 4.0 Alliance reference architecture framework provides an overview of the solution building blocks that the organization plans to pursue in enabling fast adoption and quick ROI for Industry 4.0 deployments.

pledged to provide customers with an open, standards-based, and compatible offering for a product’s entire journey — from the object on the factory floor to service. Customers can select what they need from a set of modular, compatible and scalable solution and service components. In each case, these build on the core competencies of the founders and members of the alliance and represent a low-risk, manufacturerindependent option from existing and known suppliers in the discrete manufacturing and process engineering industries. The connection to SAP solutions helps ensure that business processes such as manufacturing execution, warehouse management or plant maintenance are collaborative across company boundaries with partner companies.

Open and interoperable solutions

The open, standards-based offering of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance includes four modules — Device Connectivity, Edge, Operator Cloud, and Cloud Central — plus an associated service offering. Device Connectivity establishes the connection to the machines and sensors. Edge is the central node for all the important and locally necessary functions in the factory. Operator Cloud is the central node in the customer’s company that an open layer and supports all

enterprise-centric functions and applications. Finally, Cloud Central enables the bidirectional exchange of data between companies, such as master data and measurement data from calibrations, as well as information including technical documentation and repair manuals. The first proofs of concept were completed in 2018, with adaptable and flexible matrix production at KUKA. The aim is to produce additional proofs of concept from members and their customers by mid-2019. The founding members are preparing their first results for the second half of 2019.

What the project partners say

Florian Hermle, Managing Director, Balluff Group: “We want to afford our customers openness and the greatest possible compatibility with our systems, because we are convinced that going it alone in a digital and highly connected world is doomed to failure in the long term." "That is why we put our trust in an open ecosystem comprising technology, software and partners, which enables us to support our customers with our innovative integrated solutions on the path to the smart factory. We are therefore pleased to be part of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance,” he added. News by Open Industry 4.0 Alliance.

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Industry news

ODVA expands CIP security for improved productivity The goal of cybersecurity enhancements to EtherNet/IP is to extend the CIP security defense-in-depth architecture to network communications with and between ICS systems, and also edge devices. KEY UPDATES TO CIP SECURITY TECHNOLOGY are included in enhancements to The EtherNet/ IP Specification that ODVA has released its first round of specification enhancements to its technologies for 2019. ODVA’s biannual update of its network specifications helps enable end-users and OEMs to address an ever-increasing scope of industrial automation applications.

Cybersecurity enhancements

The goal of cybersecurity enhancements to EtherNet/IP is to extend a defense-in-depth architecture to network communications with and between ICS systems – and with and between ICS systems and edge devices. ODVA’s realization of this goal is the enhancement of the potential defensive capability of ICS systems and devices using EtherNet/IP by providing cybersecurity mechanisms that are native to EtherNet/IP and the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP). The initial CIP Security specification was

published in 2015, providing vendors the ability to improve the security of EtherNet/ IP-connected devices by adding support for device authentication, data integrity, and data confidentiality. Since then, ODVA has made several key updates to CIP Security. Most notably, to continue to fulfill the desire from end users for easier initial commissioning of devices, CIP Security was enhanced to allow devices to perform certificate enrollment directly. In contrast to the practice of pushing certificates out from a configuration tool, this “pulling” functionality will allow devices to actively request certificates, resulting in improved productivity. The pulling of a certificate is accomplished using standard and proven IT technologies, furthering the ability to integrate IT and OT systems. The April 2019 edition of the CIP Security Specification continues the progression of the technology to increase efficiency with timeout responses, increase

protection by allowing for a mandatory CIP Security connection for changes, and expand behaviors for certificate verification.

Ongoing developments

Work is ongoing for the next phase of development of CIP Security, which will add support for user authentication, non-repudiation, and device authorization, strengthening secure end-to-end communications between CIP endpoints. The ultimate roadmap of CIP Security development is to enable EtherNet/IP devices, and potential other types of devices using CIP, to become autonomous, taking responsibility for their own security and effectively securing themselves from attack. ODVA publishes specifications within a group of publications, The CIP Networks Library. Each specification is made up of one or more volumes of The CIP Networks Library. News by ODVA.

Open Process Automation Forum Standard The Open Group bases its new O-PAS process automation reference architecture on OPC Unified Architecture. OPC UA CONNECTIVITY AND INFORMATION modeling capabilities are playing a key role in The Open Group, Open Process Automation Forum's decision to base its new O-PAS reference architecture on OPC UA.

OPC UA announcement

The OPC Foundation announced details on this development recently. Given the ambitious OPAF mandate to standardize how fully federated process automation systems can be built using open and interoperable reference architectures, its decision to adopt OPC UA as the foundation is a testament to the importance OPC UA is playing in the Industrial Internet of Things era. Ed Harrington, Forum Director, OPAF and Steve Nunn, CEO, The Open Group commented on the scope, urgency, and importance of the OPC UA based O-PAS standard. “The launch of the first OPAF standard demonstrates the growing need for practical guidance in the development of process control systems," Harrington said. "Since the launch of the forum, we have seen more than 80-member organizations become directly

involved with the development of this new Reference Architecture. The resulting O-PAS Standard will be a ‘standard of standards’ to bring greater unity and consistency in how process automation is achieved.” Nunn added that “end-user demand for standards enabling interoperability is increasing due to the business need to reduce capital costs for process control, along with making scalability and cybersecurity capabilities an inherent part of these systems.” Stefan Hoppe, OPC Foundation President and Executive Director commented that “the Open Group commitment to open standards is aligned with the OPC Foundation. OPC Foundation representatives and OPC UA suppliers have been and continue to work with OPAF to help ensure that the OPAF end-user community best realizes the value OPC UA has to offer in delivering complete information integration and interoperability from the embedded world to the cloud.” According to Bernhard Eschermann, Chief Technology Officer, ABB’s Industrial Automation division, “we are happy to see OPC UA as the standard connectivity component

agreed on by Open Process Automation Forum. This is an important step to get products from multiple process automation suppliers working with each other without the need for expensive interfacing and engineering. It will also enable suppliers to focus on value-add solutions for customers rather than having to implement multiple connectivity standards.”

Version 1.0

The O-PAS Standard, Version 1.0, is focused on meeting the minimum standard and specification requirements for federated process automation systems, using an open and interoperable reference architecture. A key tenet of the standard is to adopt ‘fit-forpurpose’ industry standards that exist in the marketplace today. As a result, the standard will incorporate functional elements already provided by multiple vendors, including: • Security: ANSI/ISA 62443 (adopted by IEC as IEC 62443) • Connectivity: OPC UA • Systems Management: DMTF Redfish News by OPC Foundation and The Open Group.

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Applications

Challenges in networking the smart oil field

SOURCE: MOXA

The concept of a smart oil field is one that is generally much more efficient and safe than conventional systems that rely on serial communication and fieldbus connectivity. Industry leaders and wellhead operators are now asking how information can drive down production costs while increasing both safety and reliability.

All-in-one industrial secure routers provide a solution for secure remote access that become a major asset for smart oil fields.

WHILE A CONNECTED OIL FIELD PRESENTS new challenges with regard to security and knowledge resistance, the benefits of edge computation, along with Ethernet communications and wireless gateway systems cannot be ignored. Upstream operators are looking for cost-cutting methods of advancing wellhead automation, while preserving safety and security measures that are so important within the oil and gas industry. There are three main categorical drivers within smart oil field enablement. • Safety • Legacy System Modernization • Real-Time Analytic Capability With the exception of some aspects of safety, these three drivers aim at achieving lowering the costs of production or increasing the rate of production. Today, much of the industry is placing a greater focus on lowering the cost of production, while preserving the required amount of safety and security. The smart oil field of today is deep into

the adoption phase of industrial networking and wireless gateway technologies. With the added pressure of low oil prices, much of the industry is clamoring to find new ways to squeeze efficiencies out of existing wellhead networks. This has been done by instituting light wireless and Ethernet infrastructures to support intelligent alert systems, implementing better asset management models, and advanced real-time analysis of assets in the field. Ethernet and wireless gateways are the logical link between advancements in SCADA and sensors, and they provide a much more scalable approach when compared to expanding older serial networks.

Safety

A large part of the resistance to the concept of a smart, connected oil field is concerns regarding security, and therefore—safety. Pervasive Ethernet and wireless technology embedded in oil field extraction automation operations presents concerns regarding

reliability, cyber intrusion, and industry competence in new technologies. Field operators understand that improving connectivity and networking capabilities between their field operation and control could provide large savings in operating costs and leaps forward in efficiencies, but the question still remains—is it safe and secure? The truth of the matter is that no network is 100% safe and secure. With industrial routing, wireless and edge computing, a lot of oversight and redundancies can be deployed to manage assets in a matter that provides a higher degree of reliance and security than that currently exists in most oil field operations today. Plummeting oil prices have forced all upstream oil to drive out as much inefficiency in operations as possible. This pressure has been an expediting force in the paradigm shift from simple serial networks to scalable smart networking technologies. In this shift, many oil companies are realizing the fact that industrial networking technologies, such as

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21.01.194 15:43

SOURCE: MOXA

Applications Moving to smarter oil field operations requires a process looking at asset optimization, analysis, forecasting and an ability to use data to implement system-wide improvements.

industrial routers and wireless gateways, donâ€™t simply offer more operational tools to drive production efficiencies, they offer increased security and safety to their operation. In addition, true industrial networking providers provide complete, or close to, out-of-the-box functionality, easily integrating into the existing DCS and SCADA system of the operation. Industrial wireless and gateway technologies allow for remote access and increased control of assets in the field. More robust alarm and anomalous production data at each well can be recognized in real-time, dramatically mitigating shutdown risks. Industrial routing technology tethers the site-to-center operation together by providing secure firewall protection combined with scalable bandwidth for potential satellite expansion. To achieve true cybersecurity, and therefore network safety, the perfect balance needs to be struck between hardware durability and firmware capability. To enable a scalable smart oil field network and near out-of-the-box functionality, easy network commissioning functionality should be provided to mitigate human error and aid integration into the existing SCADA system. Additionally, seeking a vendor that can provide an industrial router solution with up to 500 Mbps throughput is ideal so that your network can support future growth and

high-bandwidth network activities, such as surveillance networks for remote wellhead sites. The combination of ease-of-use and the ability to support VPN/Firewall/NAT will assure that your smart oil field network is also a secure oil field network.

Legacy system modernization

If there has been one positive outcome stemming from the crippling decline of oil process in 2015, it would be the coaxing effect it has had on the industry to drive efficiencies in existing upstream processes and resources. This has resulted in, and continues to be, an increasing shift toward the utilization of Ethernet and wireless technologies to modernize legacy DCSs for improved asset management and capital equipment use extension. According to a survey conducted this year in 2015 by Cisco Consulting Services, 80% of oil and gas firms saw the majority of investment growth to occur in contributing to operational efficiency of existing projects or reserves, highlighting the relevancy of smart networking technology as a central means of achieving immediate ROI within wellhead automation. Asset management and legacy system modernization are among the most important distinguishing factors between successful and unsuccessful companies. Industrial wireless and Ethernet provides the ability for

wellhead operations to monitor and control assets in the field with limited deployment expenditures and manpower. Moreover, the adoption and expansion of Ethernet and wireless devices offer interoperability and backward compatibility with fieldbus protocols, maximizing the parallel development of sensor technology and IP SCADA. Legacy devices in todayâ€™s oil field use a variety of data interfaces, including digital input/output (DIO), RS-232/422/485, Ethernet, and USB. If a reliable networking vendor offers networking connectivity spanning all of these interfaces, it is much easier to extend the use of existing legacy DCS infrastructures. For example, the connectivity between field control and the sensor level is often ignored, severing the reliable data connection between the control room and each and every meter on each well, pump, and attached pipeline. Important metering information at each wellhead is often only actionable while onsite; thus, completely limiting the potential for real-time analysis of and control of wellhead operations via remote access. This common scenario is due to the fact that most leading automation vendors have invested heavily in advancing SCADA and sensor technologies, largely ignoring the connectivity in between. Data is extracted and produced at the field level, or at each wellhead in unprecedented

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Real-time data processing

Much like aligned industries related to power transmission and metering, oil and gas companies are buried in data. From pressure, temperature, cathartic protection, and production rates, the amount of data being generated each minute within upstream oil is significant. However, the oil and gas industry as a whole has struggled to provide the proper attention and investment in connecting the source of this data—from the sensor, to the control network and the SCADA system. In the traditional oil field, data is generated at the sensor level with limited modes of transport from the site to central control. The modes of data transport range from limited bandwidth pathways to onsite “pen and paper” reporting. Likewise, offshore networks rely heavily on satellite communication to pull operational data for analysis; which can take days to extract, aggregate, and process. In short, the smart oilfield is a concept that is not overly ambitious and utilizes modes of connectivity that are already developed, tried, and tested. The reluctance of adopting Ethernet and wireless gateway technology is crumbling against required advancements in achieving operational savings. In a recent 2015 survey of the world’s leading oil and gas firms, 48% of respondents identified “data” as the main area in which they must improve to make the most effective use of their connected technologies 5.2019

SOURCE: MOXA

Applications

amounts. SCADA technologies are growing more capable, analytical, and advanced in the control room. However, due to the inability to deploy a cost-effective link in the existing approach to fieldbus networks, the connection between SCADA and the sensor has long been a bottleneck, and the major challenge until the advent of industrial networking provided an ulterior path of modernizing legacy DCSs. The existing versatility of industrial networking technology can ease the transition to fully utilizing smarter and more capable IP SCADA offerings. Especially in today’s extremely tumultuous oil market, it is usually impossible for field operation to find the ROI of upgrading a network all at once. Within Brownfield scenarios, changes toward DCS modernization must be done iteratively and thoughtfully with industrial wireless and intelligent Ethernet gateway technology. Paying a bit more attention to industrial networking investments can help operators connect all of their legacy devices together and to the control center for central management. For example, satellite expansion of a wellhead network gives engineers the wireless technology they need to quickly install networked devices in locations that are not yet wired, saving time, commissioning expenditures, and operational costs.

The visibility of protocols on field sites can be increased via protocol gateway.software applications.

in the field. To effectively manage the ever-increasing load of data manufactured by smart meters in the oil field, data must be better utilized for real-time action. Of course, this data does present a challenge to archaic serial networks and fieldbus applications. Real-time data processing can only be supported by a capable industrial network. Moxa, and companies within our space, are enabling the smart oil field revelation by connecting the application layer with the pervasive sensing nodes dispersed throughout the modern oil field.

Smart oil field maturity model

The concept of a smart oil field is one that is generally much more efficient and safe than conventional systems relying exclusively on serial communication and fieldbus connectivity. The traditional oil field, whether it be small, medium, or large in scale, is full of sensing and valve control systems, manufacturing massive streams of operational data each minute. Industry leaders and wellhead operators alike are asking how that information could be more widely utilized to drive down the cost of production and increase production safely and reliably. • If this data could be reliably sourced, aggregated, and analyzed in real-time, could it reliably connect my SCADA with the field level? • If users implement Ethernet and wireless networks into an existing DCS, could it extend the operational life of assets in the field? • Would this capability raise production levels at a lower operational cost and shorten recovery rates? • Lastly, does this justify an investment? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding—yes. However, the challenges of implementing connectivity to support moving toward a smart oil field merit coverage.

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IBM’s Center for Applied Insights ingeniously illustrates this point in their maturity model for process instrumentation by placing the highest ROI on achieving means extending and optimizing capital equipment, and includes the use of a maturity model. Investing in advanced instrumentation and sensor technology will not provide significant ROI if the data produced cannot be made available at the application or management level of the operation. Progressively building off of oil fields’ ability to capture data from the field, the smart oil field must be able to integrate data, as well as translate data into events and possible alerts. From this tier in the maturity model, data must be able to be queried and logged for analysis and modeling at a supervisory level. It is only at this stage that true asset optimization can be achieved.

Smarter for bottom line

Industry leaders within upstream oil, both big and small in scope, are realizing the benefits of a smart oil field and investments in Industrial IoT (Internet of Things) technologies in the field. Today, amidst another low in oil prices and further advancements in Ethernet and wireless gateway technology, companies are further enabling the capabilities of upstream oil to convert existing serial networks, such as Modbus TCP, to PROFINET, 3G, 4G Wi-Fi, and Ethernet. Expanding an oil well network to capitalize on peripheral resources is now less expensive and quicker to implement than ever before due to tested and resilient industrial wireless technologies. The smart oil field is becoming the definition of operational excess, and in many cases, leading oil and gas companies and holding firms alike, cannot afford not to invest in the transition toward a connected, smart oil field. Thomas Nuth, Global Vertical Manager, Moxa.

Applications

Wireless mesh networks in today’s petrochemical industry THE GLOBAL PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY has continued to grow impressively, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Competitive pressure is pushing petrochemical plants to adopt new innovative technologies, whilst improving levels of safety during the chemical production process, to optimize production levels and stay ahead of its rivals. Next generation solutions such as Augmented Reality (AR), autonomous robots, and real-time equipment analytics have taken centre-stage and are moving to Industry 4.0 which is emerging as the answer to overcoming challenges within plants such as personnel safety, whilst meeting the demands of plant operators for enhanced productivity. According to research from PWC, 60% of chemical companies state that Industry 4.0 data and analytics are of high importance today, while 88% believe they will be of high importance in five years. To make this a reality, applications need IIoT connectivity in order to function and this is a requirement that Wi-Fi and two-way radio WAN alone cannot fulfill. The information network is the foundation of complex petrochemical operations and it is the cornerstone on which the productivity, safety, and profitability of an organization rely upon. Bandwidth and availability are precious, but downtime is intolerable and if plants are to take advantage of IIoT, their mission-critical applications need to run on a communications network that offers highly reliable, agile, and adaptable connectivity in a diverse and evolving mobility-driven environment.

Petrochemical plant connectivity

IIoT is a crucial part of establishing Industry 4.0 capabilities. Deploying a network to support these levels of connectivity demands in a dynamic and potentially hazardous environment can be extremely difficult. Balancing facility and production growth in the petrochemical industry, with employee safety, is of optimal importance. Therefore, the network must keep up to pace with a number of demands. For instance, many petrochemical plants operate multiple networks in order to accomplish separate communications needs for employees. This often outweighs the burden of maintaining a Wi-Fi network for data and a two-way radio

SOURCE: RAJANT

Scalable, high-bandwidth kinetic mesh networks are providing unmatched connectivity for upstream, midstream, and downstream applications in the petrochemical industry. IoT autonomy, advanced data analytics, and mobility are helping to significantly improve productivity and reduce operating costs.

The information network is the backbone of any complex gas, oil, and petrochemical operation.

WAN for voice which can generate significant costs and can be a notable drain on resource demands for daily operations. Petrochemical plants can contain an abundance of explosive and flammable gases, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and other vapours, which makes maintaining safety in danger zones a top priority. To prevent equipment from sparking and starting a fire, networking infrastructure must be kept in an explosion box as a precaution and this complicates installation further. Missioncritical operations carried out in petrochemical plants, from the first initial deployment to complex day-to-day plant operations require constant connectivity. Losing signals for a short span of time can result in productivity loss and in the worst-case scenario put plant workers’ safety at risk. In essence, plants cannot afford to risk any loss of signal. With petrochemical plants undergoing significant expansion, choosing the wrong industrial network solution could mean a plant’s investment will be unable to adequately connect its operations.

A new kind of network

To successfully fight through these obstacles and enable the capabilities that Industry 4.0 brings with it, petrochemical plants must utilize a different kind of network—an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabling network that is more dynamic than Wi-Fi networks or two-way radio WAN. Once this has been done, the petrochemical industry can take advantage of the innovative technologies that can maximize productivity, improve safety, and helps organizations survive in the midst of its petrochemical competition. A feasible solution is for petrochemical plants to implement a mesh network topology, a resilient architecture constructed of nodes which allows a multitude of devices to wirelessly connect to each other; each node is capable of communicating data across the network until it reaches its target destination. This technology is gaining increased interest due to its skill set in handling the surge of data that comes in conjunction with the enhanced number of IoT connected devices. Petrochemical operations rely on a variety

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C Localized Interference

Localized Interference

5 GHz 4.9 GH z 2.4 GHz 900 MHz

Node E In-Motion

(Pending T ype Approval)

How a multi-frequency BreadCrumb network adapts to changes caused by the movement of BreadCrumb node E.

of vehicles, equipment, heavy machinery, and personnel, dispersed across a large, rugged terrain and all of which require reliable, high bandwidth, and mobile communications. Every aspect of exploration, extraction, and production must always be carefully monitored and managed to ensure continuous operations and cost efficiency. A mesh network can provide real-time, site-wide communications for employees, vehicles, drills, wellheads, video cameras, smart meters, sensors, laptops, smartphones, and other assets. However, not all mesh networks offer the same benefits. Some can be arduous to install. Some need continuous, labour-intensive maintenance. Plants need mobile wireless broadband connectivity that can meet their demands and is simple, instantaneous, and robust in any application.

