Page 5 - AutomationNotebook-Issue45-digital

Cover Story
Cover Story
Industrializing Open Source
New controller options make it possible to add cutting-edge open source features to industrial-grade automation solutions.
By Bill Dehner, AutomationDirect
Have you ever noticed that a lot of industrial au- tomation technologies seem to be a frumpy distant relative of the glitzy consumer-grade
hardware and software so common in our everyday lives? There are many good reasons for this, but some good news is that industrial tech is closing the gap with consumer tech, and this is creating some sig- nificant and even unexpected benefits for end users.
Industrial automation technologies are of- ten portrayed as developing at a slower pace when compared with consumer technologies, and right- fully so. The lag is explained by the fact that only once consumer technologies become proven and accepted in the mass market will they eventual- ly trickle down to be adopted into more conser- vative and more rugged industrial applications.
Furthermore, because industrial applications need to reliably operate potentially dangerous equip- ment for years, it is more important for automation prod- ucts to be carefully crafted and packaged for this pur- pose. This means other aspects such as ease of use and good connectivity are often secondary considerations.
Over the past 15 years or so, a“maker”culture has gained momentum in the consumer world. This com- munity brings a passion and creativity to using PCs and microcontrollers to operate all sorts of do-it-yourself projects. Most of these developers make these home- brew projects “open source” for anyone to use, but the technologies usually aren’t ready for the factory floor.
This article shows how there is now a practical way to combine open source ingenuity, in the form of industrialized microcontrollers, with proven industrial platforms to give end users more automation options.
FROM PLC, TO PAC, AND BEYOND
Just a few decades ago, it was pretty clear what an industrial programmable logic controller (PLC) was, and also what it wasn’t. Compact, built for installation on machinery, and connected to monitor sensors and command devices like valves, these devices helped power the third industrial evo- lution of automation. They often used specialized cables, communication protocols, and languag- es for these tasks. Even though they were relatively closed platforms, they were very mission specific and effectively tailored for industrial applications.
As technologies like Ethernet, fast/effi- cient/inexpensive processors, and more reliable PC operating systems became available, both the consumer and industrial markets benefited.
For industry, PLCs became more convenient and economical to use. Some vendors began marketing their most capable PLCs as programmable automation controllers (PACs) as added features made them suit- able for a greater number of applications, and greater connectivity made it possible to network more devices.
Today, computing and wireless hardware are so compact and cost-effective that even the smallest field-located sensors and devices have become intelligent, able to communicate with each other and with supervisory systems. These smart devices make up the industrial internet of things (IIoT), and there is a growing amount of pro- cessing power located out at the industrial edge.
Controllers, gateways, input/output modules, and smart sensors continue to be built specifically for industrial markets. But defining the capabilities and roles for PLC, PAC, edge, or IIoT devices becomes a lit- tle more difficult as they each overlap to some extent.
Cover Story www.automationnotebook.com | Issue 45
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