5 Keys for Industrial Automation Systems Transitioning to M2M Technologies

By: Scott Fabini, Systems Architect

CONTENTS Overview pg. 2

Executive Summary pg. 2 Industrial Automation Challenges pg. 2 Systems that Generate Actionable Data pg. 3 Systems that Adapt to Architecture Shifts pg. 3 Performance that Scales pg. 4

Design for Quality, Longevity, Reliability pg. 5

Secure Software pg. 6 Summary pg. 7

5 Keys for Industrial Automation Systems Transitioning to M2M Technologies| Radisys White Paper 2

Overview This white paper will help OEMs in the industrial automation sector understand the

key factors associated with implementing industrial automation equipment with

M2M capability. The paper will start by reviewing the automation pyramid paradigm

based on traditional PLC and fieldbus controllers, and then continue with an

exploration of how factories are migrating to M2M and cloud-based services. We

will also consider key technologies, such as extended-temperature COM Express

hardware and wireless software stacks, to help differentiate and add value to such

Industrial Automation systems.

Executive Summary OEMs in China specializing in industrial automation systems are beginning to find

the value of bringing network, wireless and M2M technologies to the factory floor.

Industrial systems built for machine to machine (M2M) communication backed by

cloud services are gaining traction, replacing systems using proprietary and legacy

protocols. This is similar to what we see in the consumer sector, where wireless

phones and tablets are pushing aside Ethernet-connected desktops. This shift is

expected to enable a smarter factory where actionable data is not restricted by the

physical link between Sensor A and PLC B, but where data is available for

aggregation, computation, and action by a variety of local and remote services.

These services, built on a new era of data-gathering smart sensors, can help make

industries more efficient, reducing energy and pollution while improving throughput.

With its government mandated support and strong factory infrastructure, China is

leading the way in M2M development and deployment, and is expected to overtake

the US market with 45 million M2M devices in 2013 and 138 million in 2017. The

expectation is that this new approach will enable efficiencies and improved services

in applications ranging across industrial automation, oil & gas, and railway

communication industries. At the same time, the industrial Ethernet, fieldbus

protocols, and real-time operating systems of today’s factory are not going away

overnight. This paper discusses the challenges for modern industrial automation

applications, and solutions to help address the evolving communications landscape.

Generate Actionable Data to Improve Efficiency In a traditional “Automation Pyramid” system (Figure 1), the sensors and actuators

are closed-loop, and simply used for control of the machine or operation in

question. In areas such as factory automation, where efficiency and optimization

can drive real cost savings, so much useful information is being essentially thrown

away. Traditional systems consider the data gathered by such sensors and

actuators as “not actionable” because the local PLC is not suitable to performing

further analysis. But a new paradigm is emerging, where intelligent sensors are

used to transmit local data and configuration to network or cloud-based

infrastructure. This enables the data to become actionable, for example enabling

power savings and reducing pollution by shutting down equipment that registers

itself as idle and unused.

5 Keys for Industrial Automation Systems Transitioning to M2M Technologies| Radisys White Paper 3

Figure 1, Automation Pyramid – Today and Tomorrow

Within each factory, chemical plant, rail network, or oil rig there is an opportunity

for a miniature Internet of Things (IoT) consisting of various sensors and data-

gathering subcomponents, aggregated and analyzed by local or cloud based

services. With the aggregated data of networked automation equipment, overall

efficiency can increase resulting in significant cost savings and further factory

efficiencies. Systems offering wireless and networked M2M solutions, rather than

closed-loop point-products, will offer the most value to industrial automation

customers.

Adapt to Architecture Shifts Today’s industrial communications environment is home to an “alphabet soup” of

industrial serial and network protocols (Figure 2). Industrial protocols still have a

critical role in providing control and monitoring while meeting hard real-time

requirements. It is important that even the most modern system for the wireless

factory is still able to keep up with the various industrial protocols, and expand to

future wired and wireless protocols.

Figure 2, Many Industrial Serial and Network Protocols

5 Keys for Industrial Automation Systems Transitioning to M2M Technologies| Radisys White Paper 4

While the industrial serial and networking protocols seem highly specialized, they

can be easily derived from the more standard interfaces we find in PCs today. RS-

232/422/485 and CAN interfaces serve as the bus for industrial serial protocols like

Profibus and Modbus. These interfaces are available via discrete components that

can interface with USB or PCI Express. They are also commonly available in a

modular format via PCI Express MiniCards, allowing for a more scalable and flexible

solution that is not locked in to a specific bus or protocol. Industrial Networking

protocols like Profinet are seeing increased traction, and Profinet usage is even

being featured with Intel’s latest standard LAN controller, i210. Wi-Fi, WPAN, and

WWAN modules for M2M connectivity are also commonly available in PCI Express

MiniCard format. The modularity of PCI Express MiniCards provides a highly

scalable solution that can offer industrial serial, network, or wireless protocols.

Combine this with a modular CPU solution, and you have a hardware platform that

can scale in performance and value for various automation applications.

Performance That Scales COM Express™ solutions take the CPU, chipset, memory, and network controller of

a typical industrial PC, and pack it into a very space-efficient package that can fit in

the palm of your hand. I/O can be customized to suit the application via a Carrier

design. Such a compact solution allows the overall system to be much smaller than

a traditional desktop system, matching the embedded nature of industrial devices.