Ensuring critical connectivity

This is possible through a combination of wireless network nodes and networking software, which utilizes any-node to any-node capabilities to continuously route data via the best available traffic path and frequency for a number of nodes with extremely low overhead. Greater mesh networks can connect with any Wi-Fi or Ethernet-connected device to deliver low-latency, high-throughput data, voice, and video applications. The right mesh network can prove to be a secure and converged solution for plants, reducing the need to maintain multiple networks by supporting data, voice, and video. This solution reduces the total cost of ownership and simplifies the work demands of employees by allowing them to centralize their communications to a single device. Depending on the mesh network provider, certain nodes are beneficial to deploy in any corner of a 5.2019

petrochemical plant without the need for mounting in explosion boxes. Look for wireless network nodes that can be attached to both fixed and mobile assets including equipment, vehicles, and facility infrastructure and they can maintain multiple immediate connections between peers whilst sending and receiving data on multiple frequency bands. They need never break connections to form new ones, meaning the connections are maintained until they are no longer needed. With high-bandwidth speeds across multiple mesh node hops, a mesh network offers extremely low latency for real-time, plant-wide connectivity, even at the network edge—making it the perfect solution for mission-critical operations which require ubiquitous connectivity. Mesh networking software can direct traffic over all meshed connections by dynamically load balancing and routing data around signal blockage from moving assets and potential interferences. This ensures that data packets get to their destination via the fastest path available. This eliminates the need for a controller node and therefore the network will have no single point of failure. As petrochemical plants are dispersed over widespread areas, they are regularly adding new bandwidth-intensive applications to support continued growth. A superior mesh network topology can rapidly evolve as a plant expands. In fact, as more nodes are added, more paths to direct mission-critical data are naturally formed – and, with more paths, the network becomes more resilient. Petrochemical plants require militarygrade data security as they are potential targets for high-risk network security attacks. A mesh network can protect a plant from security breaches thanks to multi-layered,

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SOURCE: RAJANT

military-grade security for network traffic, making it incredibly difficult to penetrate. It boasts multiple cryptographic options, configurable data and MAC address encryption, and configurable per-hop, per-packet authentication between nodes.

Applications

IIoT using mesh networks

A mesh network is an effective alternative to prevailing limiting technologies like Wi-Fi and two-way radio WAN. Once a petrochemical plant has enabled IIoT connectivity, there are a multitude of applications that can be implemented to drive optimized production and increase safety. It means a plant can stay ahead of its competition and can immediately exploit advantages such as RFID tracking of personnel and contractors, which is enabled through everywhere connectivity and provides real-time tracking of workers across a plant. This not only allows operators to monitor personnel’s ongoing safety status but also aids in emergency extraction in case of an incident. Mesh networks also support bandwidthintensive applications such as asset tracking and optimization, enabling monitoring of a plant’s assets in real-time as well as predict equipment maintenance needs and maximize efficient machine movements on the production line. Plants can lay the groundwork for applications, such as 24/7/365 equipment autonomy, with plant-wide asset mobilization, which increases petrochemical output while keeping employees out of dangerous areas. Furthermore, products and equipment can be protected from theft with real-time video surveillance. With round-the-clock views into operations, a plant can also gain insights into plant performance and events on the production floor. And thanks to AR, the productivity of employees can be enhanced, while also removing them from potentially hazardous petrochemical environments. This highlights the benefits of wireless mesh networks for the petrochemicals market, which can deliver secure, reliable broadband coverage anywhere and at any time.

Mesh networking in the new age

Although the numbers are not overwhelming, it does highlight how an IIoT-enabling mesh networking solution can make operations smarter and employees safer. It goes a long way in showing that this new kind of network is intended to provide continuous wireless connectivity to support numerous applications. A key upside of deploying mesh networks is the speed at which a complete IIoT solution can be deployed very quickly and costeffectively as there are no cables to run. This means petrochemical plants can maximize this sector of industrialisation much sooner than they think. Geoff Smith, Executive Vice President, Rajant.

Applications

Fully-automated handling robots for oil and gas drilling rigs The oil and gas industry has entered the world of automation and digital process control. Norway-based Robotic Drilling Systems AS and Siemens have teamed up to develop a game changing drill floor solution comprising robotic technology for fully unmanned oil and gas drill floor operations. SOURCE: SIEMENS

DRILLING FOR OIL AND GAS IS STILL one of the most adventurous businesses of our times. But it is a risky business not only in financial terms, but also for the workers operating the drilling equipment on both onshore and offshore platforms. This is clearly reflected in the fact that there were approximately 1,600 injuries and 18 fatalities reported in 2014 alone, according to the White Paper “Digital Transformation Initiative”, from the World Economic Forum. Health, safety, security and environmental (HSSE) concerns are therefore major aspects driving oil and gas drilling companies worldwide. They need to comply with environmental legislation, but they are also completely focused on improving the safety of workers in the field, and at the same time, ensuring reliable platform operation.

Risky operations & high costs

As a consequence of global energy markets characterized by increasing demands and at the present time decreasing profits, drilling companies are also challenged with reducing the overall cost structure of their drilling operations. Especially offshore drilling operations require a highly qualified workforce, and are also faced with high operating expenses. Offshore workers need to be especially certified, which translates into substantial labor costs. They frequently need to be transported to and from the platform by helicopter, which results in high transportation costs. Taking all of this into consideration, labor costs represent a high percentage of the overall cost, and must be carefully taken into consideration. Another factor is the time needed until the first gas or oil is actually pumped. The shorter this time, the more profitable the drilling project will be. This means that companies are very interested in increasing the efficiency of their operations by improving the reliability and availability of the hardware used. There are also environmental issues that call for efforts to minimize the footprint of the operation, reduce the amount of energy needed and prevent accidents that might have a detrimental effect on the environment.

Robotics reduce manual operations

As the automotive industry has demonstrated, replacing manual work by handling robots

Multi-axial drill floor robot designed for handling pipes and drill heads.

is not only a step towards lower operating costs. It also leads to a significantly higher level of quality and repeatability. Robotic Drilling Systems AS (RDS) is in the process of transferring this knowledge to the worldwide oil and gas industry. The company was founded in 2005, and is located in the greater Stavanger area in Norway. It has developed a revolutionary drill floor solution that allows fully unmanned operation. The system can be called a revolution for the oil and gas industry, and is designed to automate the complete drilling process. It handles the pipes and tools required, and can be integrated into new or existing onshore and offshore installations. The system basically consists of drill floor robots, robotic roughnecks, multi-size elevators and robotic pipe handlers. It is designed to remove high-risk manual tasks from the drilling platform, while adding a new level of speed, accuracy and reliability to drilling operations. Jimmy Bostrøm, Chief Operating Officer of RDS sums up the key benefits of the system: “The RDS solution enables oil and gas operators to decrease rig time per well, reduce health, safety and environmental incidents, while reducing operating costs through consistent operations. Additionally,

the system offers benefits, such as faster installation, along with lower noise and energy consumption.” The company’s solution not only reduces the personnel costs associated with the rig, it also redefines the role of the drilling crew. The focus will change from drill floor tasks to the well construction process.

Robots in seamless interaction

Handling robots not only require intelligent motion control. They also need a complex automation system to seamlessly work together in order to handle a complete work process without human intervention. RDS has teamed up with Siemens, tapping the comprehensive know-how of a world leader in industrial automation and industrial communication, and applying this wealth of expertise to the oil and gas industry. As a result, the electronic equipment of the system consists entirely of Siemens products. The same is true for the drives. Each of the robots is equipped with its own digital control system accommodated in a control cabinet. Here is where Simatic IPC’s with Simatic Step 7 software interpret sensor signals, translate process commands into motion control sequences and coordinate the interaction of related robots. They provide

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SOURCE: SIEMENS

portfolio of Scalance switches, which comply with a broad spectrum of approvals required in the oil and gas industry. Examples of these standards include ATEX, FM, IECEx and UL HazLoc approvals for use in hazardous areas – as well as ABS, BV, DNV-GL, LR for marine applications. The Scalance X-200IRT managed Industrial Ethernet switches, operating in isochronous realtime, have been specifically designed for stringent realtime applications. They can be used for high-performance machine-level applications all the way up to networked plant sections in Profinet environments. The security modules of the Scalance S family have been specifically designed for use in automation environments, yet connect seamlessly with the security structures of the office and IT world. They ensure security, and meet the special requirements of automation engineering. For instance, existing systems can be simply upgraded, installation is straightforward and downtime is minimized in the event of a fault. Various security measures can be combined depending on the security requirements. This clearly explains why industrial communication is a key enabler of digitalization in the oil and gas industry, as it is necessary to ensure a reliable, secure and continuous data transmission along the complete drilling value chain in the oil and gas industry. SOURCE: SIEMENS

the digital intelligence required for handling pipes, positioning and attaching tools and the drilling operation itself. At the machine level, Siemens drives are combined with Sinamics 120 frequency converters, Simatic S7-300 controllers and Simatic ET 200 distributed IO systems. They form a decentralized machine control system that links all the mechanical processes on the drill floor to the digital world. In the control room, WinCC Advanced is used to visualize all of the processes via Simatic HMI panels, and allows especially trained drilling technicians to monitor and control the ongoing drilling operation without manual intervention. The communication between the control room and the robots and between the robots themselves is established using best-in-class industrial communication products from the Scalance S and Scalance X range. The Scalance Industrial Ethernet switches ensure that data is reliably transmitted between the various automation, drives and visualization components. These switches are designed to be deployed in extremely harsh environments and support critical applications such as drilling operations. Siemens experience both in the oil and gas industry and in industrial communication networks is reflected in the comprehensive

Switches offer communication between robots and control room. 5.2019

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Interaction between experts

The cooperation between RDS and Siemens dates back to when the company was founded, which is approximately 10 years ago. Since then, Siemens has supported the project, not only with a wide range of drives and the complete automation and communication

Applications

Fully automatic and unmanned operation on the drill floor.

system, but also with ongoing consulting and technical support. In addition to a local competent contact person in Norway, the innovative drilling system developed by RDS was also considered to be a priority project, and enjoyed direct support from the Siemens headquarters in Germany. In the meantime, the system is no longer in the development stage, and has stood the test under real conditions in the field. “The very first system was delivered to a North American oil and gas drilling company,” explained Jimmy Bostrøm and adds: “We have also installed a system not far from here in the North Sea, just off the Norwegian coast.” One aspect for RDS to choose Siemens as a technology partner is because Siemens is truly a global company, and can provide technical support for the installed base of robotic drilling systems just about anywhere around the world.

Stepping into the digital future

With its robotic drilling system, RDS has catapulted oil and gas drilling operations into the digital age. Its innovative systems replace labor-intensive, costly and potentially dangerous manual processes using handling robots that seamlessly interact with one another. This not only reduces costs while improving reliability, equipment availability and environment protection, it also paves the way for oil and gas operations to evolve. Robot-based drilling operations will generate a wealth of process data that can be used to streamline processes and get a better insight into the factors determining a successful drilling operation. “At RDS, we anticipate an industry-wide convergence of automation and robotics by 2020,” concludes Bostrøm: “Automatic drilling and drill floor handling will be combined with downhole data acquisition to optimize all of the key parameters from crown block to downhole.”

From automation to Big Data

Drilling for oil and gas is still a process requiring extensive manual work on onshore and offshore drilling platforms. In the vicinity of Stavanger, Norway, Robotic Drilling Systems AS has developed a fully automatic drilling system for largely unmanned drilling operations. The combination of four handling robots helps the industry to save costs while greatly improving reliability and availability of the drilling equipment. This innovative technology is the first step towards more efficient, less risky and more profitable drill floor operations based on digital industrial communication, control and automation. It will also provide a wealth of process data to better understand and optimize the drilling process. Olmo Castaneira Rios, Siemens Corporation.

Technology

Industrial Ethernet: optimal for harsh oil and gas demands FOR YEARS ETHERNET HAS BEEN GRADUALLY ousting conventional databus technology from the field of industrial automation. Traditional communications technology is relatively simple and extremely reliable, but it does not easily lend itself to networking. Plus, many of the available forms are mutually incompatible, meaning that we cannot interconnect systems to achieve the single integrated network we now need to solve application challenges in the oil and gas industry. Ethernet has the advantage of allowing individual subscribers to be networked, and it is also a standardized technology (IEEE 802.3), available all over the world. Ethernetbased networks bring a number of benefits, not the least of which are greater flexibility and the levels of system interconnection that can be achieved. Today, industrial Ethernet is the principal network infrastructure choice for missioncritical operations. Built on the same standards-based networking platform as enterprise Ethernet, which has long reigned as the universal network solution, Industrial Ethernet connects the office with the control room through a single platform. This convergence of open, standardsbased Ethernet communications enables secure, seamless interoperability among manufacturing enterprise networks – from corporate offices to the operations areas to remote locations – and offers Internet and enterprise connectivity, anytime and anywhere. While Ethernet technology is globally available, most of the equipment available is not suitable for installation within a majority of oil and gas environments. This is because, in general, the environment is extremely challenging for electronic devices, both electrically and physically. Regardless of your role-distributor, system integrator, design engineer, IT manager, OEM or end-user-everyone who touches the oil and gas industry has a stake in the successful design of the communications network. Without strong infrastructure, costly network downtime can occur. This results in less productivity, delayed downstream processes and loss of service to customers relying on the production of oil and gas.

SOURCE: BELDEN

A robust Industrial Ethernet network using environmentally hardened cabling, connectivity and active components is essential to long-term performance and reliability in the oil and gas industry. Open, standards-based Ethernet communications offers Internet and enterprise connectivity, anytime and anywhere.

Reliability and performance of network connectivity and cabling are essential in oil and gas environments.

It’s important that teams across every step of oil and gas production, including upstream (hydraulic fracturing, oil field monitoring and offshore rigs), midstream (pipeline monitoring and pumping stations) and downstream (refineries and gas stations) applications, use dependable network components, such as Ethernet, that can withstand harsh industrial conditions for the highest network reliability and availability.

Challenges for oil and gas networks

Quick and easy networking design that offers the utmost commissioning and control is key for success in the control room and across all oil and gas applications, especially in the face of new and complex threats. Cyber security, for example, is quickly becoming a big concern for industries everywhere, especially oil and gas. Between 2011 and 2015, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security registered more than 350 incidents and 900 security vulnerabilities with U.S. energy companies, which is higher than any other industry. A major contributing factor to oil and gas company vulnerability is that many have outdated, aging control systems in their facilities that rely on non-standard and insecure network components. And with the rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and an increased reliance on connected devices, the security challenges will become even greater.

Safety, uptime, control paramount

The Oil and Gas Market is made up of 3 key sub segments: Upstream • Wellhead Monitoring • Rig Surveillance • Control Room • Vessel Control • ROV’s Midstream • Pipeline Monitoring • Separation Stations • Tank Storage Monitoring • Pumping Stations Downstream • Gas and Liquid Detection • Metering Systems • DCS Systems • Refinery Surveillance • Gas Stations Networks in all of these market sub segments must perform in extreme and often hazardous environments and every sector has its own set of environmental challenges. Analysts report that an overwhelming percentage of unplanned downtime in industrial operations can be attributed to network infrastructure failure. According to one network report, fully 72 percent of network faults can be attributed to failure at the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Layer 1 (Physical Media), Layer 2 (Data Link) and/or Layer 3 (Network).

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The Real Costs of Network Failure

Maximum productivity with minimal downtime is a key goal, and 24/7 network performance and reliability are critical to achieving that goal. No matter what the industry, if a switch, connector or cabling system fails, the cost of replacement parts and repair represents only a tiny fraction of the overall costs associated

with production downtime. Many instances of unplanned downtime in industrial operations can be attributed to network infrastructure failure, and that downtime can be costly. For example an estimated daily downtime for large rigs can cost anywhere from $500K to $650K per day. The indirect costs of Ethernet system failure in any industry must take into account lost productivity, delayed downstream processes, cost of system shut-down and start-up, and the potentially devastating loss of service to customers relying on the facility’s missioncritical output. If a cabling system component or Ethernet switch fails, the repair and labor costs alone could be 15-20 times the cost of the component itself. Depending on the industry and overall operating costs, these indirect effects can send total downtime costs soaring to hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. That is why investing in a high-quality, rugged Ethernet infrastructure designed specifically for use in harsh environments is the obvious business choice – one that can provide tremendous peace-of-mind to network engineers and administrators and the organizations they serve.

“Ruggedized” Ethernet hardware

In selecting physical media, data links and network hardware for the oil and gas market, multiple factors should be considered to ensure optimal performance, ease of maintenance and long-term reliability. Key considerations in specifying industrialgrade network components include: MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure). Industrial Ethernet products are designed to provide a long product lifespan. Typically the average lifespan is 15 to 30 years or more. By comparison, typical commercial-grade products are built to achieve a 5-year average lifespan.

Mounting options. Industrial Ethernet hardware devices are usually DIN rail mounted Small form factor. Today’s industrial equipment is designed to occupy less space to allow greater density within a control panel. Ventilation without fans. Industrial Ethernet devices rely on passive heat dissipation. Protection class. Devices must be available in dustproof and waterproof housings. Conformal coating. A special coating is applied to PCBs to protect electronic components in damp or corrosive environments. Redundancy. Redundant power, redundant media paths and even redundant devices can assure 24/7 uptime. Scalability. With an ever-increasing number of Ethernet-enabled devices being added to networks, the design needs to be able to provide data rates for the future, thus eliminating the need for any upgrades to cope with the system innovations in the future.

Hardened network protections

As stated previously, an overwhelming percentage of network performance problems are due to failure at OSI Layer 1, Layer 2 or Layer 3. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that components at all three layers — physical media, data links and active network devices — are designed and constructed to withstand the operational and environmental stressors to which they are subjected. For each category, multiple factors need to be considered to ensure optimal performance, ease of maintenance and long-term reliability of the mission-critical network.

Industrial Ethernet Cable Selection

Fiber Optic Ethernet cables represent the ultimate in future-proofing and are available for indoor (riser or tray) or outdoor use (including direct burial). Typical designs use multi-mode

WHILE OTHERS THINK ABOUT THE IIOT … we are already there.

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Technology

Untimely and costly service disruptions can largely be prevented by installation of a robust network infrastructure utilizing environmentally hardened, components in all three OSI layers. A ruggedly designed framework enables operators to carry out their mission-critical functions by providing the highest possible levels of: Safety. Optimum safety is critical in all oil and gas operations, for both employees and in certain applications, customers as well. Full safety demands fail-safe reliability and redundancy of data transmissions, as well as network components that meet and exceed industrial requirements for potentially hazardous environments. Uptime. In the oil and gas industry, uptime is critical. Any disruption can prove extremely costly. Prevention of signal transmission problems is a major factor in ensuring consistent and dependable network uptime and service reliability. Whether an operation involves control room or pipeline monitoring, refinery and rig surveillance or even distribution of news and information at the pump, keeping operations running smoothly and reliably assures optimum uptime and peace of mind. Control. Continuous monitoring, management and control, as well as operational efficiency, require continuity in data transmission and network availability. Any network failure, and subsequent downtime, can result in severe and extremely costly consequences.

