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Last updateSun, 04 Feb 2024 4am
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Single Common Conformance Test Plan to be Available for the IEC/IEEE 60802 TSN Profile for Industrial Automation

The Avnu Alliance, CC-Link Partner Association, ODVA, OPC Foundation, and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International jointly announce that they are collaborating to develop a single conformance test plan for the IEEE/IEC 60802 Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) profile for Industrial Automation. The test plan will be used as a base test by all the participating organizations and made available to the broader Industrial Automation ecosystem. This collaboration contributes towards end user confidence that 60802 conformant devices from different manufacturers which support different automation protocols will coexist reliably at the TSN level on shared networks, including with devices using TSN for applications other than automation.

The focus of the collaboration is to work together towards a jointly agreed and owned test plan for the industrial automation market. This formal collaboration provides value by creating a structure in which all these organizations can work together and exchange ideas towards the end goal of interoperability and coexistence on open, standard networks for all protocols, without needing to establish a separate, formal organization. For convenience, the collaboration activities will be referred to as “TIACC” (TSN Industrial Automation Conformance Collaboration).

The TIACC marks a commitment by these organizations to develop an interoperable ecosystem of devices from different manufacturers to comply with the IEC/IEEE Standards Association 60802 profile and enable end-users to confidently deploy these devices on open, standard networks. The goal is to have the final version of the single, shared test plan available soon after the IEC/IEEE 60802 profile is published.

“Avnu’s purpose and mission is to transform standard networks to enable support for many time sensitive applications and protocols in an open, interoperable manner. This collaboration among organizations will be critically important to facilitating coexistence of multiple workloads and protocols according to IEEE 60802 on a network, while leveraging foundational network interoperability that is used across industries,” said Greg Schlechter, Avnu Alliance President. “We are committed to working with the industries to enable an interoperable ecosystem of devices that allow end users to confidently deploy on open, standard, and converged networks.”

“The creation of the Connected Industries of the future requires different systems and devices to communicate in order to deliver the necessary process transparency required. This is a core principle for the CLPA and is at the root of why the organization was founded. This is why we are delighted to be part of the TIACC and look forward to supporting the creation of a unified, common test plan for TSN-compatible products. By doing so, we can help further boost the adoption of futureproof technologies for smart manufacturing,” said Manabu Hamaguchi, Global Director at CLPA.

“EtherNet/IP users will be able to take advantage of the benefits afforded by 60802 TSN of enhanced network performance, higher utilization, and guaranteed network access for multiple time-critical applications with different priorities. ODVA’s participation in TIACC will ensure that the full potential of 60802 TSN coexistence is realized by end users to help make Industry 4.0 and IIoT a reality,” said Dr. Al Beydoun, President and Executive Director at ODVA.

Yokogawa releases ISA100 Wireless based Field Wireless Vibration Sensor

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it has developed an ISA100 Wireless™*-based field wireless vibration sensor with the ability to quickly update data and a long battery life, and will release it in markets other than Japan on December 7. By providing real-time updates on vibration levels in plant facilities, this sensor helps users quickly detect equipment anomalies and enables predictive maintenance.

With a field wireless system, plant field devices and analyzers are able to communicate wirelessly with host-level monitoring and control systems. The rising need to improve productivity and enhance safety by collecting more data on plant operations is driving the demand for field wireless devices, which can be installed even in difficult to access locations. Field wireless devices have the added advantage of reducing installation costs.

Vibration sensors are useful for the condition monitoring and predictive maintenance of plant machinery such as compressors, pumps, and motors. Conventional methods for monitoring vibration include the use of vibration sensors that rely on wired communications with a host system, and patrols by maintenance staff to collect vibration data. With the widening use of field wireless systems and the need to reduce installation costs, there is an increasing demand for wireless vibration sensors.

Since releasing the world's first ISA100 Wireless-based field wireless devices and wireless systems, Yokogawa has expanded its lineup of field wireless devices that measure temperature, pressure, flow rate, and the like. This new vibration sensor will meet our customers' needs for a device that can provide the quick updates on vibration levels needed to detect anomalies at an early stage.

Product Features:

  • Fast data updates

The sensor can be set to update data as quickly as every 10 seconds. This update time is ideal for monitoring vibration levels in plant facilities.

  • Long battery life and easy maintenance

When the vibration sensor is set to update data once per minute, it can operate on a single set of batteries for up to 10 years. In addition to eliminating the cost of providing replacement batteries, this reduces maintenance workload.

  • Highly reliable and versatile system

Thanks to the features of ISA100 Wireless and our technical know-how, we have achieved a highly reliable wireless network with fully redundant communications that is capable of sending and receiving different types of sensor signals over long distances.

