by Michael Jackson and Albert O’Grady
While industrial Ethernet holds the ultimate promise of enabling complete edge-to-cloud process connectivity, it is unlikely to displace classical industrial input/output (IO) networks any time soon. This means that the medium-term challenge for process engineers will be managing both technologies simultaneously while industrial Ethernet is becoming more established.
This blog considers some of the challenges of managing legacy industrial IO networks that industrial Ethernet will help to address. Then it will show how a software-configurable application development kit (ADK) from Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) not only simplifies the management of side-by-side industrial IO and Ethernet networks but can also help to increase flexibility and security.
Challenges of Managing Industrial IO Networks
Many legacy installations use hardwired 4-20mA point-to-point connections, which restrict the ability of the industrial network to evolve and grow over time. These traditional installations have several shortcomings:
- Limited bandwidth restricts the speed of information flow.
- Limited power delivery restricts instrument functionality.
- Gateways at the control and IT levels create an administrative overhead.
- Changing channel functionality (e.g. from input to output or analog to digital) can be a non-trivial and labour-intensive task requiring a technician to visit the wiring cabinet.
- The safety challenge of operating in an intrinsically safe environment (Zone 0).
Industrial Ethernet Enables Edge-to-Cloud Industrial Networks
The IEEE 802.3cg 10BASE-T1L industrial Ethernet standard was developed to help address these challenges. It offers 10 Mbps full duplex communication with power over a single twisted-pair Ethernet (SPE) cable up to 1 km in length and allows data to travel from a sensor to the cloud with no need for interface translations that can cause latency, power inefficiencies, or other additional costs. Instructions can be simultaneously communicated in the opposite direction, from the controller to a field instrument. Furthermore, since industrial Ethernet is compatible with other Ethernet standards, data generated at field nodes can be communicated onward to the cloud at even higher speeds.
The Application Development Kit Where Industrial Ethernet and Software Configurable Industrial IO Stand Shoulder to Shoulder
Software configurable IO (SWIO) field junction boxes can help to improve the flexibility of industrial IO installations as industrial Ethernet is rolling out. This was the driving vision behind ADI’s AD-SWIOT1L-SL application development kit, which simplifies the integration of a secure industrial Ethernet alongside a software-configurable industrial IO interface. The SWIO can be remotely programmed to function as either an analog or digital IO channel, which reduces development and maintenance times and hence reduces costs.
AD-SWIOT1L-SL: Features and Benefits
- 4-Channel Multiplexing
AD-SWIOT1L-SL allows multiplexing of analog and digital functions across four channels, which can be independently configured to provide voltage, current, or digital input/output, and/or resistance temperature detector (RTD) measurement. - 10BASE-T1L Ethernet Link
This solution features a 10BASE-T1L Ethernet link to help automation engineers ensure their designs are ready for the wider rollout of industrial Ethernet. This interface is implemented using the ADIN1110 10BASE-T1L MAC/PHY, which enables remote data acquisition and device configuration. - Flexible Power Design
AD-SWIOT1L-SL can be configured to support high current or high-performance applications and can provide isolated power to digital domains. Having the ability to use a single cable for power and data can significantly simplify cabling infrastructure and lower installation costs. - Development Tools
AD-SWIOT1L-SL provides a complete software development experience from prototyping to production, from debugging to application development. The system offers flexible implementation for any protocol stack and a user-friendly, graphical PC interface to ease configuration. - Security
Data security is a critical element for any Ethernet network. AD-SWIOT1L-SL includes a robust, ultra-low-power cryptographic controller with ChipDNA technology, which is ideal for embedded devices.
Conclusion
It will take time for industrial Ethernet to become a widely established industrial network, but in the interim, field junction boxes that can be remotely configured using software offer the ideal transition between legacy IO installations and 10BASE-T1L. Analog Devices’ AD-SWIOT1L-SL application development kit demonstrates how to simultaneously implement and manage software configurable IO and industrial Ethernet networks, allowing process engineers to benefit from reduced capital expenditure as well as lower installation complexity and maintenance costs.