Technology

fibers in a loose tube configuration, usually available in 2- to 72-fiber constructions. For plenums, tight buffered, 2- or 6-fiber single-mode or multi-mode constructions are typically available. • To handle Gigabit Ethernet light sources and any expanded bandwidth requirements some cables use a laseroptimized fiber. • For moisture protection, a water-blocking agent should be included in the cable’s construction. • For trackside environments, a CPE outer jacket will provide additional protection against chemicals or abrasion; an armor tape or aluminum/steel armoring may also be appropriate for the extreme environments, including some burial situations. • Ratings include: UL Type: OFNR3, cUL Type: OFN FT44. Copper Ethernet cables are the more traditional option for oil and gas applications especially pipeline and pump station monitoring. Available for either Category 5e, Category 6, Category 6a and Category 7 applications. Category 5e cables are the dominant choice today, while Category 6, 6a and 7 cables are finding increasing use where Gigabit speeds and increased bandwidth are desired and/or for future-proofing purposes. Twisted pair cables are available using any number of conductor types, insulations, shielding and jackets.

Armoring

Armoring is also available for extremely harsh environments. Construction selection criteria includes: Unshielded or shielded? Unshielded products can be used in most environments; shielded products are recommended for harsh environments, which is primarily what is found in the oil and gas industry. Shields: Typically a foil or braid is used to protect the integrity of the signal and to screen out any undesirable interference or noise. However, to provide extra durability and noise protection, a foil/braid combination can be used. Solid or stranded conductors? Solid conductors are appropriate for most installations; stranded conductors provide extra flexibility for better handling in close environments. Pair conformity/centricity: Bonded-Pair cables provide resistance to the rigors of installation by utilizing a manufacturing technique that affixes the insulation of the cable pairs along their longitudinal axes so no gaps can develop between the conductor pairs; a non-bonded-pair cable construction can be susceptible to pair-gapping (and

impedance mismatches) during installation and throughout the cable’s life. Pair-gapping is the primary cause of noise. Insulations: Most industrial-grade Ethernet cables utilize polyolefin insulation. For extreme temperatures, however, an FEP insulation (and jacket) is recommended. Jackets: Oil- and sunlight-resistant cables typically have a PVC jacket. If the cables are exposed to moisture, a water-blocking agent should be part of the cable’s construction, as well as inner and outer PE jackets if the cable is buried. Gas- resistance calls for an FEP-jacketed cable, while low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) PVC jackets are available for environments where smoke/flames are a risk. For extreme temperature environments, the cables should feature an FEP jacket (for an extended operating temperature of -70ºC to +150ºC).

Proof in the testing

A series of rigorous tests conducted by Belden on Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) cables versus industrial-grade cables has proven that the COTS cables simply do not stand up as well as industrial-grade Ethernet cables in harsh environments. All nine tests were performed on state-of-the-art testing equipment, and all the cables used in the study initially tested as fully compliant to ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B.26 Cat5e standards. The following is a summary of tests performed and the results: Abrasion. Using a fixed drum covered with sandpaper, cables were stretched across a portion of its circumference, then moved back and forth cyclically for 25 cycle counts. At that point, the conductors of the COTS cable could be seen through breaks in the jacket, which would cause it to lose mechanical and electrical integrity. The pairs of the armored industrial cable were not compromised. Cold Bend. Conducted per UL 4447, samples of cables were left in a controlled temperature and humidity chamber called a cold box. They remained for one hour prior to testing. They were then tested (at -80°C, -60°C, and -40°C) by being partially wound around a 3-inch diameter horizontal mandrel with one end of the cable under tension from an aluminum weight. The cables were then unrolled and visually inspected to check for cracks in the jacket. The COTS cable became brittle and showed visible cracks. The industrial-grade high/low temp cable had no visible damage. Cold Impact. In this test, also conducted per UL 444, an aluminum weight was dropped down a hollow guide-tube to smash against a segment of cable under test. The impact force delivered 24 in-lbs or 2.7 joules of impact energy. Each length of cable had been previously cooled; and a total of ten samples were inspected at a series of increasingly lower

temperatures to determine if the cables’ jacket integrity was damaged, a condition which could allow ingress of chemicals and moisture and could potentially lead to a conductor-toconductor short or even catastrophic failure. The standard jacketed COTS cables failed at -20°C. The industrial-grade cables, protected by high-low temperature jackets, did not crack until impacted at -70°C. Crushing. In this test, an Instron machine head brings a 2-inch by 2-inch plate down on a segment of cable to crush it—with failure defined as the point at which the cable would no longer reliably support Cat5e performance. Each cable’s electrical characteristics were measured throughout the testing. At 400 lbs. applied force, the COTS cable with PVC jacket failed—it was smashed flat and would not spring back to its original shape or transmit an electronic signal. The industrial-grade, black- jacketed armored cable had a failure value of 2,250 lbs. — over a ton. Cut-Through. In this test, based on CSA standard #22.28, a chisel-point mandrel on an Instron machine was lowered onto a segment of cable to test the cable’s susceptibility to a cut-through leaving the conductor exposed. Several kinds of cable were sliced by the chisel to the point where a short circuit was sensed across the conductors, creating a potentially hazardous situation. The COTS cable shorted out at 92 lbs. of applied force. Two unarmored industrial-grade cables took 205 lbs. and 346 lbs. of applied force to short. The armored industrial cable took 346 lbs. applied force to pierce the armor; however, the conductors did not short until a force of 1,048 lbs. was applied. High Temperature. In this test, three spools of cable were suspended from a mandrel in a high-temperature oven. The blue cable in the middle is a COTS Cat5e cable with standard PVC jacket. The other two are black industrialgrade Cat5e cables, one with a PVC jacket, the other jacketed in FEP. All cables were first tested at an ambient temperature of 20°C and were then tested again after being exposed to a high temperature of 60°C over time. The COTS cable functioned acceptably at 20°C but, over time, at 60°C, attenuation increased to where the cable would not support a run distance of 100 meters. The industrial-grade cables, even after exposure to 60°C over time, continued to support the maximum run distance. Oil Resistance. In this test, conducted per UL 12779, lengths of cable were immersed in containers of oil, which in turn were immersed in a water bath that was placed in a chamber held at 125°C for 60 days. After the test period, cable segments were removed and their jackets evaluated for tensile and elongation properties. Exposure to oil and lubricants can make jacketing brittle and fragile, even at room temperature, resulting

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in loss of mechanical properties and reduced service life. The blue COTS cable showed signs of this type of deterioration. The industrial cable’s jacket did not, because the materials and jacket thickness are rated for exposure to oil and other substances, even at elevated temperatures. UV Exposure. In this procedure-based ASTM G 154 test10 segments of various cables were affixed to panels that were mounted so that the cables directly faced a fluorescent light source whose output range was adjusted to match that of solar radiation levels. The cables were exposed to light for 720 hours (30 days), then their jackets were visually checked for discoloration, as well as for signs of degradation in tensile strength and elongation. The COTS cable was not sunlight-resistant and these jackets showed discoloration, a precursor to degradation of the jacket material. The industrial-grade cables were rated to resist the effects of sunlight and other UV sources and showed no jacket damage. Water Immersion. In this test, the electrical properties of the cables (primarily attenuation) were measured initially. Then the cables were coiled into a dry container, and water was added to submerge them. The cables were tested intermittently over a six-month period. The COTS cable showed increased attenuation as soon as the cable was immersed in water and this continued to degrade over the half-year immersion. After six months of immersion, the industrialgrade cable showed only a slight increase in attenuation — and the cable still exceeded the Cat5e requirements.

Components match application

As with selection of the network’s cabling, it is critical to ensure that the specifications of the active hardware are suited to the application. Some factors to keep in mind when making buying decisions include: Temperature. Standard commercial requirements are 0-60°C (a standard met by most industrial switches), but some applications can present an ambient temperature as high as 85°C and as low as -40°C. Note: Although most switches will run at extremely low temperatures, many will not start up after having been idle. Moisture. Conformal coating or IP67 housing solutions can negate these issues. The IP67 connectivity of choice is the ODVAapproved M12 D-coded Ethernet connectors (a 4-pin circular connector that is available as a field-installable IP67/ waterproof connector or as pre-terminated patchcords using Cat5e with an industry- appropriate jacket material). Shock and vibration. Even the minutest vibration on a plant floor can wear on RJ45 connections over time, causing intermittent data communication. For applications such as 5.2019

this, look for switches that utilize the M12 D-coded connector. Industry Approvals. It is essential that all of the components on an Ethernet system meet the relevant transportation standards. • UL CMR-CMX Outdoor: the basic and most common safety standard for communication cable • C(UL) CMG FT-4: the basic and most common safety standard for Canada • UL Verification Cat 5e/6/6a: third-party testing of electrical performance • UL Power Limited Tray Cable (PLTC): the basic rating for installation in 300V power trays • UL Tray Cable (TC) – the basic rating for installation in 600V power trays

Summary

Most industrial organizations, including businesses within the oil and gas industry, invest significantly to protect the safety and security of their production processes and to provide workers with safety and protective gear where needed. Doesn’t it make good business sense to invest wisely to preserve, protect and defend the network infrastructure that supports all of the facility’s mission-critical information, automation and control functions? The most effective and cost-effective way to ensure long-term network performance and reliability is to invest in an Industrial Ethernet infrastructure with networking components designed and rated specifically for use in harsh and demanding environments. Components in the physical layer are especially vulnerable and costly to replace. It’s also important to keep in mind that Enterprise-grade products are neither designed for, nor intended for use in, industrial markets or applications; do not risk your network uptime by using COTS cables, which cannot stand up to harsh environments. Industrial-grade products are far more ruggedly engineered and constructed, and they incorporate design features and materials capable of withstanding the severe environmental and physical stressors to which they are subjected every day. During the product selection process, it is important to take the time to evaluate the marketplace and select a qualified supplier capable of providing a top-quality, end- to-end Ethernet framework tailored to the specific application and environmental conditions. As many adopters of Industrial Ethernet have already discovered, taking a “total system” approach will result in a more integrated system with all products seamlessly matched to deliver interoperability and consistently reliable performance day after day, and year after year. Technical report by Belden.

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Technology

How device testing supports growth of TSN for the IIoT THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IIoT) is among one of the biggest business opportunities of the 21st century and recent market reports and projections see the industrial automation equipment market as a central focus for that growth. A 2017 report from IHS forecasts the industrial sector as being one-third of the total connected IoT devices by 2020 (IoT Trend Watch), and Grand View Research expects the “global industrial IoT market to be worth $93B USD by 2025.” Central to this growth are the networks that relay more and more data from an increasing number and variety of devices. Consequently, there is a need for greater scalability through the convergence of different types of traffic onto a single network infrastructure and the assurance of interoperability at this larger scale. There is a need for greater reliability and interoperability across the network to ensure the timely transfer of information to systems with increasingly complex needs. This includes time synchronization that needs to be managed within tenths of a nanosecond in some specific environments. Leading industrial and transportation companies will demand the same high levels of reliability, security and safety for their control systems within the IoT as is provided today by a multitude of specialized but often proprietary and segregated communication technologies. But these requirements with regards to reliability and security must be addressed in a much more connected and open infrastructure, leading to challenges in deployment and diagnosis not seen before in this type of system. Deterministic Ethernet-based networking with IEEE Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) fills an important gap in standard networking. In particular, it offers guaranteed latency and delivery for critical traffic whilst allowing other traffic types on the same wire. It allows for IIoT to incorporate high-performance and latency-sensitive applications in a converged, robust network infrastructure. In the industrial context, the IEEE/IEC 60802 joint working group has taken on the important task to define an industrial automation profile based on the IEEE TSN standards. Avnu Alliance builds upon the work of these standardization bodies and ensures

SOURCE: AVNU ALLIANCE

The goal is to offer device manufacturers a one-stop shop for TSN certification of the entire stack, and to impose no restrictions on the choice of test houses. This work will create a faster process towards an open, interoperable ecosystem of devices that take advantage of Time-Sensitive Networking’s full benefits.

Diagram describes how the new Avnu proof-of-concept TSN conformance testing tool works in practice.

that all the ecosystem players implement TSN in an interoperable manner by providing conformance test plans and test procedures.

Testbeds: real world applications

Upfront testing of a new technology’s capabilities is key to understanding the path towards a successful network deployment. Testbeds offer 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 Industrial Internet Consortium is one group working with vendors and manufacturers in industrial automation to help ensure that a network of TSN devices work together appropriately. As the world’s first testbed for TSN, the IIC’s TSN for Flexible Manufacturing testbed was developed with two major goals in mind: to show TSN’s readiness to accelerate the marketplace and to highlight the business value of adopting open, interoperable standards in automation networks.

Test plans and conformance tools

While testbeds and plugfests help test for a certain degree of interoperability and allow companies to create real-world systems as an early check for potential problems, conformance testing systematically ensures both alignment with the standards and interoperability of devices in real-life settings. Based on industry-accepted requirements for TSN network interoperability, Avnu Alliance develops test plans for conformance to ensure interoperability at the network layer. Starting with Time Synchronization, or 802.1AS as the foundation for all TSN devices, Avnu released the first set of test plans at SPS IPC Drives in 2017 and continues to work on extending these plans to other TSN standards. The goal is to develop baseline test plans for the industrial market which ensure that end devices, infrastructure components and silicon conform to the relevant IEEE and IEC standards. Avnu leverages the above mentioned IIC

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SOURCE: AVNU ALLIANCE

Technology

Graphic describes the role of Avnu Alliance in the TSN certification ecosystem, including testing, standards and specifications.

Testbed by evaluating the developed test plans and procedures early on with testbed participants such as Analog Devices, Belden/ Hirschmann, Bosch Rexroth, Cisco, General Electric, National Instruments, Schneider Electric, and TTTech – many of whom are also Avnu Alliance members. As the wide adoption of TSN has led to the emergence of other testbeds for TSN devices – including Labs Network Industrie 4.0 (LNI) and Edge Computing Consortium (ECC, in liaison with Avnu) – Avnu aims to share its test plans with more TSN testbeds as a concerted effort towards “One TSN” network. At the 2018 SPS-IPC Drives show, Avnu participated alongside ISW University Stuttgart and IIC in a joint-booth, showcasing Avnu’s role in the TSN ecosystem including a demonstration of a new proof-of-concept conformance testing tool, an automated Linux-Based Test Tool for Compliance Testing of 802.1AS to streamline conformance testing and certification of TSN devices. The test 5.2019

framework will interface with a variety of test equipment from low cost to high-performance and it will provide a consistent user interface and results report that can be utilized by end vendors as well as testbeds, test houses and protocol groups to conduct in-house conformance testing of TSN devices. This test framework reduces total testing process time and enables easier testing for vendors – both in-house and at testbeds – to provide test result details and allow for device debugging and problem-solving before products go to market.

Application layer testing

All of the above aim to ensure interoperability at the foundational network layer 2 with TSN. Many organizations, such as OPC Foundation and the various fieldbus organizations, have developed application layer protocols, which are well suited to work on top of TSN. OPC UA over TSN, supported by the OPC Foundation, is a prominent example and Avnu

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Alliance also intends to make its TSN test plans available to application layer protocol organizations who wish to test their protocols on top of TSN. The goal is to offer device manufacturers a one-stop shop for certification of the entire stack and to impose no restrictions on the choice of test houses.Together, this work across the industry and among various standards groups, protocol organizations and industry leaders will create a faster process towards an open, interoperable ecosystem of devices that take advantage of Time-Sensitive Networking’s full benefits. Organizations like Avnu Alliance build upon the work of these standardization bodies and ensures that all the ecosystem players implement TSN in an interoperable manner by providing conformance test plans and test procedures. Technology report by Avnu Alliance Industrial Segment.

Technology

A converged approach to industrial automation standards SUPPLIERS AND END USERS NEED a complete solution to address the complexity of future industrial automation systems. These require: • Interoperability to allow devices and independent software applications from multiple suppliers to work seamlessly • Extensibility to incorporate future large or intelligent systems • Performance and flexibility to handle challenging deployments and use cases • Robustness to guarantee continuity of operation despite partial failures • Integrity and fine-grained security to protect against cyber attacks • Widespread support for industry standard Industry needs a clear, technically optimal, proven standards approach. This document proposes a new technical architecture to build this future. The design combines the best of the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), Data Distribution Service (DDS), and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) standards. It will connect the factory floor to the enterprise, sensors to cloud, and real-time devices to work cells.

OPC UA value proposition & issues

OPC UA is the prevalent technology in industrial automation for moving data and information from field devices to the cloud. At the fundamental level, OPC UA focuses on creating a distributed object model where end users can integrate devices into working automation systems. OPC UA, along with its companion specifications, provides an environment for understanding and connecting devices. Importantly, it also allows introspection and control of the overall system through the OPC UA “information model.” The OPC UA information model allows the information to be organized hierarchically, integrating devices into servers. Servers expose their information (data elements) through services which describe the operations that can be called on them. Clients (e.g., Human Machine Interface [HMI] and other tools) can browse the object model, read/write data elements, invoke methods and configure or manage a system using service calls. OPC UA offers a powerful “client-server” model for applications (typically clients) to interact with a system. However, the clientserver model is not well suited for the real-time information flows needed for real-time

SOURCE: RTI

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.

Cloud communication capabilities can be easily added to the Simatic S7-1500 controller.

control and peer-to-peer communications (e.g. controller-to-controller). To date these real-time flows use multiple field bus protocols that do not interoperate with each other. The desire to have OPC UA extend to these real-time communications is driving an initiative to create a new OPC UA publishsubscribe extension. This extension would define new publish-subscribe interfaces and UDP-based protocols, which could then be combined with the emerging TSN standard to create a technology with capabilities similar to the traditional field buses.

DDS value proposition & issues

DDS is a standard connectivity framework developed by the Object Management Group (OMG) that is widely deployed across multiple industries under the Industrial IoT (IIoT) umbrella. At its fundamental level, DDS provides an integration framework for software applications. It is used in thousands of deployed use cases, ranging from large power systems to autonomous vehicles. These systems combine intelligent software with physics-speed sensors and actuators. In these systems, DDS serves as both a control bus and edge-to-cloud connectivity framework. DDS offers a powerful publish-subscribe databus. The DDS databus creates a secure global data space that provides a common data model to all devices and applications. The databus and common data model decouple applications from one another: Applications interact with the databus rather than with each other; they publish or subscribe to

Topics, read or write data object Instances, and so on. DDS provides security at the data layer. Applications need permission to join the global data space and require finegrained permission to access any Topic or data object they want to read or write. In this way applications are decoupled and secured, allowing for very scalable and elastic information distribution. DDS also supports service-oriented communication, providing the tools needed to define, discover and invoke remote services. DDS is an excellent fit for peer-to-peer communications and real-time information flow. It is implemented without any brokers or servers, unlike other publish-subscribe technologies like MQTT or AMQP. It has rich quality of service (QoS) capabilities, enabling each information flow to be tailored to its needs. For example, QoS can be set for reliable and durable for events and alarms, as opposed to best efforts and volatile for periodic sensor readings. Moreover, the functionality and security of DDS is transport-independent. It can therefore be deployed over WANs, multicast-enabled LANs, and TSN networks. Of course, in order to achieve real-time determinism, the transport needs to fulfill its part, which is why the use of DDS with TSN is a sensible choice for critical real-time loops.