 

IXXAT PC/CAN interface series adds support for VxWorks

The ECI driver with VxWorks support allows easy development of CAN-based real-time applications on Intel® Core™ architectures and processors, such as Intel® Core™ 2, Intel® Celeron® (Core), Intel® Celeron® M (Merom), Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core (Allendale /Merom) and Intel® Xeon® (Core).

IXXAT PC interfaces are available for all common PC interface standards – from PCIe and PCIe Mini to USB and Ethernet. Depending on the PC/CAN interface version, up to four CAN channels and a galvanic isolation of the CAN bus interface is offered.
In addition to VxWorks HMS supports its IXXAT CAN interfaces with ECI driver versions for the real time operating systems RTX, INtime and QNX as well as for Linux and Windows (VCI driver).

 

 

National Instruments demonstrates mmWave 802.11ad Wireless Test Technology

National Instruments, the provider of platform-based systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, announced today a technology preview of its new 802.11ad, or WiGig, test solution at EDI CON USA 2016. Highlighting new capabilities in the emerging field of mmWave test, NI is demonstrating parametric testing of an 802.11ad radio using its mmWave instrument technology.

This demonstration of a new 802.11ad test solution is based on NI’s wideband mmWave transceiver technology used by leading automotive and wireless infrastructure researchers to prototype advanced radar and 5G systems. It consists of a vector signal generator and vector signal analyzer operating at 55 to 68 GHz with more than 2 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth. This new technology for 802.11ad testing also complements NI’s comprehensive product portfolio for wireless test, including existing solutions testing 802.11a/b/h/j/n/p/ac/ax, Bluetooth, GSM, UMTS, LTE/LTE-A, FM/RDS, GNSS and more.

“With proposed 5G bands at 28, 38, and 73 GHz, WiGig at 60 GHz, and automotive radar at 77 GHz, mmWave is the next frontier of wideband instrument technology,” said Jin Bains, vice president of RF R&D at NI. “With our newest 802.11ad test solution, we are excited to work alongside leading chipset vendors to develop new solutions for the next generation of wireless test.”

NI’s mmWave transceiver technology introduces a new approach to 802.11ad testing that offers customers an alternative to slow, expensive and low-performing traditional instruments. To further refine this technology, NI is working with leading semiconductor vendors as part of a lead user program.

“802.11ad is a critical addition complementing WiFi technology, enabling multi-gigabit wireless throughput for demanding consumer and mobile applications such as UHD video streaming, as well as enabling high bandwidth data transmission for wireless infrastructure including mobile backhaul and wireless access points,” said Anand Iyer, director of mmWave product marketing at Broadcom Limited. “NI’s developments in mmWave test solutions have allowed us to address various testing challenges like reducing test costs and providing high-volume manufacturing and over-the-air test capabilities.”

 

Opto 22 digitally wires the Industrial Internet of Things with release of Node-RED Nodes

Industrial automation manufacturer and Internet of Things platform developer Opto 22 announces immediate availability of Node-RED nodes for its industrial programmable automation controllers (PACs), significantly decreasing IIoT application development time and complexity. These Node-RED nodes for PACs make it easier to prototype and develop applications for connecting physical assets to cloud applications. Node-RED nodes and a RESTful API for Opto 22 SNAP PAC R-series and S-series controllers are available free for download at http://developer.opto22.com.
Rapid IIoT Application Prototyping:
Linking technology assets and services together to build IIoT applications often requires layers of complex software development and long development cycles that quickly erode IIoT application ROI. Opto 22’s Node-RED nodes for SNAP PAC programmable automation controllers enable nearly anyone to rapidly prototype and develop IIoT applications with Node-RED, opening a path to quickly connect legacy physical assets to the digital world of cloud services.
Node-RED for IIoT:
Node-RED is an innovative visual wiring tool to connect edge computing systems such as industrial automation controllers to cloud services such as Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) IoT, IBM® Watson IoT, and Microsoft® Azure® in new and interesting ways. Created by Nick O’Leary (@knolleary) and Dave Conway-Jones (@ceejay) of IBM Emerging Technologies (@ibmets), Node-RED is an open-source, cross-platform technology available on GitHub.com and npmjs.org, and is currently available for a variety of platforms, including OS X®, Microsoft Windows®, Linux®, and Raspberry Pi™, and cloud offerings like IBM Bluemix® and AT&T® Flow. Built on the popular Node.js JavaScript runtime, Node-RED benefits from a large Node-RED library—containing over 500 prebuilt and ready-to-deploy nodes—allowing IIoT application developers to leverage existing software code and deploy it directly into their applications.