What’s New

May 18, 2018

IIoT Update

Justin Moll

We have exciting progress on our IIoT efforts. First, we are announcing a work register has been formed with the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) to collaborate on IIoT efforts. The DMTF is an industry standards organization striving to simplify the manageability of network accessible technologies.
The alliance between the organizations will help ensure the groups’ standards are coordinated and aligned in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) domain. PICMG is utilizing Redfish® Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to create a meta-data model for IIoT. This model will facilitate a distributed network of sensors, each of which act as a micro-server.  So, what does this mean?
Essentially, we are filling in the missing link in the smart factory chain for IIoT interoperability. As you know, PICMG specifications have long-standing usage in industrial automation going back to 1994. Dozens of the organization’s members have high-performance embedded computing products in industrial gateway, controller, and other applications based on specifications such as CompactPCI Serial, COM Express, and more.  What we’d like to do is connect these deployed embedded computers with legacy PLCs and all sorts of sensor devices in the smart factory. Using the Redfish RESTful (Representational State Transfer) APIs, our model will utilize a coding approach that is already well known to IT/Web developers. The combination of the meta-data model for a connected sensor network along with a wealth of versatile open standard hardware computing possibilities may finally provide the market a “plug and play” path for end-to-end IIoT interoperability.
Sensors Expo and Demo
PICMG will have a booth at the Sensors Expo next month. We plan to have a simple demo using RESTful commands connecting sensor devices to open up discussions with attendees. Our CTO, Doug Sandy, will also have a speaking slot on our IIoT approach.
Check out the Sensors Expo held in San Jose, CA from June 26-28th. PICMG will have a 10′ x 10′ booth to promote the organization and our IIoT initiative.
If you’d like to meet with a PICMG officer, contact us at [email protected] to set up a meeting at the show.
February 14, 2018

Overview of IIoT Initiatives

Doug Sandy

At PICMG, we have kicked off a new focus on the requirements for Industrial IoT (IIoT). From there, our efforts can expand out to other IoT market requirements. In IIoT, hardware and software interoperability tends to be more important than household/consumer applications as sensors, actuators, and controllers from multiple vendors must work together seamlessly. But, standardization has not yet materialized.

IIoT, is different than traditional industrial automation in the fact that it combines ubiquitous sensing, advanced analytics, and IT technology. Going beyond traditional automation control functions, IIoT includes sensors and actuators for facility operations, machine health, ambient conditions, quality, and a variety of other functions. Advanced analytics enables the IIoT system to realize higher levels of operational efficiency by extracting meaning from the potential data available from a vast array of deployed sensors. Similar to cloud data centers, where sensors data is used to optimize virtually every aspect of operational efficiency, smart factories and other IIoT applications utilize analytics to improve up-time, optimize asset utilization, and reduce overhead costs. Migration to IT technology enables the IIoT operator(s) to deploy, monitor, and optimize their IIoT application. Standardization around IT practices helps to eliminate islands of proprietary equipment within the installation and provide tighter integration between the control domain and the operations domain. Adoption of IT methodologies enables IIoT companies to leverage the large existing base of IT hardware and software solutions when appropriate. Each of these benefits offers significant potential for capital and operational savings.

Standardization of the upstream interfaces for controller devices and meta-data models for sensors can help solve hardware and software interoperability and ease-of-use issues. Standardized interfaces would allow dissimilar pieces of hardware to communicate with the IIoT command center in a uniform fashion and eliminate isolated islands within the installment. Likewise, an extensible standardized meta-data model for sensors would allow for systematic detection and control of sensors and control points without extensive code re-writes. From a hardware standpoint, the IIoT marketplace would also benefit from greater standardization around communications interfaces, power, and environmental requirements.

Large industrial automation suppliers are not incentivized to embark on open standardization because it loosens the customer’s dependence upon their proprietary solutions. Smaller automation suppliers lack the industry clout or size to take on such an ambitious undertaking. This is a task best suited for an industry standards organization, and one which PICMG is well equipped to handle.

COM Express is one logical starting point to build upon because it has the small form factor, processing performance, and flexible I/O configuration to make it a natural fit for small gateways and control functions in small to medium installations, with distributed controllers for larger deployments. In larger installations, CompactPCI Serial or MicroTCA have been adapted for railway control and other rugged applications and may also serve as a flexible gateway/controller.

Click on the full IIoT Overview Discussion for more details.

August 16, 2017

JASA Announces Embedded Computing and IoT Technologies Show in Yokohama, Japan

PICMG

Japan Embedded Systems Technology Association (JASA) , a leading trade show organizer for embedded technologies in the Japan market, has announced its next show will be held November 15-17, 2017 in Yokohama Japan.  As one of the world’s most established and professional events for Embedded & IoT Technologies, their last show successfully ended with 415 exhibitors and 102 conference sessions, over 30,000 attendees. This year, the event is heading toward its 31th iteration with 450 exhibitors, 35,000 attendees expected and 4 specialized areas dedicated to the hottest hi-tech trends of the market.

For more information, click here.