IoT data & information modeling

Information modeling is key to the interoperability of future IoT systems. The OPC UA information model is fundamentally object-oriented. Servers contain nodes which

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SOURCE: RTI

Technology

This diagram presents an alternative to the OPC UA pub-sub model through a proven, extensible DDS design. It will scale to thousands of nodes, eliminate dependence on servers, provide flexible physical layer implementation and enable fine-grained security. On the right, the OPC UA object-oriented model is merged with the DDS data-centric model. With this design, both client-server and pub-sub will be based on years of field-proven technologies and standards with industry-leading capabilities.

can refer to other nodes in the same server or other servers. Nodes can contain data fields that can be remotely accessed as well as methods that can be remotely called. Conceptually, the whole system can be seen as a large graph of objects. Every device, subsystem, or even an entire factory can be represented with nodes in this model. Nodes include extensive meta data that define device configuration and vendor-specific information. This enables interoperability and generic tools to view and interact with system operation. Each device or system brings its own OPC UA object model along, realized as one or more OPC UA servers. A system integrator hooks clients to the OPC UA servers at deployment or runtime. It is expected that client applications will need to discover and connect to the servers explicitly, find the information they need, and interact with them. DDS also contains powerful information modeling capabilities. However, instead of using an object-oriented model, it uses a data-centric model where data and services are global concepts that are not tightly coupled to a specific device. Therefore, because all data and services are available on the databus, the only information needed by the application is the domain ID, the topic (or service) name, and the key that identifies the specific data-object (or service instantiation). In this model, applications are not expected to connect to any servers or specific nodes. They just send their request to the databus, which takes care of discovering applications that are connected to it and getting information to the right place(s). This means discovery is automatic; data and services can flow to multiple locations; applications can join, leave or change locations and IP addresses; and so on. The databus automatically manages the correct flows. 5.2019

Software architecture choices

So which model is best? Object-oriented client-server or data-centric publish-subscribe? Naturally, each has its own sweet spot. The object-oriented model is a good match for device configuration where each vendor can define and expose its own information model. The object-oriented model is also useful as a way to provide a simple consolidated interface to a more complex subsystem. This model fits systems whose topology remains fairly static during operation. The data-centric model is a match for loosely-coupled systems that need to operate more autonomously. It can handle changes of topology and reconfiguration without impacting the running applications. It is optimal for publish-subscribe and real-time control through its direct serverless communication for critical data flows. Complex systems need both approaches. By their very nature, complex systems have many components and flows. They have devices, real-time critical loops, subsystems with fairly static components as well as interactions that are more ad-hoc and dynamic. For example, the components bolted into a robot will be static during deployment, but in the case of mobile robots, their internal behavior and their interactions with external robots and agents may change dynamically. The industry needs a common integrated solution. The natural instinct is to extend one of these models to cover its gaps. However, this is not the best solution. The current OPC UA pub-sub extension approach to extend the OPC UA object-oriented client-server model with “bolted on” publish-subscribe concepts cannot deliver the performance or scale necessary for complex environments: the lack of data-centric databus will result in limited facilities that do not scale. Likewise, extending the DDS databus

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“decoupled” data-centric model of pub-sub Topics and Services to “bolt on” a more tightly-coupled object-oriented model would not provide the rich feature set currently available in OPC UA. By defining a DDS data model that matches the OPC UA information model, DDS can talk to OPC UA client-server systems. The OMG has defined an OPC UA/DDS Gateway Specification that presents an initial mapping of OPC UA and DDS. With this, IIoT systems gain the necessary ability to integrate devices with fieldbus-like performance, while including the data modeling capabilities that are required for larger system integration.

OPC UA - DDS architecture

There is an opportunity to unify industry around a technical solution that combines OPC UA and DDS. OPC UA and DDS can co-exist and interoperate, and they already do. The OMG OPC UA/DDS Gateway Specification provides a mapping of the information models that allows pure OPC UA and DDS applications to exchange information with pure DDS applications. The intent of this article is to expand beyond this gateway specification with a more comprehensive integration proposal. OPC UA needs tested, highly capable publishsubscribe technology. Therefore, we propose to implement the OPC UA information model in DDS. This provides an alternative to the current OPC UA pub-sub approach, replacing it with a DDS- based publish-subscribe design. The result will bring proven software and control integration together with industrial automation expertise. It will support multiple physical network types, allowing systems to transparently use Ethernet, TSN, and different transport technologies. A new Blend SDK for this system would implement both DDS publish-subscribe and

SOURCE: RTI

Technology The proposed Blend SDK will support 4 types of nodes: UA clients (1); UA servers (2); DDS nodes (3, 4); Gateway nodes (5); and Converged nodes (6, 7). Converged nodes use the Blend SDK that allows creating application nodes that use both patterns (OPC UA and DDS). Gateways allow systems that use a pure OPC UA SDK to interoperate with those that use a pure DDS SDK. Gateways are only needed to integrate systems that were not designed to use both client-server and publish-subscribe from the beginning.

OPC UA client-server. OPC UA client-server applications would use OPC UA APIs and the OPC UA TCP binary protocol. Publish-subscribe applications would use the DDS API on top of the RTPS protocol. Both would implement a common type system and security model to ease interoperability. This could be deployed two different ways: • Using separate SDKs for OPC UA and DDS in combination with Gateway nodes • Using the Blend (OPC UA + DDS) SDK Applications that need both client-server and publish-subscribe would either use: • The Blend SDK that allows individual nodes to do both OPC UA client-server and DDS publish-subscribe, or • Existing separate OPC UA and DDS SDKs in combination with OPC UA/DDS Gateway nodes. Gateway nodes pass data between client-server and publishsubscribe applications. They also proxy system definition information on both sides, including discovery and security. A typical distributed system would contain a mix of these nodes. The ability to support nodes that act as pure OPC UA clients or servers will remain important. These nodes can be implemented with the existing OPC UA SDKs and will have a smaller footprint. Likewise, nodes that primarily use publish-subscribe for communication could benefit from using a pure DDS SDK. Going forward, as the need for more capable and autonomous systems grows, more systems are expected to be built using

the Blend SDK. There will be more Converged nodes and fewer pure OPC UA or pure DDS nodes. Once this transition is complete, the need for the Gateway will go away. Full discovery across OPC UA and DDS works, even for systems that use a pure OPC UA or pure DDS SDK. DDS topics will be available in the address space of the OPC UA servers embedded in gateway nodes. Likewise, DDS participants will show their represented OPC UA services and clients in the gateway nodes. The converged nodes will be visible by both pure OPC UA and pure DDS nodes. Initially, security will require separate configuration of the client-server and publish-subscribe access rules. However, both client-server and publish-subscribe can tie to the same certificate authorities and share the same credentials (e.g. signed identity certificates). A combined security model can be developed as part of the Blend SDK.

Implementation plan

Combining the proven OPC UA object-oriented information model with the DDS datacentric publish-subscribe model provides seamless, secure, reliable access to all system information and supports the needed information exchange patterns. This proposal presents a way to quickly deliver necessary standards and technology to deploy products and solutions. The OPC UA/DDS Gateway Specification provides a good starting point for this approach. This already provides

mappings for type systems and the functional behavior of the OPC UA Gateway. The next step would be to start developing the Blend SDK. The bottom line is that the industry cannot afford to wait a decade or more for the necessary technologies to evolve and mature. This proposal of a new, integrated architecture addresses the complex requirements of industrial automation with timeless durability and complete flexibility. The welldeveloped technologies of OPC UA and DDS can be combined, with the effort going into integration rather than ground-up redesign. End users expect easy integration of data models into their complete systems. Integrating OPC UA and DDS provides standard information models across the industrial landscape. It also offers complete extensibility to add a custom data model. Long term, industrial automation end users will achieve vendor independence, an installed base of products and services, and platform options.

Next steps

This article is a proposal for industry review and comments. Our goal is to build a coalition of key vendors, industry consortia and standards bodies to support this approach. To comment on this article, please contact Gerardo Pardo (gerardo@rti.com); Fernando Garcia (fgarcia@rti.com); or Costantino Pipero (costantino.pipero@beeond.net). Technology report by RTI.

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Technology

Cyber security for oil and gas industry applications THE OIL AND GAS SUPPLY CHAIN is a globally interconnected environment, moving millions of barrels of crude oil and billions of cubic feet of natural gas on a daily basis. Due to the increasing demand in global energy, the oil and gas industry faces many disputes and challenges in the service sectors of exploration and production (upstream); processing, storage and transport (midstream); refining and processing (downstream); and oilfield applications. One of these challenges is the growing risk of cyber threats. Today’s industrial Ethernet and wireless technologies have made it easy for oil and gas professionals to share data faster and more efficiently – whether they are on an offshore platform or back in the main office. All of these far-flung locations, spread throughout the globe, are connected via complex, enterprise-wide networks transferring critical data between all areas of production and processing and to the corporate headquarters for planning and scheduling purposes. Connecting control systems with the business world optimizes operations. However, these complex communication networks distribute data in all directions and to multiple applications, increasing the risk of cyber threats. An accidental virus infection could shut down production, costing millions of dollars in lost revenue. The global supply chain infrastructure is susceptible to numerous risks and threats; any intentional or accidental disruption anywhere along the communication path could result in a catastrophe. This susceptibility of the communication path begins at the wellhead and ends at the distribution point at the other end of the supply chain. Hackers have a long path on which to find a small back door that allows them entry to inflict potential damage. This is not a simple violation of the companies’ privacy or security.

Cybersecurity guidelines

According to a news release from Tripwire, Inc., 82 percent of oil and gas industry respondents said their organizations have seen an increase in successful cyberattacks over the past 12 months. The study, conducted by Dimensional Research in November 2015, included more than 150 IT professionals in the energy, utilities, and oil and gas industries. 5.2019

SOURCE: PHOENIX CONTACT

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.

Oil and gas is one of the Department of Homeland Security’s “highly critical infrastructure” industries.

The study also found that 69 percent of oil and gas respondents said they were “not confident” their organizations were able to detect all cyberattacks. Unfortunately, there are numerous examples of cyber risks and threats to the oil and gas industry. One of the biggest threats appeared in 2012, when the Shamoon virus attacked Saudi Aramco, the world’s leading oil and gas production company. The virus erased data in at least 30,000 of Aramco’s corporate computers. Aramco reported that the objective of the attack was to stop the company’s production, which represents more than 10 percent of world oil supply. Shamoon is just one example of a threat to strike the industrial world. Other well-known malware includes Stuxnet, Flame and Duqu, but others are likely lurking undetected. A hydrocarbon system could come under cyberattack for multiple reasons: • Financial gain: insider information • Intellectual property theft • Supply disruption from environmental activists • Supply disruption from political activists • Disgruntled employee • Gaining unlawful access to technology related to production and processing

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• Terroristic threat • Cyber warfare by a rogue nation The owner-operators must address all of the above points as they begin designing and maintaining a “cyber-secure” control and communications network infrastructure throughout the entire supply chain, from the wellhead to the final distribution point. How will an owner-operator develop, implement and maintain a corporate-wide, global-yetlocal cybersecurity strategy of this magnitude? In the new cyber world order, everyone should be involved in the design and engineering of cybersecurity guidelines for existing systems. This represents a huge challenge for owners and operators. They now need to locate and map out the entire supply chain network and determine what technologies, best practices and programs are suited for the specific system without any production interruptions. Meanwhile, they must meet the cybersecurity guidelines that government agencies have imposed for the specific industry.

Protecting critical process data

Hydrocarbon production, processing and distribution systems have evolved and developed based on a safety culture. Most owner-operators have already implemented

Cooperation of engineers & IT

Network security is the highest priority of IT staff, but it is low on the radar for most control engineers or plant managers. The discovery of the Stuxnet worm, however, forced industrial plant managers to bring a higher level of attention to the operational risks that chemical, oil and gas, and other critical plants face. Since then, control engineers have realized that they need to take an active role in security, and not leave it entirely in the hands of IT. To create a secure network, control engineers and plant managers must work together with the IT department and the technology they use. They face the difficult task of placing protective measures around and within existing systems and still maintaining the flexibility of multiple protocols and technologies. A good first step is to completely know and draw your existing network plant and if needed, place it behind the current IT infrastructure. Recommended best practices include: • Insulate and isolate communication between the corporate and the plant networks with a router • Filter data coming in and out with a firewall; this also promotes network segmentation • Avoid accidental or unauthorized access by blocking and managing access controls • Mitigate viruses and malware that come into your systems with integrity monitoring scans and detection tools

SOURCE: PHOENIX CONTACT

Technology

a common health, safety and environmental (HSE) culture to ensure that their facilities meet the industry’s needs. The next step is integrating measures and procedures into this existing system from day one. Protecting the entire digital network infrastructure must become a part of the norm. It is important for the global oil and gas industry to protect its valuable assets. This means that there is an informal security interest for the protection of the flow of oil and gas, which benefits both producing and consuming nations. Supply chains all over the world are regulated by the country of origin. In the United States, the supply chain network is part of the critical infrastructure and is regulated by the Department of Homeland Security and its Chemical Facility AntiTerrorism Standards (CFATS). Hydrocarbon companies acknowledge that hackers and malware will get into systems. Knowing this, these organizations must take a proactive approach, focusing on the protection of critical process data. Owners and operators need to point out the location of critical data, identify the characteristics of systems that carry the data, understand vulnerabilities in systems and detect changes in activities that signal potential cyber-attacks.

CIFS Integrity Monitoring is an alternative to traditional anti-virus methods.

• Use virtual private network (VPN) technology to send and receive encrypted data from remote locations.

Security in rugged conditions

In the industrial world, productivity drives business. When the Internet started growing, control systems evolved from isolated islands to highly interconnected systems. The concept of “security by obscurity” as a tool to protect control systems from cyber-attacks is not realistic. However, network architectures can be protected and guarded by specific devices coded with the same IT secure technology, but designed to meet the rugged, hazardous conditions that may be present in a hydrocarbon plant. Today, there are security devices with industrialized hardware and advanced configuration options can provide a defensein-depth option for critical applications. These devices have sophisticated security capabilities including firewalls with integrated router and VPN. The Common Internet File System (CIFS) is the standard way that computer users share files across corporate intranets and the Internet. Some industrial security devices include CIFS Integrity Monitoring, an antimalware tool used in industrial PCs to scan Windows-based systems for files that have been manipulated by malware, without the need of updating the database of signatures. Industrial devices can also save and store logs from data packets and information coming in and out of the network for audits with the corresponding federal regulatory agency.

Remote secure, cloud-based portals

A defense-in-depth approach to cybersecurity incorporates multiple layers of protection to keep unwanted traffic off the industrial network. It is proven that diverse layers of protection within industrial networks are a

better approach than a single, monolithic one. This defense-in-depth method of protection delays, more than prevents, access from unwanted users. These measures not only connect and protect, but can also be easily integrated into production environments and industrial systems. No matter what security measures the owner of the hydrocarbon plant takes, there is always a possibility of a breach, so a disaster recovery plan is still critical. This plan should be tested and practiced. Defensive strategies must be monitored and active at all levels of possible attacks: detection, isolation, containment and elimination. Taking this protection one step further, there are now secure, cloud-based portals that can integrate industrial devices and automated systems directly into the network without modification or planning. A professionally hosted service can give oil and gas system operators easy access to fast and secure remote support, offering complete encryption of data and stateful firewall protection for every site.

Conclusion

Oil and gas companies understand that cyberattacks have increased over time and that they need to take a more comprehensive and proactive approach to protect their critical systems. In the constantly changing cyber world, protecting control systems will be an ongoing responsibility that everyone, from the owneroperator to the control engineer to the IT staff, must share. By following federal and industry standards and implementing a defense-indepth approach to cybersecurity, hydrocarbon professionals will be better prepared to prevent the financial, informational and physical risks that can result from a cyber-attack. Technology report by Phoenix Contact.

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Technology

Synchronization of multi-axis motion over real-time networks SOURCE: ANALOG DEVICES

Existing network solutions do not include synchronization of motion I/O, which limits achievable control performance. The synchronization scheme proposed here enables synchronization all the way from the network master to the motor terminals and offers significant improvement in control performance.

Typical 2-axis network motion control system

control system. A motion control master is sending commands and references across a real-time network to two servo controllers, with each servo controller constituting a slave node on the network. The servo controller itself consists of a network controller, a motor controller, a power inverter, and a motor/ encoder.

The real-time network protocols employ different methods to synchronize slave nodes to the master, but an often-used approach is to have a local synchronized clock at each node. This common understanding of time ensures references and commands for all servo axes are tightly synchronized. In other words, all network controllers on the real-time SOURCE: ANALOG DEVICES

REAL-TIME DETERMINISTIC ETHERNET protocols, such as EtherCAT, have enabled synchronized operation of multi-axis motion control systems. There are two aspects to this synchronization. First, the delivery of command and references between the various control nodes must be synchronized to a common clock and, second, the execution of the control algorithms and feedback functions must be synchronized to the same clock. The first kind of synchronization is well understood and an inherent part of the network controller. However, the second kind of synchronization has up to this point been neglected and is now a bottleneck when it comes to motion control performance. This article presents novel concepts to synchronize motor drives all the way from a network controller and down the motor terminals and sensors. The presented technologies enable much improved synchronization that leads to significantly increased control performance.

Problem statement/state of the art To define the limitations of state-of-the-art solutions, consider a 2-axis networked motion 5.2019

Effect of timing delay on position accuracy.

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SOURCE: ANALOG DEVICES

Technology Effect of timing delay on position accuracy.

period, T, or twice if double update mode is used. No matter how tightly the data exchange is synchronized on the real-time network, the time quantization of the PWM timer ends up being the determining factor in axis synchronization. When a new reference is received, it is not possible to respond to it until a new duty cycle takes effect. This introduces a time uncertainty of up to one PWM period, which is typically in the range of 50 μs to 100 μs. In effect, there will be an undefined and varying phase relationship between the network synchronization period and the PWM period. Compare this to a time uncertainty of sub-1 μs on the real-time network and it is clear that the I/Os of the motor controller play a crucial role when it comes to synchronizing motion control over a network. In fact, it is not the real-time network that determines the synchronization accuracy—rather it is the I/Os of the system. Again, a system has three synchronization domains, A, B, and C, that are not tied together. They are effectively out of synchronization with a variable uncertainty of up to one PWM period.

Synchronization uncertainty impact

The impact of timing uncertainty can be clearly seen in high performance multi-axis servo systems for applications like robotics and machining. The varying time offset

Synchronization & new topologies

In a typical motion control system, a motion controller, typically a PLC, sends position references (θ*) to a motor controller over a real-time network. The motor controller consists of three cascaded feedback loops with the inner loop controlling torque/current (T/i), the middle loop controlling speed (ω), and the other loop controlling position (θ). The torque loop has the highest bandwidth and the position loop has the lowest. Feedback from the plant is kept local to the motor controller and is tightly synchronized with the control algorithm and pulse-width modulator. SOURCE: ANALOG DEVICES

network are synchronized. Typically, there are two interrupt lines between the network controller and the motor controller. The first notifies the motor controller when it is time to gather inputs and put them on the network. The second notifies the motor controller when to read data from the network. Following this approach, the data exchange between the motion controller and the motor controller happens in a synchronized manner and very high timing accuracy is possible. However, it is not enough to get synchronized data across to the motor controllers; the motor controllers must also be able to respond to the data in a synchronized way. Without this capability, the motor controllers cannot take advantage of the timing accuracy of the network. When it comes to responding to references and commands, the motor controller’s I/Os pose a problem. Each of the I/Os in a motor controller, such as pulse-width modulation (PWM) timers and ADCs, have an inherent delay and time quantization. As an example, consider the PWM timer generating gate drive signals for the power inverter. The timer generates gate signals by comparing reference Mx to an up-down counter. When Mx is changed by the control algorithm, the new duty cycle does not take effect until the next PWM period. This is equivalent to a zero-order hold effect meaning the duty cycle is only updated once per PWM

between motor control axes at the I/O level has a direct and measurable impact on the final three-dimensional positioning accuracy of the robot or machine tool. Consider a simple motion profile. In this example, the motor speed reference is ramped up and then back down again. If the ramp rate is within the capability of the electromechanical system, the actual speed is expected to follow the reference. However, if there is a delay anywhere in the system, the actual speed will lag reference, which results in a position error, Δθ. In multi-axis machines, a target position (x, y, z) is translated into angular axis profiles (θ1, ..., θn) according to the mechanical construction of the machine. The angular axis profiles define a sequence of equally time spaced position/velocity commands for each axis. Any difference in timing between the axes results in reduced accuracy of the machine. In an 2-axis example system, a target path for the machine is described by a set of (x, y) coordinates. A delay causes a timing error on the command for the y-axis and the actual path ends up being irregular. The impact of a constant delay may, in some cases, be minimized by proper compensation. More critical is a varying and unknown delay for which compensation is impossible. Furthermore, a varying delay results in varying control loop gain, which makes it difficult to tune the loop for optimal performance. It should be noted that a delay anywhere in the system will cause inaccuracy in the precision of the machine. As a consequence, minimizing or eliminating delays enables increased productivity and end-product quality.

Implementation of a synchronization scheme.

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SOURCE: ANALOG DEVICES

Technology Case Study

An I/O scheduler ties the sync domains together.

