• PICMG IoT.1 interoperable data modeling capabilities have been included in the latest release of the DMTF Redfish specification.
• Ongoing work will extend the Redfish job model to support factory orchestration and management via cloud-based platforms like AWS.
• A reference Redfish server based on PICMG IoT.x is being developed on GitHub to demonstrate the potential of plug-and-play Industry 4.0 use cases.

WAKEFIELD, MA. PICMG, the consortium driving open standards for modular, scalable computing, and DMTF, have announced that an IP submission containing the PICMG IoT.x firmware specification was accepted and included in the most recent Work in Progress phase of the Redfish^® standard. The extensions to Redfish will streamline the creation of plug-and-play Industry 4.0 systems by connecting interoperable data models on IoT.x-enabled endpoints to software-defined converged infrastructure via the Redfish API.

Redfish is an IT industry standard commonly used for data collection and device management in equipment such as data center fans and coolant pumps. Since 2018, PICMG and DMTF have worked collaboratively to extend the capabilities of Redfish to automation and factory equipment, enabling remote management and control of robotic motion platforms, contextualized sensing systems, and other advanced control endpoints.

The result of those efforts is PICMG IoT.1 and IoT.2, which add extensions to DMTF’s Redfish standard, now included in the latest publication.

“DMTF specifies protocols, data formats, and models for interoperable management on control plane infrastructure including edge systems,” said Jeff Hilland, DMTF president. “Since a lot of what we do is applicable to edge hardware, it makes sense to work with PICMG as part of our alliance partner program.”

Extending Data and Control Capabilities

The PICMG IoT.1 firmware specification defines a standard data model for sensor makers and systems integrators, while PICMG IoT.2 addresses the data model and network architecture requirements for the integration of larger sensor/effector networks.

Together, the two specifications accelerate the development and deployment of smart sensors in Industry 4.0 applications. Redfish extensions integrate these capabilities in a larger system of systems context while remaining fully compatible with the PICMG IoT.x specifications.

PICMG is also working on extending the Redfish job model to support cloud-based scheduling and orchestration of factory equipment. This will allow industrial operators to leverage powerful cloud platforms like AWS to manage jobs all the way to control endpoints on a factory floor.

“Imagine a modular factory where every component is interconnected and fully plug-and-play not just at the sensor and effector level, but across the entire assembly line,” said Doug Sandy, CTO of PICMG. “A factory where every piece of equipment has its own associated Redfish service, workloads, and processing could happen wherever they need to, while operators could manage and monitor everything through a top-down hierarchy of building, floor, and line controllers.”

“That’s what PICMG and DMTF ultimately want to support. And with our current work on Redfish, we’ve taken a big step in the right direction,” he added.

Building the Factory of the Future

PICMG’s IP submission recently entered DMTF’s Work in Progress phase and is slated for a projected full release in 2025. During the Work in Progress phase, the development community will have the opportunity to review and comment on the new content of the specification so changes can be incorporated prior to the next Redfish release.

PICMG and DMTF also currently have a team working on an example implementation of the interoperable data environment, expressed in the form of an open-source server. Accessible on the PICMG GitHub repository, new functionality is being added to the server each month with the goal of it becoming fully functional in time for the next Redfish specification release.

The PICMG extension is publicly available on the DMTF website at: www.dmtf.org/sites/default/files/PICMG_DMTF_Work_Register_v1.1.pdf.

Learn More

• PICMG Industrial IoT Overview: https://www.picmg.org/industrial-iot-overview
• PICMG IoT Firmware Specification: picmg.org/product/iiot_firmware
• DMTF Website: dmtf.org
• PICMG Redfish Submission: dmtf.org/sites/default/files/PICMG_DMTF_Work_Register_v1.1.pdf
• PICMG Redfish Server on GitHub: https://github.com/PICMG/redfish_server_maker
• E-mail Contact: [email protected]

About DMTF

DMTF, an industry standards organization, creates open manageability specifications spanning diverse emerging and traditional IT infrastructures including cloud, virtualization, network, servers, and storage. Member companies and alliance partners worldwide collaborate on standards including Redfish, SPDM, SMBIOS, MCTP, PLDM, and more to improve the interoperable management of information technologies. Nationally and internationally recognized by ANSI and ISO, DMTF standards enable a more integrated and cost-effective approach to management through interoperable solutions. Simultaneous development of Open Source and Open Standards is made possible by DMTF, which has the support, tools, and infrastructure for efficient development and collaboration. For a complete list of our standards and initiatives, visit the Standards and Technologies section of the DMTF website.

DMTF is led by a diverse board of directors from Broadcom Inc.; Cisco; Dell Technologies; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Intel Corporation; Lenovo; Positivo Tecnologia S.A.; and Verizon.

About PICMG

Founded in 1994, PICMG is a not-for-profit 501(c) consortium of companies and organizations that collaboratively develop open standards for high-performance industrial, Industrial IoT, military & aerospace, telecommunications, test & measurement, medical, and general-purpose embedded computing applications. There are more than 150 member companies that specialize in a wide range of technical disciplines, including mechanical and thermal design, single board computer design, high-speed signaling design and analysis, networking expertise, backplane, and packaging design, power management, high availability software and comprehensive system management.

Key standards families developed by PICMG include COM-HPC, COM Express, CompactPCI, AdvancedTCA, MicroTCA, AdvancedMC, CompactPCI Serial, InterEdge, ModBlox7, SHB Express, IoT.x, and HPM (Hardware Platform Management).