COM Express modules offer all of the useful I/O available on today’s most modern

processors, routed to a 440 pin high-density connector. DisplayPort, HDMI, LVDS,

USB 3.0, SATA 6G, PCI-E x16 and x1 lanes are all available directly from the CPU

through the connector.

Figure 4, Radisys CEQM77HDE COM Express

5 Keys for Industrial Automation Systems Transitioning to M2M Technologies| Radisys White Paper 5

With its high-density interconnect; COM Express is a modular solution. Modularity

provides multiple benefits to designers and manufacturers:

• Able to upgrade to next-generation CPUs when they become available.

• Able to scale between CPUs that are not pin-compatible (e.g. Atom and Core

processors)

- Scale solution between Value and Performance offerings.

- Scale from 5 Watt power CPU to 47 Watt CPU.

• Carrier can be built in volume, and configured-to-order with modular COM

Industrial Automation solutions based on COM Express™ technology provide a

modular core CPU footprint which can provide scalable support ranging from 5W

Atom™ to 47W Core™ family processors, and an upgrade path to next-generation

CPUs so the product is always keeping pace with technology.

Radisys also offers its R220 Network Appliance featuring up to dual-Xeon CPUs in

a rugged server platform that is shorter depth (20”) to fit in tight industrial

spaces. This server features both front and rear I/O for easy access behind a door

or operating panel. The option for both COM Express and server based solutions

provides an excellent scalability story for equipment providers.

Design for Quality, Longevity, and Reliability Industrial Automation systems often operate in extreme environments. It is

imperative that such systems are designed with the option for industrial

temperature support. The best way to ensure reliable operation is to use a vendor

that incorporates the use of HALT testing and HASS screening.

Figure 3, HALT and HASS ensures reliability over temperature

Radisys “Heavy Duty” (HD) products such as the CEQM77HDE are designed and

manufactured to operate in a -40 to +85C operating environment. These units go

through rigorous Highly Accelerated Life Test (HALT) and Highly Accelerated Stress

5 Keys for Industrial Automation Systems Transitioning to M2M Technologies| Radisys White Paper 6

Screening (HASS) to ensure their reliability and product quality. HALT testing is

used during the design phase to determine and maximize the full limits of a product

design. As failure modes are discovered, they are corrected by design or component

enhancements. Once rigorous testing has established the product capability for

extended temperature operation, HASS is critical to monitor ongoing process

capability. Radisys performs 100% HASS screening on HD products, and tests

across the entire specified temperature range. This significantly mitigates early life

failures in extreme temperature environments, and ensures that the product is

suitable for use in the industrial environment. Product longevity is also important,

and support for products from Intel ISG’s Embedded Roadmap ensures product

availability of 7 years or more. For high quality, reliable product in industrial

temperature ranges, Radisys offers the compelling and differentiated solution that is

most suitable for the industrial automation market.

Secure Software Secure end-to-end transmission of data between machines is critical to M2M

applications. The Intel® Intelligent Systems Framework featuring McAfee security

software leads the charge in providing local security at the device level. McAfee

security software features white-list security to ensure that only users and

systems authorized to access the device on the network are provided access.

Security can be further strengthened with the use of market-leading Trillium

software stacks, which provide secure communications in 3G & LTE deployments

worldwide.

As these computing platforms become more pervasive in the factory environment,

it is also important for administrators to be able to securely and remotely manage

the devices to enable rapid reconfiguration and repair. Devices supporting Intel®

Advanced Management Technology (AMT) are enabled for remote management

through a management console.

Additional software value can be offered by providing a local LTE network within

the factory environment, isolated from the public wireless environment. This can

help factory security, by creating an “air gap” between the factory wireless

network and the public network. Radisys CompactLTE built on Trillium software

can enable such a complete LTE system in the size of a desktop computer or rack-

mount server – a much smaller system than the base-stations used by telephone

operators.

Summary Providers of industrial automation equipment in areas ranging from robotics, oil &

gas exploration, railway communications, and similar industries, are often

challenged to bridge the gap between personal computing technologies and the

interfaces, software, and protocols required in industrial environments. Solutions

based on Radisys COM Express and Network Appliance technology can resolve

these issues by providing a modular compute solution that industrial OEMs can

tailor to their current and future application needs from the start; enabling

5 Keys for Industrial Automation Systems Transitioning to M2M Technologies| Radisys White Paper 7

modular, scalable, reliable solutions for the industrial environment.

Near the ferry between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, there is a sign which reads

“Time is Money, efficiency is life.” In the fast-paced world of industrial

automation, this is especially true. There is a wealth of information in our

automation environments that is simply being thrown away because it is seen as

not actionable. But if we make that data available to cloud solutions based on

M2M technology, new products and services emerge to further improve top-level

industrial efficiency. When looking to build scalable and reliable networked

solutions for the industrial automation environment, please visit our website at

http://www.radisys.com/china/, or contact a Radisys associate.

References CEQM87 COM Express:

http://www.radisys.com/products/com-express/ceqm87/

CEQM77HDE COM Express -40-+85C:

http://www.radisys.com/products/com-express/ceqm77hd-ecc/

R220 Network Appliance with dual-Xeons, 20” depth, front I/O:

http://www.radisys.com/products/network-appliance/

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June 2013