With this system topology, axes are synchronized through the exchange of position references between the motion and motor controllers, but the correlation to synchronization of the motor controller’s I/O (feedback and PWM) only becomes an issue for very high precision applications such as CNC machining. The position loop often has fairly low bandwidth and is therefore less sensitive to synchronization of I/O. That means synchronization of nodes at a reference level typically gives acceptable performance even though the network and I/O are in different synchronization domains. While the control topology shown at the top of the illustration above is common, other control partitioning approaches are also used in which position and/or speed loops are implemented at the motion controller side, and speed/torque references are passed across the network. Recent trends in the industry are indicating a move toward a new partitioning method, in which all of the control loops are moved away from the motor controllers to a powerful motion controller on the master side of the network. The data exchange on the real-time-network is a voltage reference (v*) for the motor controller and plant feedback (i, ω, θ) for the motion controller. This control topology, which is enabled by powerful multicore PLCs and real-time networks, has several benefits. Firstly, the architecture is very scalable. Axes can also be easily added/removed without having to worry about the processing power of the motor controller. Secondly, increased precision is possible since both trajectory planning and motion control are done in one central place. The new control topology has drawbacks, 5.2019

too. By removing the control algorithms from the motor controller, tight synchronization of code execution and I/O is lost. The higher the bandwidth of a control loop, the more of a problem the loss of I/O synchronization is. The torque/current loop is especially sensitive to synchronization.

Proposed solution

Moving the faster control loops to the motion controller creates a demand for synchronization all the way from the network master and down to the motor terminals. The overall idea is to bring the I/Os of all axes into synchronization with the network so that everything runs in one sync domain. An I/O event scheduler, which sits between the network controller and the motor controller has a main function to generate sync/reset pulses to all the peripherals so that they are kept in synchronism with the network traffic. The I/O event scheduler takes the frame sync signal, which is derived from the local clock of the network controller, and outputs appropriate hardware triggers for all I/Os that must be kept synchronized to the network. Each I/O has its own set of timing/reset requirements, which means the I/O event scheduler must provide tailored triggers for each I/O. While trigger requirements differ, a general principle applies to all of them. Firstly, all triggers must be referenced to the frame sync. Secondly, there is a delay/ offset associated with each trigger. This delay is related to the I/O’s inherent delay—for example, the conversion time of an ADC or the group delay of a sinc filter. Thirdly, there is the response time of the I/O—for example, the transfer of data from an ADC. The I/O event scheduler knows the timing requirements of

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each I/O and adjusts the trigger/reset pulses to the local clock continuously. In most networked motion control systems, the frame rate, and hence the frame sync rate, is equal to or lower than the PWM update rate of the motor controller. This means that the I/O event scheduler must provide at least one and possibly several trigger pulses per frame period. For example, if the frame rate is 10 kHz and the PWM rate is 10 kHz, the I/O event scheduler must provide 1 trigger pulse per network frame and, similarly, if the frame rate is 1 kHz and the PWM rate is 10 kHz, the I/O event scheduler must provide 10 trigger pulses per network frame. A delay, tD, is applied to each synchronization pulse to compensate for the inherent delay of each I/O. The final element of the I/O event scheduler is an intelligent filtering function. On every network there is some jitter on the traffic. The filter reduces the jitter on trigger pulses and also ensures the rate of change of frame sync frequency is limited. An example timing diagram for PWM synchronization shows how the frame sync frequency is a multiple of the PWM frequency and how the jitter on the I/O trigger signal is reduced.

Implementation

An example of the proposed synchronization scheme has been implemented and tested in a networked motion control system. The network master is a Beckhoff CX2020 PLC that is connected to a PC for development and deployment of the PLC program. The protocol of the real-time network (red arrows) is EtherCAT. The main elements of the motor controller

SOURCE: ANALOG DEVICES

Technology

Experimental results

To illustrate the synchronization of a system the PLC was setup to run a test program with a task time of 200 μs. The task time also determines the frame rate on the EtherCAT network. The motor controller runs with a PWM and control update period of 100 μs (10 kHz) and therefore needs synchronization pulses to happen at this rate. The signal Data Ready indicates when the REM switch has made network data available to the motor control application. The signal is asserted every 200 μs, which corresponds to the EtherCAT frame rate. The PWM sync signal is also generated by the REM switch and used to keep the I/O of the motor controller in synchronism with the network traffic. Since the PWM period is 100 μs, the REM switch schedules two PWM sync pulses per EtherCAT frame. The lower two signals, HS PWM and LS PWM, are high-side and low-side PWM for one of the motor phases. Notice how the PWM signals are synchronized to the network traffic.

Effect of timing delay on position accuracy.

are the fido5200 and ADSP-CM408, both from Analog Devices. Together the two provide a highly integrated chip set for a network connected motor drive. Analog Devices' fido5200 is a real-time Ethernet multiprotocol (REM) switch with two Ethernet ports. It provides a flexible interface between a host processor and the industrial Ethernet physical layer. fido5200 includes a configurable timer control unit (TCU) that makes it possible to implement advanced synchronization schemes for the various industrial Ethernet protocols. Additional functions like input capture and the output of square wave signals can also be realized via dedicated timer pins. Timer input/output are kept in phase with the synchronized local time and therefore with the network traffic. This makes it possible not only to synchronize the I/O of a single slave node, but the slave nodes across the whole network. The REM switch has two Ethernet ports and hence connects to two Phys (PHY1 and PHY2). This topology supports both ring and line networks. However, in the experimental setup, only one slave node is used for illustration and only one Ethernet port is active. The REM switch communicates with a host processor though a parallel memory bus, which ensures high throughput and low latency. The host processor used to realize the motor controller is the ADSP-CM408. It is an

application specific processor based on an ARM Cortex-M4F core to implement control and application functions. The processor includes peripherals to support industrial control applications such as timers for PWM inverter control, ADC sampling, and position encoder interfaces. To keep all peripherals in sync with the network, a flexible trigger routing unit (TRU) is utilized. The TRU redirects the triggers generated by the fido5200’s TCU to all timing critical peripherals on the ADSPCM408. These are the pulse-width modulator, sinc filter for phase current measurement, ADC, and absolute encoder interface. An I/O event scheduler is realized using the TCU on the REM switch and the TRU on the motor control processor. In other words, the function is implemented across two integrated circuits. The feedback for the motor controller is phase current and the rotor position from a 3-phase servo motor. Phase current is measured using isolated Σ-Δ ADCs and the rotor position is measured with an EnDat absolute encoder. Both the Σ-Δ ADCs and the encoder interface directly to ADSP-CM408 without the need for any external FPGA or CPLD. The PWM switching frequency is 10 kHz and the control algorithm is executed once per PWM period. As discussed in this article, the TCU provides synchronization pulses to ADSP-CM408 once per PWM period.

Summary

Real-time Ethernet is widely used in motion control systems and some protocols achieve time synchronization with an accuracy of sub-1 μs. However, the synchronization only involves data traffic between the network master and slaves. Existing network solutions do not include synchronization of motion I/O, which limits achievable control performance. The synchronization scheme proposed here enables synchronization all the way from the network master to the motor terminals. Because of much improved synchronization, the proposed scheme offers significant improvement in control performance. The proposed scheme also offers seamless synchronization across multiple axes. Axes can easily be added and the synchronization tailored to the individual motor controller. The synchronization is based on an I/O event scheduler, which resides between the network controller and the motor controller. The I/O event scheduler is programmable on the fly and can be conditioned to minimize the effect of jitter/frequency changes. The proposed scheme has been verified in an experimental setup and results were presented. EtherCAT was used as the communication protocol in the experiment. However, the ideas presented apply to any real-time Ethernet protocol. Jens Sorensen, Dara O’Sullivan, and Christian Aaen, Analog Devices.

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Technology

Holistic cybersecurity for Industrial IoT applications

SOURCE: ODVA

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.

Protecting assets requires a holistic security approach to address different types of threats. Layers of technologies offer protection at different levels of IIoT architectures.

NO SINGLE PRODUCT, TECHNOLOGY or methodology can fully secure IIoT applications. Protecting IIoT assets requires a holistic security approach to help address different types of threats. This approach uses multiple layers of diverse technologies for protection and detection, applied at different levels of IIoT architectures, while being implemented by different personas. This article will provide an overview of a holistic IIoT security framework. This framework incorporates aspects of IEC-62443 and NIST 800-82, leverages CIP Security for security zoning, addresses OT and IT personas, and enables secure connectivity from smart devices to smart machines/skids to cloud applications.

IoT opportunities / challenges

Industrial IoT (IIoT) offers the promise of business outcomes through the use of innovative technology such as mobility, collaboration, analytics and cloud-based services. 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 and safety best practices. 5.2019

There are many aspects that could impact the reliability and security of Industrial IoT architectures: Connected Architectures: Smart IIoT devices which enable smart skids/equipment/ machines, which in turn enables smart plants, but also smart IIoT devices connected to on premise applications (e.g. historians, analytics) or connected to cloud-based applications (e.g. analytics, dashboards). Convergence: This is not just technology and networks, but also cultural and organizational convergence of different personas, specifically IT and OT, groups that had little interaction in the past are now collaborating to share best practices. Industrial standards that apply to both networking and security. Cybersecurity Threats: growing cybersecurity threats (types and actors) increase the risk to protect the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data within IIoT architectures. Powerful, yet simple to use tools are readily available to novice threat actors. Scalable, reliable, safe, secure and futureready Industrial IoT architectures require an ecosystem.

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OT-IT collaboration

Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) reference architectures have been helping industrial operations converge their many disparate operational, processing and production systems into a single control and information platform, utilizing a single Industrial IoT network technology, which is EtherNet/IP. The content of CPwE is relevant to both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) disciplines. CPwE consists of documented architectures, best practices, design guidance and configuration settings to help industrial operations with development and deployment of a scalable, reliable, safe, secure and future-ready plant-wide industrial network infrastructure. Standard network and security technology by the IEEE and IETF is used by both IT at the Enterprise and operational technology (OT) for IIoT applications. However, there are cultural differences in how the technology is applied that should be accounted for. Examples of differences would be traffic types, data prioritization, time synchronization, resiliency and security policies and procedures.

SOURCE: U.S. DEPT. HOMELAND SECURITY

Technology

Cybersecurity – OT vs. IT.

Cybersecurity – OT vs. IT

Due to IACS application requirements, there are differences in how the technology, policies and procedures are applied between OT and IT that should be accounted for when developing an industrial security program. The following is a high-level summary: Technology Differences: • Software and hardware toolsets • Varying implementations of Layer 2/3 network services may create incompatibilities • Availability, Performance, Traffic Types, Security Cultural Differences: • Availability SLA (service level agreement): Minutes/Hours vs. Hours/ Days • Policies: Security, QoS and NAT, Multicast • Skill-gaps – workforce development • OT personnel lacking knowledge of IT skills and requirements • IT personnel lacking knowledge of OT skills and requirements • Lack of Industrial IT personnel that bridge the gap between OT and IT • Challenges with Industrial IT talent recruitment, development and retention Functional Differences and Incompatibilities between IT and OT: • Technologies: resiliency, security • Products: QoS policies • Applications: WebEx & Skype vs. SCADA • Solutions: network access control vs. application access control

Industrial Security Trends

World Wide Threat Assessment -2015: Director of National Intelligence James

Clapper delivered this summary to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on September 10, 2015: "Cyber threats are increasing in frequency, scale, sophistication and severity of impact. Several nations have undertaken offensive cyber operations against private sector targets. Cyber threat cannot be eliminated; rather cyber risk must be managed. The likelihood of a catastrophic attack is remote at this time; rather, we envision an ongoing series of low-moderate level cyberattacks which will impose cumulative costs on U.S. economic competitiveness and national security." According to the U.S. DHS, industrial operations led the way in 2016 for reporting cyber incidents – e.g. manufacturing, energy, water, transportation, chemical and food and agriculture. There was a broad range of infection vectors reported. Spear phishing, enabled by social engineering, was the most commonly reported.

Cost vs. risk vs. productivity

One continuing trend is the need to balance cost vs. risk vs productivity. Every industrial automation and control system (IACS) application is unique to some degree. One size does not fit all when it comes to risk tolerance and stance on availability, safety and security. What is acceptable by one industrial operator may be unacceptable to another and vice versa. IIoT architectures should support scalability, which includes the degree of holistic and diverse industrial security technologies applied at different levels of a plant-wide security architecture. Scalable security comes in many forms. Based on risk mitigation requirements, several diverse technology options are available for threat detection

and prevention to help industrial operations meet their tolerance to risk. 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 and safety best practices. Business practices, corporate standards, security policies and procedures, application requirements, industry security standards, regulatory compliance, risk management policies, and overall tolerance to risk are all key factors in determining the appropriate security stance. Utilize safety and security standards to help assess the required security stance to meet the application requirements: • Alignment with industrial functional safety standards such as IEC 61508, IEC 62061 (SIL), ISO 13849 (PL), CIP Safety • Alignment with industrial security standards such as IEC-62443 (formerly ISA99), NIST 800-82 , ICS-CERT and CIP Security The need for early, open and two-way dialogue within industrial operations, especially between OT and IT, is critical for the success of IIoT projects. One size does not fit all when it comes to risk tolerance and stance on availability, safety and security.

Established security standards

There are multiple organizations, consortia and government agencies that provide or reference industrial security standards and recommended practices. Each has the common threads of: Security Zones: organizing industrial operations into functional or security zones, with strong segmenting of industrial operations from business (enterprise) networks. Defense-in-Depth: this approach uses multiple layers of diverse technologies for protection and detection, applied at different levels of IIoT architectures, while being implemented by different personas. IEC 62443 and NIST 800-82 is a series of standards, not just a single standard. IEC 62443: • General: general information which is applicable to industrial operations, System Integrators, and IACS vendors. • Policies and Procedures: most applicable to industrial operations.

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SOURCE: ODVA

Technology

Holistic and Diverse Plant-wide Security – CPwE Logical Model.

• System: most applicable to system designers (e.g. 3-2 for security zones and secure conduits) and system implementers (e.g. 3-3). • Component / Product: IACS vendors.

Holistic diverse plantwide security

No single product, technology or methodology can fully secure IIoT architectures. Protecting IIoT assets requires a holistic security approach to help address internal and external security threats. This approach uses multiple layers of defense (administrative, technical, and physical), using diverse technologies for protection and detection, applied at different levels of IIoT architectures, while being implemented by different personas, by applying policies and procedures that address different types of threats. To understand the security and network systems requirements of an industrial automation and control system (IACS), this

document uses a logical model to describe the basic functions and composition of an IACS application. The Purdue Reference Architecture and ISA 95 are common and well-understood models that use Levels to segment devices and equipment into hierarchical functions. The concept of operational Levels has been incorporated into many other models and standards in the industry. Based on this segmentation of the plant operations, standards such as IEC 62443, NIST 800-82 and ICS-CERT recommended practices organize the operational Levels into Security Zones. This is a representation of the CPwE Logical Model. Multiple layers of defense-in-depth for IIoT architectures include, but are not limited to: • Education and Awareness Programs: training of OT personnel on established industrial security/safety policies and SOURCE: ODVA

NIST 800-82: • Identify: development of policies and procedures to govern industrial operations, awareness and training for industrial operators, IACS asset inventory, IACS network discovery • Protect: multiple layers of diverse technologies for threat protection • Detect: multiple layers of diverse technologies for threat detection • Respond: policies and procedures to govern industrial operations, awareness and training for industrial operators

• Recover: multiple layers of diverse technologies for IACS and asset archiving

Holistic and Diverse Plant-wide Security – CPwE Logical Model. 5.2019

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SOURCE: ODVA

Technology Holistic and Diverse Plant-wide Security – CPwE Logical Model.

procedures including how to respond to a security incident. • Physical: limit physical access to authorized personnel only: control room, cells/areas, control panels, IACS devices – e.g. locks, gates, biometrics. • Network: restrictive access, hardening, traffic flow analysis and traffic inspection. • Computer Hardening: patch management program, white listing of IACS applications, restrict admin privileges, removal of unused applications/ protocols/services, closing unnecessary logical ports, protecting physical ports. • Application: restrictive access, trusted communications, hardening, and monitoring. • D e v i c e Hardening: trusted communications, change management with disaster recovery, data encryption, and restrictive access. The CPwE Industrial Security Framework helps to provide a holistic, scalable, diverse and incremental architectural best practices: • Defense-in-Depth: architectural best practices for holistic and diverse threat detection and protection • Alignment with industrial security standards: - IEC 62443, NIST 800-82, ICS-CERT • Different Personas: - OT – e.g. Control System Engineers - Industrial IT - Control System Engineers (OT) in collaboration with IT Network Engineers, OT Engineers with IT skills, or IT with knowledge of OT requirements.

- IT: e.g. security architects in collaboration with OT. • Scalability: IIoT smart device to IACS application, IIoT smart device to Level 3 Site Operations, IIoT smart device to on premise analytics in the enterprise, and IIoT smart device to cloud-based applications.

OT Persona - Plant-wide Security

Industrial security should be holistic and not treated as a bolt-on afterthought for new IIoT architectures. However, there are many solutions available to help industrial operations incrementally improve the security stance for their legacy IIoT architectures. • Hardening for Level 0-2 IACS devices: policies and procedures, physical measures, electronic measures, encrypted communications, trusted communications (CIP Security). • Zoning: segmenting devices and applications into functional and security zones, CPwE Logical Model, Layer 2/3 switch hierarchy with access control lists (ACLs), virtual local area networks (VLANs) for Layer 2 networks, Layer 3 network address translation (NAT) devices, and industrial firewalls. • Port Security: network and IACS devices, both physical and electronic. • Application Hardening: application access control, trusted communications with possible whitelisting. • Industrial Firewall: zoning (access control for protection) of OEM skids/equipment/ machines, zoning (access control for

protection) of legacy networks with legacy IACS devices which have little to no security capabilities, and inspection of both IIoT and non-IIoT traffic. • Status and Monitoring: inventory and asset management of both IACS and network devices. Plant-wide zoning to support: • Functional / Security Areas • Smaller broadcast domains • Smaller fault domains • Smaller domains of trust • Application micro-segmentation • Alignment with IEC 62443-3-2 security zones and secure conduits model. • Alignment with DHS/INL/ICS-CERT best practices. • Segmentation of different and potentially incompatible Industrial IoT Technology. • Establish a building block approach for scalability. Application / Device Security: • CIP Security, part of a holistic and diverse defense-in-depth security approach • Connections between Trusted Endpoints: - Reject data that has been altered (integrity). - Reject messages sent by untrusted people or untrusted devices (authenticity). - Reject messages that request actions that are not allowed (authorization). • Capabilities: - System management

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OT/IT Persona - Plant-wide Security

Multiple layers of defense-in-depth for IIoT architectures threat detection and prevention should include, but not limited to: • Computer Hardening: patch management program, whitelisting IACS applications, restrict admin privileges, removal of unused applications/protocols/services, closing unnecessary logical ports, and protecting physical ports. • Network Infrastructure: hardening, access control and resiliency. • Wireless LAN (WLAN) • Equipment SSID • Plant Personnel SSID • Trusted Partners SSID • Pre-Shared Key • 802.1X - (EAP-FAST) • 802.1X - (EAP-TLS) • CAPWAP DTLS • Remote Access Server: for central policy enforcement for plant, enterprise and remote access. • Status and Monitoring: health status of IACS and network devices.

IT Persona - Plant-wide Security

Multiple layers of defense-in-depth for IIoT architectures threat detection and prevention should include, but not limited to: • Network Access Control: centralized authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA), identity and mobility services, and software-defined segmentation. • Plant-wide Firewall Management: industrial firewalls and firewalls within Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ). • Active Directory: genesis of identity and access control policy. • Status and Monitoring: traffic flow analysis and traffic inspection. • Plant Firewalls: active/standby, inter-zone traffic segmentation, ACLS, IPS and IDS, VPN services, portal and remote desktop services proxy. • IDMZ best practices: data brokers for reliable and secure communications, TLS proxy, application mirror, reverse proxy, remote desktop gateway server. Network Security - Segmentation (Zoning) Functional Areas / Security Groups for IIoT architectures. • Traditional method utilized VLANs (switch port based) with static ACLs. • Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) services added the capability of dynamic ACLs to static 5.2019

VLANs (switch port based). This method provides for limited programmability and automation capability. • Source-Group Tag Exchange Protocol (SXP) with AAA services offers capability of dynamic programmability and automation since the SXP is bound to IACS endpoint and not the switch port.

