December/January 2019

| TECHNOLOGIES | and digital semiconductor worlds are going to enable this new model of factory automation? Sensors — the key to machine health monitoring MEMS sensor technology is enabling the development of new sensor types that are small, robust, and able to precisely measure vibration and motion. For instance, low noise, wide- bandwidth accelerometers offer the high precision and accuracy required to identify subtle changes in the vibration signature of a machine. Coupled with sensor analytics software, these devices, says O’Dowd, enable equipment operators to pinpoint the source of a potential failure long before it occurs and apply preventive maintenance measures in good time. Machine health monitoring, explains O’Dowd, is an application that is not confined to conventional factory settings. Mobile or remote industrial equipment may use a wireless connection to report diagnostic information and operating status to a central controller. Running on battery power or intermittent power sources such as solar energy, this kind of application requires a very low power sensing solution. High speed connectivity on the factory floor The proliferation of sensors throughout factories and process plants is generating vast flows of real-time data. Legacy communication protocols between sensor nodes and PLCs, such as 4 mA to 20 mA control loops, are giving way to ultrafast industrial variants of the Ethernet protocol, enabling increasing integration of operational technology (OT) infrastructure in the factory with information technology (IT) in the enterprise. In responding to this new demand for high speed data transfer in the factory, O’Dowd explains that OEMs need to future-proof their system implementations, so that they support not only industrial Ethernet protocols in use today, but also the emerging time- sensitive networking (TSN) variant of Ethernet, which is likely to become the standard wired networking technology for real- time industrial communications. To support this transition, O’Dowd highlights that ADI provides an Ethernet platform that enables systems to swap from one Ethernet protocol to another without the need for hardware redesign. Robust, wireless sensor network technologies are also required for connecting sensor nodes in locations that are hard to reach with physical wiring. O’Dowd comments that wireless network technologies such as SmartMesh and WirelessHART, which are designed to operate in tough IoT applications, provide a proven and high performance method of connecting industrial automation equipment without wires. Safety systems for autonomous machines Autonomous vehicles and cobots offer a huge scope for widening the application of automation in factories and warehouses. The challenge for industry, says O’Dowd, is to guarantee safety, ensuring that autonomous machines are fully environment-aware. Advanced radar and lidar technologies are raising the standard of accuracy and precision in object and proximity detection and 3D mapping applications. Protecting the factory from online attack O’Dowd also highlights that with the growth in connectivity comes a heightened risk of attack by hackers intent on extorting payment from factory operators, or by state- sponsored attackers tasked with causing disruption to high value industrial systems. He explains that as factory operators connect more and more nodes to the cloud, they open up new entry points for hackers to exploit. Semiconductor- based connectivity systems need robust security optimized for embedded systems. Analog Devices is developing new solutions to meet emerging security threats to industrial systems, thus helping to future-proof customers’ industrial infrastructure. Configurable production processes The factory of the future must be capable of quick adaptation to new demands and new workflows; the key, according to O’Dowd, is to build flexibility into industrial automation technology products at the architecture level. He adds that one approach which can support this need for flexibility is software-defined I/O, which can be configured as analog or digital, and input or output, without altering wiring. Pushing the boundaries of today’s technology, ADI already supplies a robust and flexible industrial output solution, which enables full software configurability of the analog output to support a variety of industrial standards. Integrating analog, digital, and software The development and production of industrial automation equipment is becoming an increasingly high tech undertaking, driven by the need to meet end user demand for higher throughput, more configurability, safer operation, and more cloud integration. At the same time, pressure to get to market quickly with new, more sophisticated designs continues to intensify. Analog Devices’ response is to provide customers with an integrated offering, providing market-oriented solutions for applications including, among others, machine health monitoring, high speed connectivity, and safety and security systems. It will do so by combining analog, mixed- signal, and digital components with firmware and software to solve the most pressing development problems that its customers face, enabling them to respond rapidly and effectively to the intensifying technological and economic challenges of today and tomorrow. *Brendan O’Dowd has over 30 years of experience in the industry working for companies like Tellabs, Apple, and Analog Devices. He is currently the general manager of Analog Devices industrial automation business. For further information please visit: www.analog.com www.smartmachinesandfactories.com December/January 2020 | 45 |