Traffic flow analysis for IIoT

• Flow: unidirectional stream of packets between a given source and destination. • IP Flow Information Export (IPFIX), were a flow record is created and cached in the industrial Ethernet switch (IES). - Provides data about traffic flows: who, what, where, when, and how • Network Monitoring and Anomaly Detection • Application Monitoring and Profiling • User Monitoring and Profiling • Network Planning • Security Analysis - If one field of incoming packet is different, a new IPFIX record is created in the local IPFIX cache. - Flow analysis, not packet analysis. Lightweight footprint, this is NOT a Full Packet Capture (PCAP). - Various IPFIX Versions • Traditional NetFlow (TNF): fixed info to identify a flow. • Flexible NetFlow (FNF): user defines how to identify a flow. • IETF Standard, RFC 5101, 5102, 6313 - IP Flow Information Export (IPFIX) Cloud-based services help to enable data collaboration and remote monitoring of dashboards by plant personnel and/ or trusted industry partners (for example, system integrator, OEM or contractor) for IACS applications within IIoT architectures. A holistic industrial security stance is necessary in order to help protect the integrity of safety and security best practices while also helping to enable restricted cloud-based services. Industrial operations should also ensure that the cloud provider and internet service provider (ISP) are trusted. They are required to protect connectivity and data per the industrial operator’s security policies. An IIoT Cloud Gateway should communicate with a Cloud application via Transport Layer Security (TLS). In keeping with the Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ) concept of brokered services, a TLS proxy should be located in the IDMZ. The IIoT security architecture should use the IDMZ with Firewall(s) and replicated services to buffer the Industrial Zone from the Enterprise Zone. Industrial Firewall(s) should also be implemented to enforce security policies within a Cell/Area Zone to protect the Industrial Zone from the IIoT Cloud Gateway ingress/egress point. This security architecture is recommended

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for operators that require cloud-based connectivity yet have a lower tolerance to risk. Some operators may already have a TLS proxy located in their Enterprise DMZ that buffers their Enterprise Zone from the Internet. This security architecture could be implemented to leverage that existing TLS proxy. A third option is to have a TLS Proxy located in the cloud like the Cisco Umbrella Intelligent Proxy.

Technology

- Micro-segmentation - Device-based firewall • This does not replace the need for network security, e.g. firewalls, network access control, and zoning.

Reliable Secure Remote Access for IIoT • Balanced Security Stance - Multiple layers of diverse technology - Edge firewall with access policies - IDMZ best practices - Identity services for AAA - Remote access server - Security zoning • Enabling Remote Asset Management • Protecting Integrity of Safety and Security Best Practices No single product or methodology can fully secure IIoT architectures. Protecting IIoT assets requires a holistic security approach to help address internal and external security threats. This approach uses multiple layers of defense (administrative, technical, and physical), using diverse technologies for protection and detection, applied at different levels of IIoT architectures, while being implemented by different personas, by applying policies and procedures that address the different types of threats. One size does not fit all when it comes to risk tolerance and stance on availability, safety and security. What is acceptable by one industrial operator may be unacceptable to another and vice versa. IIoT architectures should support scalability, which includes the degree of holistic and diverse industrial security technologies which are applied at different levels of a plantwide security architecture. Scalable security comes in many forms. Based on risk mitigation requirements, several diverse technology options are available for threat detection and prevention to help industrial operations meet their tolerance to risk. 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 and safety best practices. Business practices, corporate standards, security policies and procedures, application requirements, industry security standards, regulatory compliance, risk management policies, and overall tolerance to risk are all key factors in determining the appropriate security stance. Arun Siddeswaran, Sr. Manager, Solution Engineering, Cisco Systems and Gregory Wilcox, Principal Engineer, Strategic Development, Rockwell Automation.

Applications

Selecting a partner for connectors and cable assemblies Development of cable assemblies is not as simple as would appear at first glance. However, it can be completed quickly and cost-efficiently by choosing the right partner. Early involvement of a partner during the design phase is essential, so the process can be optimized technically and from a sourcing perspective. SOURCE: TE CONNECTIVITY

MANY COMPANIES IN THE MECHANICAL engineering industry, or even large OEMs in the equipment manufacture sector, follow a simple approach when it comes to deciding on cable assemblies. An interface is defined in engineering for data, power or signal applications at a connector level, with the decision often centering solely on technical factors (electricity, voltage, protection rating, etc.) as well as the availability of a connector in the company. This connector specification, together with the cable requirements, is then passed on to cable assembly manufacturers to create the cable assembly, or production takes place in-house. By choosing the right partner, this process can be optimized both technically and from a sourcing perspective.

Cable assembly requirements

Which requirements should a cable assembly manufacturer essentially fulfill? Apart from the basic market requirement of competitive and cost-optimized cable assembly, manufacturers should also offer the following features: Speed: As the production landscape becomes increasingly automated, speed is a key factor along the entire process chain. This means that the faster a manufacturer can convert a customer's requirements to finished products the better. Accessibility: Accessibility and direct access to the relevant manufacturer's engineering teams make it easier to process the technical queries and change requests that arise in the development process and in the product life cycle. Quality: Full quality assurance of the complete cable assembly process is vital and virtually standard market practice meanwhile. This means that compliance with recognized ISO standards (EN ISO 9001 for quality management systems, etc.) is becoming a basic prerequisite, in addition to quality standards in specific sectors, such as the automotive, rail or aerospace, marine and defense industry, which are also required to a degree. Having an environment management system in place is therefore an advantage in this respect.

Advantages with cable assemblies

One of the advantages of large connector companies that also offer cable assembly lies in

Selecting the right partner can help ensure a design develops into a solution according the latest available connectivity solutions in the most cost-effective way.

the product portfolio. An extensive connector portfolio allows a broadly diversified solution offering of cable assemblies, without having to fall back on components from competitors. This often offers availability and cost benefits for end customers. Another aspect in this regard is that connector manufacturers are able to incorporate custom connector solutions into the cable assembly, because they possess the engineering capabilities. Connector customization is therefore another option to improve the performance of cable assembly and helps to create tailored solutions for practically any customer application. Examples would include adding (over) molding, and changing material to improve technical features or even designing and developing a completely new connector. The solution expertise for developing technical and cost-efficient cable assemblies

is closely linked with a level of engineering know-how. It is only possible to design cable assemblies for the long term with a suitable pricing structure, if the engineers have a deep knowledge of the right connection technology and electromechanics, as well as a broad understanding of cable design and designto-cost. One aspect that should not be neglected in this respect is the financial security offered by a cable assembly manufacturer. Should it happen, despite all the quality assurance measures mentioned above, that a product recall is necessary because an installed cable assembly is faulty, the importance of a good financial standing on the part of the cable assembly manufacturer quickly becomes evident. Small companies may only be able to absorb the high costs associated with a global recall to a limited extent, and these costs can

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Achieving process improvements

How can the previously mentioned advantages of large connector manufacturers, which also supply cable assemblies, be utilized in order to improve the existing procedure for introducing cable assemblage? There are three main points of note here, which allow a positive result to be achieved: Early integration of the cable assembly manufacturer's engineering department in the development process allows solutions to be found quickly based on the latest connector and production technologies. If it is possible to discuss interfaces openly, 5.2019

then the manufacturer's entire portfolio can be used without restricting the potential performance of the assembly owing to any pre-screening. And if it is then also possible to abolish restrictions in the bill of materials (BOM) and have 1:1 alternatives on the part of the manufacturer considered in the design-in, a best possible design-to-cost is ensured, since the manufacturers can take account of cost advantages of own products in the cable assemblage offer.

Products: generalist vs specialist?

The product portfolio can be used as a decision-making aid to ensure the right choice of partner long term in the area of cable assembly. It helps in this context to answer the question as to whether the connector manufacturer is more of a generalist, so a provider of connectors in the most varied applications, or a specialist that focuses on one market segment / application. The ideal partner for manufacturing cable assemblies combines both attributes in one. Generalist: • Broad portfolio of connectors for the widest range of applications. Example: circuit board connectors through to heavy-duty industrial connectors or hybrid circular connectors. • Extensive product and engineering know-how allows solutions to be developed for a variety of applications without limiting attention to specific segments or predefined technical solutions. Specialist: • Specific portfolio of connectors for "one" application. Example would be a clean room connector. • Expert know-how in terms of the application and identifying solutions at connector level as well as cable assembly. From standard assembly to customerspecific harness? Another aspect to be considered when choosing the right partner is the range of solutions offered in the area of cable assemblies, since there are different levels of complexity in this regard too: Standard assemblies: An assembly is based on a standardized interface (e.g. RJ45 or M12 connector) and is offered in different lengths as standard (partly ex stock). These standard assemblies are offered by any number of manufacturers and the effort involved in sourcing as well as in engineering is negligible. Point-to-point assemblies: A point-to-point connection is manufactured with a cable assembly in this case, though it is important to know which connector and which cable is used. The coordination effort in engineering is higher since clear specifications that describe

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the assembly uniquely have to be exchanged. Harness: The cable assembly consists of three or more connectors (same or different design), which are assembled to form a harness. The engineering effort is considerably higher since apart from the unique specifications, increased effort is required for testing and release. Increased effort is also required on the part of purchasing, since it is more difficult to compare different competitor offers owing to the increased complexity. Value-added assemblies: This is the supreme discipline in the area of cable assembly, since subsystems are created here for machines and equipment. For example, a complete drag chain can be assembled by the cable assembly manufacturer for use in a machine. This means that it is no longer only cables and connectors being used, rather also numerous additional components such as the drag chain, hoses for coolant or compressed air with a host of interfaces. The significantly increased complexity of these assemblies requires close and effective collaboration between the participating engineering departments as well as support in sourcing in order to achieve the best possible technical solution at the right price. Cable assemblies are possible for practically every industrial application, with an entire array of connectors available in the portfolio. TE is also in a position to install products from other market players in its assemblies. These products are either procured directly from the manufacturer through special contractual arrangements or acquired through distribution channels. Practically every interface can therefore be linked with assembly work by TE Connectivity. This means the best possible service from a single source with the advantage of only having to deal with one partner for solutions in the area of connection technology.

Applications

sometimes even lead to the financial collapse of the company. Costs may continue to arise for the manufacturer, however, after such a collapse, which can then no longer be passed on to the cable assembly manufacturer. The probability of such a scenario arising with a financially strong global player in the connector industry is very low. In addition, the one-stop-shop approach described (connector supplier is also the cable assembly manufacturer) offers advantages in terms of price negotiations for purchasing. The increased sales volume as a result of the centralization improves the negotiating position for the customer and offers the opportunity to negotiate better terms and conditions for overall packages with just one supplier. If the cable assembly manufacturer is also active internationally in this scenario, further advantages can be generated. Such advantages are attributable, for example, to global supply chain solutions. A globally active company can offer warehousing on every continent and therefore a high level of failsafe reliability as well as a standard delivery time practically anywhere in the world. If the global footprint not only extends to warehousing then, rather also includes production and engineering, the added value increases additionally if the customer is likewise globally active. Engineers can therefore develop the solution locally in real time on the object itself. The local content, which is often required especially in rail applications or prescribed in part in the project context, can then be generated more easily. In addition to the hard technical facts and the price, other factors are also increasingly playing an important role in deciding which cable assembly manufacturer to choose. Economical resource management together with consideration of health and safety aspects at the workplace can be a swift indicator of which companies take their social obligations seriously. As attention focuses increasingly on the points mentioned above, it goes without saying that these requirements have to be fulfilled by all production locations around the globe.

Conclusion

Development of cable assemblies is not as simple as would appear at first glance, however it can be completed quickly and costefficiently by choosing the right partner. Early involvement of the cable assembly partner during the design phase of the equipment is essential. This ensures the design happens according the latest available connectivity solutions in the most cost-effective way. Partners must fulfill a number of requirements in this respect in order to ensure that both the development and the procurement process function right down the line. The following checklist is provided to assist with the selection process and should provide support when reviewing your current suppliers or when choosing new business partners. Application report by TE Connectivity

Technology

Round plug connectors for data, signals & power Metric round plug connectors are some of the most widespread interfaces worldwide when it comes to cabling for machines, industrial plants and devices under demanding conditions of use. Available in various diameters and codes, circular connectors offer solutions for data, signals and power. SOURCE: HARTING

DATA, SIGNALS AND PERFORMANCE ARE essential for drive, control and communication. The typical round appearance with the thread for screwing in is a success story up to the present. But classics often also still reveal unexpected potential. New PushPull Locking and Com-Lock technology options are making two round model options that are ready for the future. The metric system of units was introduced for the first time in 1793 during the French Revolution and is used even today in almost all countries worldwide. The metric round plug connectors are also based on this system of units, and are a known standard in industrial applications. In various diameters and codes, this type of connectors provide reliable connections for the three lifelines of industrial applications.

Tested principles & new technologies

Metric round plug connectors are some of the most widespread interfaces worldwide, when it comes to cabling for machines, industrial plant and devices under demanding conditions of use. They originated in a locking design which relies on the dimensions and standardisation of screws that match ISO 1502. Locking metric round plug connectors have always been firmly defined diameters in millimetres, the same as standard screw connections. M8 = 8 millimetres, etc. Widespread sizes in this category that have established themselves in the largest numbers worldwide are M8 and M12. Besides this there are still connections in the metric size M23. If we leave the area of metric sizes, there are many 7/8 inch round plug connectors. This aids transmission of supply voltages not previously achieved using smaller plug connectors.

Three lifelines

Round plug connectors can be most easily subdivided into areas of application, in other words by the lifelines they bring into the device. These are classically: • D a t a : E t h e r n e t p r o t o c o l f o r communication with up to 10 Gbit/s • Signals: for I/O communication and control of sensors • Performance for the voltage supply of applications, control, drive and I/O

The space-saving, Ethernet-enabled M8 plug connector provides an effective communications interface.

Data

In the area of data transmission for coding in line with IEC 61076-2-114 the small, spacesaving M8 plug connector is a leading option. HARTING has been carrying the Ethernetenabled M8 since 2016 under the umbrella of the “Little Giants” campaign for miniaturised Ethernet interfaces and their own signature, Miss M8ty. The advantages of the miniaturised interface, include uses such as PoE, end-to-end shielding for EMV and protection against dust and liquids in line with IP Standard 65/67. If users are looking for round plug connectors for Ethernet that are as small as possible, the M8 D-coded is a technology to review. For P-coding, the market offers an EtherCAT-enabled M8 interface, which is similar to D-coding but with PoE to transmit power in addition to data. In addition to D-coding in the M12 area, X-coding often plays a significant role in effective data transfer with its pregnant connector face, which is always easily recognised with the X-shaped shielding plate

in the connector face as a fast Ethernet interface for up to 10Gbit/s. It is standardised in line with IEC 61076-2-109, and is the right choice when it comes to broadband transmission, often necessary for modern high-definition camera applications and central transmission paths. One key use of this technology is small and space-saving applications such as new industrial cameras that offer little space for multiple interfaces. This is where X-coding comes into its own, since it can also transmit power over Ethernet. If top performance is not the main thing, it is also possible to opt for the metric 12th in D-coding that is in line with IEC 61076-2-101. If users take the next step to the markedly larger M23 interface, data transmission is available only in combination with signals and power. This hybrid solution makes sense in areas where a large interface only for data transmission would require an unnecessarily large space. So it is directly combined with four power and signal contacts, and transmits all lifelines in one connector face.

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The M8 in A- and B-coding in line with IEC 61076-2-104 transmits signals up to 100Mbit/s as classic I/O signal interface for small sensors. A-coding is responsible for sensor and actor signals and can in the process also transmit up to 4A transmission. In all cases where it is a matter of the IP65/67 protected transmission of signals, it is a good solution for saving space. In the same field, we see the M12 with A- and B-coding. This complies with norm IEC 61076-2-101 and is basically the larger and rather more robust variant of the M8 for signals. Both are probably most frequently used on sensor/actor boxes and here create a connection to the sensor system. The largest representative of signal-transmitting plug connectors here is the M23. In its robust metal housing, the user can decide between uses with numbers of contacts of 6-19 pins.

Power

Without a suitable voltage supply, nothing functions properly. No machine, drive or control is any use without the power lifeline. So energy-guzzling applications noticeably shrink and require a small and concurrently high-performance interface. Whereas previously 7/8â€œ interfaces were widespread and common in voltage supply, new M12 options are taking over this task. Standard codings for use with IEC 61076-2111 include: K, L, M, S, T, E and F. The models most widely available are currently the codings K and L. Whereas the L-coding uses four contacts and a FE 63V at 16A predominantly for PROFINET applications, the new K-coding with 630V at 12A is an efficient solution for all applications in the area of electric drives. Also for sensor/actor boxes, M12 Power is an important innovation. Until now, boxes have generally been designed with M12 interfaces plus a 7/8 inch interface. This is significantly larger and exceeds the otherwise uniform form factor. Now with power supplied via M12, all interfaces can be designed to save space. If there is still a need for more power, the M23 is again in the running. Here 5 power contacts and a PE up to 630V at 28A takes care of the required performance. So it is possible to transmit high performance in confined installation spaces.

Locking

The locking of industrially-used plug connectors is arguably the most important factor in an interface. First, safe and robust locking creates the electric connection and secures it against shock, vibration, foreign bodies, liquids and external radiation. In the industrial field, the reliability of a connection means the difference between smooth, predictable and cost-efficient 5.2019

Technology

SOURCE: HARTING

Signals

Circular connectors use different coding to carry out their power supply or data interface tasks. While the classic variant has a screw cap, HARTING has configured its M12 connectors with a more modern and fast PushPull locking mechanism. production and unplanned downtime and incalculable costs. Interfaces for data, signal and power might at first sight only seem like insignificant small parts, but when it comes down to it, a whole production line depends on the faultless operation of these lifelines. As described earlier, in the area of round plug connectors, the classic locking of screw locks is achieved using a metric thread. It creates an extremely robust and IP65/67 protected connection. The drawback to this technology is assembly time and the space required for tools to adjust the correct tightening torque. In this area of round plug connectors, PushPull technology locks in seconds without the need for tools and with a loud click. It saves up to 70% assembly time compared with previous screw locks, and can also be operated by trained staff fast and safely and offers the same or even higher resistance against external influences. Insert, click and the connection is in place and can be reversed simply by taking the locking ring and pulling to break the connection. The M23 fast locking alternative is called Comfortable-Lock, Com-Lock for short, and locking takes place with a quarter turn of the retaining ring. This principle is reminiscent of bayonet locks, and it is just as quick and simple to use. In the market, this trend towards quick and simple technologies can clearly be seen. Saving assembly time means a cost saving for installers and work simplification for assembly staff.

Connection technologies

By â€œconnection technologyâ€?, we mean not the connection of plugs to a socket, but rather

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connection of the cable to plug connectors. Even this transition is a sensitive topic, in particular for data and power connections. Data transmission calls for shielding against crosstalk, return loss and external radiation, and in voltage supply cable diameter and temperatures via transition resistances play an important role. Common connection technologies in the area of round plug connectors are crimp connectors, where the copper conductor is pressed into a metal housingand the goal has always been an electricity-conducting, gas-proof connection. Crimp connectors are very reliable and robust connections, provided the crimping is carried out properly. For round plug connectors connected in the field which, for example when constructing a service road can only be connected to a suitably shortened cable, insulation displacement connectors are used. In the area of M12 plug connectors, HARTING uses the patented HARAX insulation displacement connector, which is marked by quick, simple use and a resulting secure connection. This type of connection is resistant against shock and vibration and is also a solid, gas-proof connection for stranded and single lines. Additional technology offers a locking solution, in which the conductor is tightened with a clamp and screw. On the device side, sockets are generally connected using various soldering techniques which offers solutions for wave soldering devices and also reflow soldering devices. In large M23 models, conductors can be welded into prepared cases. Application article by HARTING.

Technology

PackML with OPC UA solution for machine integration The combination of PackML and OPC UA can be used to solve strategic and machine integration issues facing manufacturers. PackML offers a standard for modeling industrial machine systems, and provides an effective architecture that can be used to control and monitor any sort of machinery, not just packaging machines. SOURCE: REAL-TIME AUTOMATION

THE 2019 AMERICAN BASEBALL SEASON is still new, and it’s interesting to compare how baseball managers and managers of manufacturing plants make decisions. Both face strategic and complex choices. While some baseball teams have turned to data, other teams have managers that rely on instinct, analyzing every pitch, hit and out.

Smart manufacturing challenges

Managing a manufacturing plant used to be pretty simple without much in the way of data or strategy. But now manufacturers are faced with unprecedented strategic challenges in this cloud-enabled, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence world. Staffing the factory floor, reducing costs, increasing efficiency and productivity and making technology choices are now exceptionally difficult, strategic challenges in the age of everything online and everything integrated. One of the biggest and most strategic challenges is how to get new machines to quickly begin to pay for themselves. The automation world has grown too accepting of the idea that machine integration between vendors of different machines must be complex, laborious, difficult and expensive. It’s an attitude that can no longer be sustained, in a time when manufacturers face unprecedented strategic challenges. The largest cost for new equipment is now software integration; integration with other machines, with enterprise business systems, and with Cloud applications. Today’s integration process is time consuming and exceedingly inefficient. Costs rise when the machine is received with a new or different vendor’s programmable controller, a new communication protocol, an unfamiliar HMI, and unique or unusual operating sequences. Many manufacturers would like to increase the efficiency of their machines but have no data. Some have data but not enough of it to make a difference. Others are drowning in data with no idea how to process it. And, most of all, manufacturers are hampered by the fact there are no standard mechanisms for collecting the data they need.

Technology options

The technology choices open to manufacturers are exploding. Is wireless a good choice? Do

PackML helps users create a standard set of machine states and a common set of control tags. companies choose the connectivity supported by my PLC vendor? What about Industry 4.0? Is that important? How can the shop take advantage of AI or machine learning? What is my risk and my return for investing in Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure Cloud services? Are better-funded competitors, with highly trained data scientists, taking advantage of new technologies to increase their productivity and efficiency? Are those companies going to leave me behind?

OPC UA and PackML

But there is something that manufacturers can look at to alleviate at least some of these problems--standardize on OPC UA and the Packaging Machine Language (PackML). OPC UA, the next generation of OPC technology, is a more secure, open, flexible and reliable mechanism for moving information between enterprise systems and the kinds of controls, monitoring devices and sensors that interact with real world data. OPC UA can be leveraged to solve some of the strategic issues facing manufacturers by implementing PackML, the standard for modeling industrial machines systems. PackML is an architecture that can be used to

control and monitor any sort of machine. The issues addressed by the PackML standard are identical to those voiced by end users in in many other industries. The impetus for the Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC) to develop PackML arose from the dissatisfaction of users and systems integrators frustrated by time, expense and laborious details of integrating control machinery into a coherent system. Integrating a capping machine from one vendor with a labeling machine from another vendor with a sterilizing machine from another is often a nightmare. Different programming philosophies, control logic, communication protocols, controller platforms and operational states means that each machine requires different operational processes, training, standards and diagnostics methods. Users don’t just have a linear increase in complexity with each new packaging component; the complexity increase can be geometric. PackML is designed to create a consistent look and feel for machinery components integrated into a system. It provides a foundation for vertical and horizontal integration of these machine components

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SOURCE: OPC FOUNDATION

Technology

OPC UA is a secure, open and reliable mechanism for moving information between enterprise systems and controls, monitoring devices and sensors. irrespective of the vendor, the control system (valid permission to access those Tags). OPC diagnostics, and different tag names for data hardware or the specific application. It UA provides the common encoding so that values. Imagine if some of the machines use provides a layer of consistency between vastly the PackML tags can be properly encoded and XML while others use their own binary data decoded. OPC UA provides the foundation for encoding. Imagine if some only use HTTPS for different kinds of machines. By creating a standard set of machine states vastly simplifying the integration of a PackML security while others use a certificate-base and a common set of control tags, PackML machine with other machines, controllers, security scheme. Imagine being responsible for integrating such a system. simplifies the control system development, HMIs, enterprise systems and Cloud services. Unfortunately, in the automation world, reduces training and operating costs, and weâ€™ve grown too accepting of the idea that vastly decreases system integration labor and Packaging architecture overall expenses. In a packaging system, because all machines machine integration between vendors of PackML does not define the specifics of can use standard PackML tags over OPC UA, different machines must be complex, laborious what machine operations occur in any of the it is much less complex to configure other and difficult, requiring expensive engineers machine states it defines. For example, it downstream machines to properly handle and incurring significant expense. With specifies the transitions that move a machine faults, alarms, starts, stops and other process adherence to the kinds of standards described into Starting State or the Idle State, but it status. HMIs can also be much more easily in this article, system integration for highly does not specify the functionality of those constructed from the standard state machines connected solutions will cease being complex and expensive. Instead it will just work. states. However, by having a set of common and tags used by all machines. The beauty of this approach is that it goes states and control tags, status tags and Contrast that with a situation where administration tags, the monitoring of any every machine in this system is built with beyond packaging lines. These concepts are particular machine is identical to monitoring a proprietary state machine, with a set of just as relevant to machinery operations in every other PackML machine. This lowers proprietary tags encoded in some binary infant care, tissue converting, food and maintenance, support and training costs. format with a unique security mechanism. beverage, automobile production and many In a similar way, PackML models machine Imagine if each machine uses different tag other industries. The PackML concepts, tags data through its state machine and the use names for state information, different tags for and state machines can be used in any of these industries and more. of standard PackML Tags It wouldnâ€™t be fair but does not specify how to say that OPC UA and those tags get from one PackML can solve all machine to another or manufacturers strategic from a machine to an challenges in this CloudHMI. It does not specify enabled, Big Data, any transports, security, Artificial Intelligence encodings, interfaces or world. But OPC UA and physical media. Thatâ€™s PackML are proven where OPC UA, TCP/IP and technologies that Ethernet come in. reduce integration costs, OPC UA provides the increase productivity and secure communications vastly simplify how you so that communications get data into enterprise to other machines and or Cloud applications. devices are authenticated (proof that the other John S Rinaldi, CEO, device is true or genuine) Real-Time Automation. and that users of the PackML and OPC UA create a connectivity framework for machine and automation controls. Pack Tags are authorized 5.2019

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Technology

Mobile configuration of field devices in process industry Digital, mobile, networked and standardized solutions are providing new connectivity for process control users to communicate via HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and Profibus PA. The result is that machine and field device data is more available to improve and rationalize processes for configuration and troubleshooting. SOURCE: SOFTING

INTELLIGENT FIELD DEVICES IN MODERN process industry plants including temperature sensors, pressure, level and flow meters can provide plant operators with well-founded findings on the plant status. The information gathered by management systems, such as diagnostic data, general information relating to the device status and specific device parameters, help when planning predictive maintenance. In this way, they contribute to avoiding unplanned downtime, reducing failure times and lowering maintenance costs. In order for plant operators to be able to use this potential for process optimization and cost savings, all installed field devices must be configured and implemented properly and monitored during continuous operations.

Intelligent field devices

Intelligent field devices offer innumerable configurable parameters. A radar level sensor, for instance, normally has more than 500 parameters which can be configured. Added to this, field devices with different protocols are used in typical process industry installations and explosion-proof areas. The most common protocols are HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and Profibus PA. It is not unheard of for process plants to use several hundred or even more than a thousand field devices by different manufacturers, which have different protocols. The different device manufacturers normally also provide different interfaces to device configuration. This increases investment costs and makes data collection and analysis unnecessarily complicated and inefficient. Initially, it seemed impossible to maintain an overview of the many different technologies and handle the many tasks required. Different organizations and institutions identified the need for standardization early on and developed integration technologies and data provision technologies which are based on open, protocol- and manufacturerindependent architectures and offer seamless interoperability and flexibility during integration. But a generally applicable solution could not be agreed upon. Currently, end users have a choice of the following integration technologies which use different approaches:

Field devices can be replaced before they break as part of a predictive maintenance strategy. â€˘ EDD (Electronical Device Descriptions): text device description file â€˘ FDT/DTM (Field Device Tool, Device Type Manager): device driver with integrated user interface â€˘ FDI (Field Device Integration): combination of FDT and EDD

Mobile enterprise solutions

Digital, mobile, networked and standardized solutions are needed, which make plant, machine and field device data available easily and which improve and rationalize maintenance processes for device configuration, implementation and troubleshooting. This is where tablet-based asset management

tools are ideal, which enable maintenance personnel to manage the entire field device lifecycle on site and configure devices using standardized integration technologies. By linking up the tablets with the whole system, the data are available anytime, anywhere. Such complete solutions are supplemented by interfaces which enable mobile access to field devices via the corresponding integration technologies and protocols on site. Field devices are replaced before they break as part of the predictive maintenance strategy. But before maintenance personnel visit the plant, the replacement device is preconfigured on the workbench. The networked tablet is also used here in conjunction with the interface in order to enable a fast, simple

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SOURCE: SOFTING

Technology

The link to the mobile end device can be accomplished using either USB or Bluetooth communications to aid simplified troubleshooting and maintenance. the varied tasks at the plant. Softing offers users looking for a multiprotocol solution its mobile interface â€œmobiLinkâ€?. mobiLink provides access to the three most important communication protocols in process automation - HART, SOURCE: SOFTING

device replacement with the lowest possible downtime. The devices can also be configured offline in advance without the need for the device to be physically present. Parameters are saved in the application based on the description files for the integration technologies, and these are loaded when the device is implemented, which saves time and effort. An interconnected, compatible solution portfolio of tablet, mobile interfaces and professional applications enables technicians on site to monitor and control processes in detail, contributes to more flexibility and helps to increase employee productivity. With mobile solutions, information on assets across the entire process chain is permanently available in real time. People, processes and systems are thus networked as required for Industry 4.0.

Flexible configuration interface

Interfaces between mobile end devices such as tablets or smartphones and field devices have highly specific requirements. Depending on the use case and end device used, the interface should be compatible with different technologies. Often, however, the interfaces available only cover a defined requirement and cannot be used flexibly for different use scenarios in often complex plants. Maintenance staff is frequently forced to use several different interfaces in order to perform 5.2019

The unit provides access to three important communication protocols in process automation.

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FOUNDATION Fieldbus and Profibus PA via a single interface. The link to the mobile end device can be via USB or Bluetooth, with the device being compatible with Windows, Android and iOS operating systems. The scope of delivery includes drivers to connect field devices via FDT/DTM and FDI technology. The additionally included DevComDroid app by ProComSol, a provider of communication solutions for the HART market headquartered in the USA, even makes it possible to easily and intuitively configure field devices via EDD. The mobiLink technology scans the bus automatically, reports the devices found including device status and underlying device parameters and opens the right device description file. From there, the user can intuitively navigate to the device detail, such as diagnostics, state monitoring, parameterization and configuration. Users which require interfaces for several protocols save costs when using mobiLink, because they only need one interface. In addition, the use of only one interface results in a significant work reduction when implementing and maintaining field devices. The ATEX-certified mobiLink is suitable for use in potentially explosive atmospheres due to its explosion risk approval for Zone 1, its robust design and the option to connect to intrinsically safe circuits. Shkelqim Shala, Product Manager, Softing.

Applications

Sawmill achieves performance improvements with CC-Link IE WHEN DANSK TRÆEMBALLAGE A/S (DTE) looked at how to increase the precision and productivity of its sawmill, one of the major challenges was to establish the right automation control network. As the biggest producer of wooden packaging in Denmark, the plant includes over one hundred inverter drives, all of which needed to be controlled simultaneously and in real-time. The technology used to address this challenge was CC-Link IE, an open gigabit Ethernet protocl designed for industrial automation tasks. DTE’s sawmill is located in Ribe, Denmark and dates back to 1581. It is now the mainstay facility for the company’s pallet production activity. Every day, approximately 35 trucks bring conifer logs to the saw line to produce lumber, resulting in over 300,000 m3 of raw timber being processed every year. This is then exported or distributed across DTE’s five production sites to obtain 150,000 m3 of finished wood that is used to assemble crates and pallets. The sawmill is comprised of a number of stations, which turn logs into rough-cut timber and eventually finished lumber by performing debarking, profile cutting, sawing, sorting and stacking activities. All these stages require high-quality, reliable and responsive inverter drives to correctly position and power processing equipment such as grinding rolls and saw blades. “Running a sawmill means continuously improving the speed and productivity to get the most out of the raw materials. A quality finish is also particularly important for DTE, as we mainly focus on the food industry, which has strict standards on the end quality of the crates and pallets,” Orla Poulsen, owner of DTE, explained.

Interconnected & responsive mill

To keep operations at the site in Ribe smooth and efficient, DTE needed a communication network technology able to connect the inverters to PLCs and ensure that the machines could instantly adjust their parameters for optimal performance. Thus, the company appointed Hans Folsgaard as its technical partner to upgrade the plant automation system. Carsten Olesen, Technical Manager at Hans Folsgaard, agreed with Orla Poulsen: “Accuracy

SOURCE: CLPA

DTE's wooden packaging plant includes over one hundred inverter drives, all of which need to be controlled simultaneously and in real-time. A new communications network able enabled it to connect its inverters to PLCs, and ensure that the machines could instantly adjust operating parameters for optimal performance.

Operating a sawmill requires continuous improvement to the speed and productivity of the process. is fundamental. This is why DTE asked us to find a fast network technology.” Effective high-speed transfer of data creates a highly responsive system, Lars Venborg, Technical Manager at DTE, commented: “In order to improve the quality of our lumber and increase our productivity, we wanted better precision and a faster reaction from the variable frequency drives across the processing line. The old network had become slow by comparison and could no longer support our manufacturing needs.” The choice of which network solution to use was immediate for Hans Folsgaard. CC-Link IE technology provides data transfer rates of 1 Gbps for high-speed communications. Also, by offering a maximum of 254 stations per network, the solution could accommodate all the variable frequency drives across the saw line as well as supporting future growth. Tim Lomax, Director of the CC-Link Partner Association-Americas (CLPA-A), explained that DTE is using CC-Link IE to build a very large network of inverters that operate this sawmill. The result is higher productivity and increased business competitiveness as quality and output both rise, without changing the mechanical aspects of the plant machinery. “It is very important that DTE can get the maximum yield out of each log," Lomax said. "The benefit that the high-speed response time and bandwidth that Gigabit Ethernet

offers, is that the machines on the saw line can assess the dimensions of each log as it goes through the mill in real-time. In this way, DTE is able to very accurately measure each log and can make the most use of its raw materials.”

User-friendly, future-proof solution

By choosing CC-Link IE, DTE will also benefit from an easy-to-use system that simplifies management and maintenance in the future. “It is very easy to work with CC-Link IE. When we chose this solution, we also considered maintenance activities and the future of the sawmill. It will be very easy to replace or add inverters, when required, as we will not have to change anything in the software setup,” commented Lars Venborg. “CC-Link IE offers a smooth setup that does not require any programming,” Olesen further explained. Not every network offers such a flexible platform to build upon, continued Venborg: “This was not the case with our existing system. We had to modify the software every time we replaced an inverter. As a result, we used to struggle with downtime, and we always needed both technicians and programmers to replace or add a drive, affecting uptime and productivity.” John Wozniak, P.E., Manager, CLPA-Americas.

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AMG Systems: Housed in a mini chassis, AMGâ€™s new Mini media converters are designed for connecting field-based equipment to Ethernet networks over long distances via fibre. The media converter is specially designed to be robust enough to withstand the challenging extremes of temperature which can face security and transport camera and device installations. Ruggedised 9HMEC Mini media converters are small enough to be installed in the confined spaces provided by camera poles and street cabinets, and tough enough to operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to 70oC. The converters provide a 100Mbps or Gigabit Ethernet uplink across fibre via the SFP port, providing a hardened, cost-effective means of converting IP signals for transport over long distances across all types of fibre cabling. The mini media converters are DIN railmountable, meaning they are quick to install and easy to remove for maintenance purposes, and because they are non-programmable there is no need for any user configuration or computer-based set-up. The converters offer an optional Link Fault Forwarding (LFF) feature, which allows a pair of media converters to share their link status.

Industrial wireless family

boasts network robustness, stability, and a wide network coverage with a very low voltage input of 9VDC to a high voltage input of 48VDC. Based on IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, the access point supports high-speed data transmission of up to 867Mbps. The ARS-7131-AC series is capable of many routing functions only found on more advanced devices such as VPN and firewall features as well as operating in different modes. The device can be used as an access point, WDS Station, transparent bridge, or repeater which makes it suitable for a wide variety of wireless applications. These units also allow the user to position the wireless antennas in a better signal-broadcasting location for improved wireless coverage and signal strength or add external antennas located in an optimized location.

IIoT-enabled flow sensor

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information technology (IT)/operational technology (OT) convergence has emerged as the new standard for industrial cyber security, adding new levels of challenges. To shorten the deployment time for IT/OT convergence, Lannerâ€™s rugged industrial cyber security platforms provide the needed network security protection for harsh, unmanned environments in critical infrastructures. The platforms are designed to conduct protocol filtering, packet inspection, white-listing and network traffic monitoring for the following applications: SCADA Network Security; Factory ICS Cyber Security; Industrial UTM / Firewall; and Oil & Gas Security Gateway.

Embedded OPC UA Servers

Emerson: The Aventics AF2 pneumatic systems flow sensor monitors energy losses which helps to prevent machine breakdowns and costs associated with excessive air consumption. The sensor continuously monitors the air consumption in pneumatic systems enabling compliance with the Energy Management standard DIN ISO 50001. Suitable for use in many industries, the device is just one of many components available from Emerson for networked plants in factory automation. An Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display on the AF2 provides local indication of all relevant operating and diagnostic data. The flow sensor is available as a NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed) version. Analogue outputs can be switched with a signal from 4 to 20 mA. These signals can be interpreted directly by many controllers.

ICS security appliance Antaira Technologies: The ARS-7131-AC series is designed for industrial and enterprise wireless access applications. Embedded with the Qualcomm Atheros QCA9892 chipset, it

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Mini media converters

Lanner: Ruggedized appliances secure operational technology and Industrial Control Systems (ICS). Industrial Control System (ICS) security has become more challenging than ever as

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Softing: Version 1.20 of the uaToolkit Embedded now includes a UADP Subscriber. This makes it unique because it allows the creation of a UADP Publisher and a UADP Subscriber. The toolkit has been certified in the OPC Foundation Compliance Lab for the Nano Embedded Device Server Profile, the Micro Embedded Device Server Profile, and the Embedded UA Server Profile. It also supports OPC UA Companion specifications with a tool to import OPC UA Nodesets. The uaToolkit Embedded serves the increasing demand for the use of OPC UA in devices and low-end controllers. The toolkit has a low memory footprint as well as minimal requirements for computing power. This makes it particularly suitable in firmware development for sensors and field devices but also for use in control or I/O systems with limited resources.

Industrial cellular router

Belden: The Magnum DX940e industrial cellular router is now backed with Verizon certified 4G/ LTE technology. This compact device uses the technology to offer the most reliable connections over wired and wireless networks in energy facilities and adheres to NERC CIP industry standards

Product News by delivering stricter security protocols and extended flexibility. With the Magnum DX940e, teams can ensure reliable and secure data transfer across all networks by obtaining better connectivity with high-speed Verizon certified 4G/LTE technology for secure remote access. This solution leverages high-end, robust cybersecurity mechanisms with advanced safety features, IP routing and guaranteed network protection with firewall layers. It adheres to evolving industry standards with NERC CIP compliant security elements The DX940e is designed for applications that require high-speed and secure data transfer remotely over long distances. The router is suited for markets that require flexibility to securely connect to remote substations, either wired or wirelessly and depend on a durable and reliable product that can perform even under harsh operating conditions, such as in the utility, transportation and oil and gas industries.

Wireless safety

SIGMATEK: With the compact S-DIAS system, wireless safety can be implemented flexibly, space-saving and economically. Consisting of a standard CPU combined with a safety controller and safety I/Os, a thin solution for the DIN rail is achieved. The S-DIAS Safety System complies with SIL 3, PL e, Cat. 4. Safety data is exchanged, whether via cable or wireless, according to the Black Channel principle. For wireless transmission, common WLAN access points are used. For multiple mobile units with Safety functions such as automated guided vehicle systems, the central Safety manager can also be implemented with

an S-DIAS Safety system. One feature is the certified function “optional switch.” In the safety application, it allows switching safety devices to active or inactive via the HMI with password protection. Registering mobile units is also dynamically processed in the application. Thanks to an extensive library, safety applications can be comfortably configured in the SAFETYDesigner. Safety function blocks are based on the PLCopen standard and can be placed, exactly as safe inputs and outputs, simply via Drag & Drop. An integrated debugger enables the graphic representation of all values and clearly displays the status and signal flow of the safety functions.

Ignition 8 software

Inductive Automation: Ignition 8 software brings new capabilities for mobility, security, and enterprise projects. This major update to its signature software platform addresses industrial organizations’ needs for expanded architectures, enhanced security, and first-class mobile solutions. This new version gives users a powerful new view of their industrial processes that is more mobile, customizable, scalable, and secure than ever before. Ignition 8 arrives along with the new Ignition Perspective Module. Ignition Perspective is a visualization system that brings powerful new capabilities to mobile devices. Ignition Perspective provides full SCADA control from mobile phones, and drag-and-drop capabilities for designing mobile-responsive screens for mobile devices. Applications built with the Ignition Perspective Module adapt to fit any size screen, from cellphone to desktop. It also enables users to leverage a phone’s GPS, camera, Bluetooth, orientation-sensing, and more. It runs in any web browser with HTML5, and requires no plug-ins. Perspective allows people to enhance their SCADA systems in new and creative ways.

Management/visualisation software

Yokogawa: FAST/TOOLS R10.04 is the latest version of the company's real-time operations management and visualisation software. A highly flexible and scalable supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) solution suitable for use in everything from smart IoT-enabled applications to enterprise-wide

integrated operations spanning multiple sites and subsystems, FAST/TOOLS R10.04 will help customers derive maximum value from their investments over the entire system lifecycle. Driven by the rising importance of factors such as the IoT, big data analytics, and the cloud, a digital transformation is underway that is leading to the convergence of information, operational, and engineering technologies (IT, OT, and ET) in unmanned, remote-controlled, and enterprise-wide operations. To benefit from near real-time transaction processing and other capabilities that already are well established in the IT domain, a growing effort is being made to achieve seamless integration and convergence with the OT domain. As production and delivery cycles shorten and require greater flexibility, the real-time sharing of data on operational capacity/conditions and its use in production/maintenance planning and forecasting become critically important factors in improving a company’s bottom line results. A modern open SCADA platform should be able to bridge the legacy gaps between the IT and OT domains by leveraging OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), upcoming IoT standards, and open database interfaces. By simplifying operations, automating activities, and enhancing user insights, operating expenditure (OPEX) can be reduced.

Cloud application software

B&R Industrial: A new cloud application powered by ABB Ability opens opportunities for OEMs. Asset Performance Monitor is the company's first cloud application based on ABB Ability, ABB's unified, cross-industry offering of digital solutions. By giving OEMs a reliable overview of all their machines in the field, it allows them to identify potential improvements, take service operations to the next level and unlock new business models and revenue streams. Around the clock, Asset Performance Monitor delivers data about production rate, energy consumption and temperature. Users can define which information is required,

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Machine learning solution

turn provides good evaluation results spread over several distributed production locations.

M12 transformer and socket

to assure market success, CLPA is announcing a broad spectrum of device development options from a range of industry players who are also CLPA partners. These companies are already providing industry leading platforms that have found wide acceptance in the market. They offer industry standard development options to automation vendors who wish to add CC-Link IE TSN connectivity to their products.

Artificial intelligence for automation

Beckhoff: A new machine learning (ML) solution is seamlessly integrated into the TwinCAT 3 software. Building on established standards, TwinCAT 3 Machine Learning brings to ML applications the advantages of system openness familiar with PC-based control. In addition, the TwinCAT solution supports machine learning in real-time, allowing it to handle even demanding tasks like motion control. These capabilities provide machine builders and manufacturers with an optimum foundation to enhance machine performance, e.g. through prescriptive maintenance, process self-optimisation and autonomous detection of process anomalies. The fundamental concept of machine learning is to no longer follow the classic engineering route of designing solutions for specific tasks and then turning these solutions into algorithms, but to learn the desired algorithms from exemplary process data instead. With this alternative approach, powerful ML models can be trained and then used to deliver superior or better-performing solutions.

CC-Link IE TSN development tools

CLPA: An extensive offering is intended to remove barriers to product development for new open industrial Ethernet technology. CC-Link IE TSN, the CLPAâ€™s latest open industrial Ethernet technology, combines Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) and Gigabit bandwidth to support challenging Industry 4.0 applications. In order 5.2019

Product News

and the application automatically calculates key performance indicators (KPIs) such as overall equipment effectiveness and provides opportunities for improvement. Asset Performance Monitor prepares the data and displays it in a clearly organized dashboard. OEMs can then use this data to implement welltargeted machine upgrades and offer their customers next-level service. An edge device is installed on site to collect data from a machine or production line. It receives data from the machine controller via OPC UA and passes it on to the cloud using the MQTT protocol. The edge device automatically establishes a connection to the ABB Ability cloud and installs the necessary software. Simply logging in with a username and password gives the OEM access to Asset Performance Monitor and all the features it has to offer.

HARTING: Transformers in RJ45 sockets have been common for a long time. However, that same technology was not available in the circular M12 form factor with IP65/67 ratings. The company's M12 Magnetics product line offers the first transformer and socket in the M12 form factor. In the past, transformers and various other electrical components had to be accommodated next to the socket on the circuit board. They are now integrated as part of a space-saving design that also simplifies the circuit board layout. Conductor tracks can be made a lot lighter and more direct because they don't have to be arranged around many different components, making planning simpler and cheaper. Another benefit is increased reliability. In the past, sockets and transformers made by different manufacturers had to be combined, which could sometimes be problematic. The HARTING solution is a mutually compatible unit providing greater process security. With 10Gbit and max PoE+, M12 Magnetics is a miniaturized interface for power and data.

Safe voltage monitor Festo: Intelligent component and process monitoring can increase the productivity by means of self-learning machines relying on artificial intelligence at three network levels: on edge, on premises and in the cloud. In addition to the complex services that can be offered via the cloud, Festo sees potential in simple real-time data analysis by means of AIâ€”either directly on the field component (AI on edge) or in the control of either the system or a production plant (AI on premises). The plant operator retains full control of machine data, which do not need to be transmitted to a cloud via the Internet. The use of AI on edge or on premises ensures that all data remain in-house, without security risks or delays in data streams due to network latency. It is important that sufficient structured data are available so that meaningful analysis can be carried out using AI as a tool. With its very high computing capacities, the cloud in

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Pilz: The safe voltage monitor, PNOZ s60, offers monitoring of the de-energised state of plant and machinery according to the UL standard 6420. This makes the PNOZ s60 suitable for use in applications that require a Safety Lockout System (SLS), when plants are held in a safe, electrically de-energised state.

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This safe voltage monitor completes the safety relay PNOZsigma product group and fulfils the requirements for the implementation of SLS applications as prescribed by law in the USA. PNOZ s60 monitors de-energised 1-phase or 3-phase supplies with neutral conductor. Two switching thresholds can be set: 12 V or the 6 V common in the food and beverage sector. The safety circuit is not enabled until the value is below the configured switching threshold. With a supply voltage of 24-48/110-240 VAC/DC the safe voltage monitor PNOZ s60 is particularly flexible and can be used in a wide range of applications. Expanded diagnostics via LEDs increases productivity as it enables users to perform simple diagnostics and supports them when troubleshooting. The compact 90 mm width enables a space-saving and therefore cost-effective installation in the control cabinet.

CloudConnect portfolio

Siemens: CloudConnect simplifies IIoT data transfer to cloud-based solutions. Key features include: CP 1545-1 communications processor for use with Simatic S7-1500; Simatic CloudConnect 7 industrial IoT gateway for existing systems; event-driven communication that reduces network load and costs; and standardized MQTT protocol that enables transmission to various cloud platforms. With CloudConnect, it is easy for users to benefit from cloud-based data analyses. They can enhance machine availability by evaluating data for predictive maintenance purposes, for example, or machine manufacturers can offer new marketing models such as pay-per-use. Instead of every single sensor having to be connected to the cloud, the Simatic S7-1500 enables field data aggregation and subsequent linking to additional process relevant information if required. The CP 1545-1 then transfers the data to the cloud platform. The communications processor also features an integrated Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall for protecting the S7-1500 against unauthorized access.

Remote I/O modules

WeidmĂźller: The u-remote family now includes new UR67 PushPull modules. These IP67 I/O modules with copper and POF connections

are certified according to PROFINET IRT V2.3, and u-remote is an element of the u-mation automation and digitalisation portfolio. The new IP67 I/O modules are designed for use in fully-automated production processes in harsh conditions, such as for controlling welding robots in the automotive industry. In automotive production, even the shortest downtimes are extremely costly. For this reason, these kinds of applications require a high level of reliability, the possibility to take preventive maintenance measures through means of diagnosis and the ability to quickly replace parts. The modules support the PROFINET Fast Start-Up (FSU) function, which enables rapid start-up. Equipment can be ready for operation in less than 500 ms which means that applications such as tool changing can be optimised. An integrated web server enables simple commissioning and quick troubleshooting in the event of an error. Furthermore, firmware updates and downgrades are also possible of course. The new modules are available in two variants: with 16DI and 8DI/8DO. One highlight of the new modules is that they can also be integrated in copper and POF installation systems using PushPull plug-in connectors. The installation system for robotics cabling is designed to be universal and conforms with the cabling guidelines for PROFINET, the standard that the AIDA members apply consistently and without exception for new systems. This way, they wish to establish standardisation in the area of Industrial Ethernet. PushPull was designed specifically for these requirements.

AI Module

Rockwell Automation: Industrial workers can now more easily use the data from their equipment to predict production issues and improve processes with their existing automation and control skill set. A new

FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI module, formerly known as Project Sherlock, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect production anomalies and alert workers so they can investigate or intervene, as necessary. Many existing analytics technologies require expertise in both data science and industrial processes. But this add-on module for ControlLogix controllers reduces that burden by doing the job of a data scientist. It fits directly into a control chassis and streams controller data over the backplane to build predictive models. It can continuously monitor a production operation, detecting anomalies against its derived understanding. For example, the module can help operators spot performance deviations in equipment like mixers that could affect product quality or lead to downtime. It can also be used as a virtual sensor. Instead of workers taking a reading, like the humidity of a packaged food product, the module can analyze variables from line assets like sprayers, dryers and burners to predict a measurement, virtually. Workers can then be notified of problems by configuring alarms on a human machine interface (HMI) or dashboard. Future features of the module will go further, helping workers focus their problem-solving or automate the optimization of a process.

Digital Service Assistant

Bosch Rexroth: An app for all Rexroth control systems, the Digital Service Assistant helps reducing machine downtime. By allowing wireless access to the error memory of machines equipped with compatible control systems, the app makes it easy for end users to obtain help whenever servicing is required. It clearly identifies components and allows spare parts to be ordered or repairs to be made more quickly. As a modular building block, OEMs can fully integrate the app into their service concepts. In reality, maintenance workers usually service machines that were made by various manufacturers during different production years. Each machine has its own user interface and diagnostic menus. Bosch Rexroth makes it easier to maintain such heterogeneous machinery thanks to the Digital Service Assistant. With this app for mobile devices, maintenance workers can wirelessly read

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Cloud gateways

The company’s Persistent Data Network (PDN) can be implemented in minutes, providing a high-bandwidth, streamlined alternative to maintenance-heavy options such as networks involving radio modems and leased line modems. PDN is designed for utility companies that are increasingly in need of ways to optimize their workforce and operating budgets. By opting for a managed infrastructure communications network such as the PDN, utilities can avoid implementing complex IT services and instead focus that effort on their control systems. This can help improve the customer experience and ensure consistent service. The system’s security is ensured due to Layer 2 networking and lack of installed software, and an audit trail notes all actions.

Edge gateways

Moxa: New cloud connectivity features in its NPort IA(W)5000A-I/O Series serial device servers and MGate 5105-MB-EIP Series protocol gateways, allow users to easily connect their serial devices to cloud systems for IIoT applications. These ready-to-run connectivity solutions can collect multiple kinds of field data, such as serial, I/O, Modbus, and EtherNet/IP, and transmit these data to public cloud services, such as Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Cloud, or private cloud services, through generic MQTT. What’s more, these solutions feature intuitive user interfaces and easy-to-use functions, making the lives of engineers easy—from the setup to full operation. These serial device servers and protocol gateways feature intuitive user interfaces that complete settings configurations within a few steps. Moreover, the solutions also support diagnostics tools to help users easily identify connection problems so that devices can get connected to the cloud simply and quickly.

Persistent data network

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configuration faster and simpler, scanning identifying and enabling access to the device within minutes. For process industries, the software helps make the UMC100.3 an intelligent data hub for predictive applications, maintenance and asset management. The UMC100.3 is widely used in process industries, enabling low-voltage motors to perform safely and reliably. The device integrates easily with the ABB 800xA Distributed Control System as part of a complete solution, acting as a gateway for ABB Ability cloud-based data analytics and digital services.

Rugged HMIs

HMS Networks: Anybus Edge provides an end-to-end solution for IIoT. Powered by the new HMS Hub, the solution brings edge intelligence and cloud connectivity to industrial equipment. No matter the application, the solution closes the gap between the factory floor and the cloud, enabling industrial companies to realize the Industrial Internet of Things in an easy and secure way. With the gateways, data from devices and machines can be accessed in an easy and secure way, also allowing full data and device management over the application lifecycle. Installed on the factory floor, the Edge Gateways enable intelligent decentralized operations to be executed close to the data sources. From the gateways, user-defined data is provided via HMS Hub to the cloud over a secure connection. Designed for monitoring applications, the solution also enables all connected industrial equipment to be controlled from IoT applications in a smart way. HMS Hub includes a powerful broker that provides services and actions to manage inbound and outbound gateway data, including all configuration, device management and security aspects.

Universal motor controller ProSoft Technology: A simple, secure, managed ‘always-on’ network provides streamlined connections for distributed utilities.

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error messages and service information for all installed Rexroth control systems. At the push of a button, they can contact local Bosch Rexroth service specialists and, if requested to do so, can forward all relevant information to them. As a result, they can solve complex problems quickly and reduce machine downtime.

ABB: New software makes it simpler to configure ABB’s UMC100.3 as an intelligent data hub for process industries. The new software FIM UMC Edition for its UMC100.3 Universal Motor Controller makes

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Mitsubishi: Machine designers and end-users in outdoor industries, or where exposure to harsh elements is inevitable, will be interested in the new GT25 Rugged human machine interface (HMI). Reinforced with metal housing and equipped with an extra bright screen visible under direct sunlight, this interface is engineered for environments that would damage or destroy more vulnerable HMIs. The GT25 Rugged can function at temperatures between -5 and 150° F (-20 to 65° C) and is resistant to vibration and shock. The metal housing also protects the internal components from direct blasts from high-pressure water jets and UV rays. This makes it a choice as a monitor screen or control panel for applications that require outside installation, or risk exposure to harsh environments and procedures, such as automated parking systems, power conditioners, electric car charging stations, heavy machinery and food processing systems that use pressurized jets to clean equipment. The sturdy hardware offers the same functions and capabilities found on the broader GT25 Series of HMIs, a flexible configuration, a convenient maintenance platform, remote connectivity, expanded memory (32MB ROM for storage; 128MB RAM for operation) and device monitoring functions.

Private Ethernet

A brief history of the evolu

from gas lamps to smart lig Street lights have been around since the days of the ancient Roman civilization. For the 1,700 years since their use was first recorded in the city of Antioch, they served one single purpose: to provide light during the night. But today this is changing. THE FIRST USE OF STREET LIGHTS was recorded in the 4th century in the city of Antioch in Turkey, which was part of the Roman empire back then. The only light sources available at that time were candles, which provided only sparse illumination. Until the 17th century it was common practice that people would hire a lantern-bearer to get home safely at night.

Gas lights

The situation improved dramatically when in 1726 Stephen Hales invented the process to produce flammable gas from the distillation of coal. It was probably the Scottish engineer William Murdoch who first installed a coal gas light outside his house in Redruth, Cornwall. Use of the practical and efficient gas lights quickly became popular. By the middle of the 19th century, all of the Grands Boulevards in Paris were lit with gas, earning the city the nickname “The City of Light”. Following this success, gas lighting spread to other countries. In the U.S., Baltimore was the first city to use gas street lights.

“Wilmersdorf Widow” and “Copper’s Leg”. The diversity of lantern designs covers everything from an ornate candelabra to simple, modern day concrete mast.

Yablochkov candle

The next major innovation was electric street lighting. In 1875, Russian engineer and businessman Pavel Yablochkov developed an “electric candle”, which was named after him. It was a carbon arc lamp, which ran on alternating current.

Yablochkov candles lighting the Avenue de l’Opéra in Paris

If you are interested in the historical development of gas lights, there is a gas light open air museum in Berlin. Located near the Tiergarten S-Bahn station, it offers a collection of nearly 100 gas lamps, both originals and replicas, from 36 cities. The oldest dates back to 1826. Some of them have very peculiar names like

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The United States was especially quick in adopting this new technology. Already by 1890, more than 130,000 Yablochkov candles were in operation all across the country. The arc lights emitted a much brighter light than the old gas lights, but had the disadvantage that the electrodes burnt away quickly, requiring regular maintenance. For that reason they were later replaced by first incandescent lightbulbs, and then by high-intensity gas-discharge lamps. These are still used most commonly for street lighting today, mostly in the form of high pressure sodium lamps, which provide good energy efficiency and long life.

Lights become smart

Today, new technologies such as LED are introduced, and street lights start to become more than simple light sources, they become smart.

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Private Ethernet

olution of street lights,

t lighting Beyond illumination

Beyond providing illumination, a smart street lighting system can be used to help emergency personnel. For example, if a car accident occurs, the nearby lamps can be programmed to flicker off and on, or to change their color. This alerts emergency vehicles to the exact location and signals other drivers to slow down.

Smart city platform

Street lights possess several characteristics that can make them the backbone of a smart city infrastructure. They are already everywhere in a city, and they are connected to the power grid. This makes it easy to add additional sensors and modules. They can be equipped with access points to provide city-wide WiFi coverage, and they can serve as charging

Predictive maintenance

Another aspect is maintenance. Today it is difficult for a lighting network operator to find out if a certain lamp came out of action and needs to be repaired or replaced. Typically, this is only discovered when people are reporting idle lights, and it is unlikely that the information will reach the operator immediately. Therefore, the delay between the time the lamp is broken and it is repaired can be quite long. In a networked system, every street light becomes part of an accurate inventory. Operators get a complete view, enabling them to manage workflows and deploy maintenance crews only when and where needed. Real-time system data provides insights into energy use and cost. It also allows users to plan and schedule predictive maintenance, rather than waiting for a lamp to fail.

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stations for electric cars. Sensors or IP cameras on the light poles can monitor parking spaces, helping local authorities to manage their parking areas more efficiently. The same technology can also be used to capture the flow of movement on streets. Feeding this information into intelligent traffic signs can help to avoid traffic congestions. The street lights can also be fitted with weather monitoring and air quality sensors. Having access to sensor data from hundreds of locations around the city is valuable for the authorities. It can help with the planning of snow removal and road salting, or to prepare for extreme weather and natural disasters. For the street light of the future, illuminating the road will be just one of the many functions that it performs. Leopold Ploner

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PHOTO: HUATI

PHOTO: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE

City lighting has always been a major concern, as it represents 10% to 20% of the electricity use in most countries. A Juniper Research report predicts, that cities could benefit from $15bn in cumulative energy savings through to 2023. This is partially due to the better energy efficiency of LED technology. A significant amount of energy can also be saved by a more intelligent control of the lighting system. Using Internet of Things connectivity, lamp posts sense the environment and share their views with each other. This enables them to make informed decisions about lighting depending on the real-time necessities at their location. Based on sensor information about weather conditions and detection of pedestrians, the system adapts the level of lighting.

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