For more information, visit https://www.picmg.org.

Highlights:

• The multi-part virtual event will show attendees how to take advantage of PICMG’s next-generation computer on module specification family for intelligent edge use cases.
• Sessions will address how the Mini form factor enhances performance in mobile-friendly deployments, new features like the updated COM-HPC connector, and a new Carrier Design Guide.
• Attend for free on June 4^th at 14:00 UTC at https://t.ly/COM-HPCMiniAcademy.

MAY 29, 2024 — WAKEFIELD, MA. PICMG, the consortium driving open standards for modular, scalable computing, will be hosting a COM-HPC Mini Academy on Tuesday, June 4 at 14:00 UTC. This multi-part virtual event will span four sessions and introduce participants to the new COM-HPC Mini form factor’s features, including details of the Mini’s updated Carrier Design Guide, as well as examine use cases, design questions, and deployment challenges.

“Between converged network rollouts and advances in artificial intelligence, the hardware requirements for edge computing have changed,” said Doug Sandy, CTO of PICMG. “Modern edge workloads need a combination of high-end computing, power consumption management, and low-latency data transmission. The COM-HPC Mini addresses these requirements, and our Mini Academy will teach developers everything they need to know about how the specification brings the intelligent edge to life.”

The event will be divided into four sessions covering the following topics:

• How COM-HPC Mini improves performance in mobile-friendly deployments.
• The importance of support for CPU, GPU, FPGA and heterogenous processor architectures in diverse edge applications.
• Details on new features in COM-HPC and how they enable greater bandwidth, lower latency, more rugged designs, and interoperable high-speed chip-to-memory interconnects.
• How the updated Carrier Design Guide streamlines development and deployment of cost-optimized, low-to-mid volume production runs.

More details on each session can be found below:

Session 1: June 4^th at 14:00 UTC—What’s New in COM-HPC?

The first Mini Academy session, co-hosted by representatives from congatec, Samtec, and the University of Bielefeld, provides an update on COM-HPC and how it can help organizations transform their edge infrastructure. Alongside updates to the COM-HPC specification family, the session will explore potential PCIe Gen 6 support, CXL 3.1 compatibility, and Functional Safety (FuSa) capability.

Session 2: June 4^th at 14:30 UTC—Introducing COM-HPC Mini

Co-presented by Richard Pinnow of ADLink and Christian Engels of Avnet Embedded, this session will detail how COM-HPC Mini provides system architects with greater speed and performance in a smaller form factor. Participants can expect a review of the new specification’s electromechanical features, followed by demonstrations of how they can leverage those features for far edge mobile and battery powered use cases, such as AMRs, HMIs, drones, and robotic controllers.

Session 3: June 4^th at 15:00 UTC—Exploring the COM-HPC Mini Design Guide

Presented by Kontron’s Peter Hunold, this session introduces the updated Carrier Design Guide developed specifically for the COM-HPC Mini specification. Participants will be given an overview of how the COM-HPC Design Guide has changed from previous versions. The session will conclude by demonstrating how to design in advanced signals, like multiplexed USB 4.0 and how to quickly and efficiently produce Gerber files that define lasting COM-based systems.

Session 4: June 4^th at 15:30 UTC—The COM-HPC Mini Academy: A Multi-Vendor Outlook Panel

Co-hosted by several of the suppliers responsible for developing the COM-HPC Mini specification, this discussion panel will field questions from attendees about designing and deploying the new standard. Participants will also learn about the differences between COM Express and COM-HPC, along with best practices for designing the COM-HPC Mini into real-world applications. The session will then conclude with insight into PICMG’s technology roadmaps.

Going Beyond the Intelligent Edge

“First ratified in 2021, COM-HPC was designed to address the challenges and fulfill the requirements of embedded system architects,” explained Sandy. “COM-HPC Mini continues this trend, introducing a new form factor and features like expanded connectivity support, efficient thermal management, and soldered memory.”

“Open, interoperable, and available from multiple suppliers, COM-HPC Mini provides a path forward for edge computing that will remain relevant for decades,” he added, inviting anyone interested in learning more about COM-HPC Mini and other specifications to visit PICMG’s website.

Recordings of the COM-HPC Mini Academy sessions will be available on-demand for those unable to attend the live event.

Learn More

• Event Registration: https://t.ly/COM-HPCMiniAcademy
• COM-HPC Overview: https://www.picmg.org/openstandards/com-hpc/
• Carrier Design Guide: https://www.picmg.org/wp-content/uploads/PICMG_COM-HPC_CDG_R2_1.pdf
• COM-HPC Mini: https://www.picmg.org/openstandards/com-hpc

About PICMG

Founded in 1994, PICMG is a not-for-profit 501(c) consortium of companies and organizations that collaboratively develop open standards for high performance industrial, Industrial IoT, military & aerospace, telecommunications, test & measurement, medical, and general-purpose embedded computing applications. There are more than 150 member companies that specialize in a wide range of technical disciplines, including mechanical and thermal design, single board computer design, high-speed signaling design and analysis, networking expertise, backplane, and packaging design, power management, high availability software and comprehensive system management.

Key standards families developed by PICMG include COM-HPC, COM Express, COM-HPC Mini, CompactPCI, AdvancedTCA, MicroTCA, AdvancedMC, CompactPCI Serial, InterEdge, ModBlox7, SHB Express, MicroSAM, and HPM (Hardware Platform Management). For more information, visit https://www.picmg.org.

• Partnership seeks to reduce technology integration, maintenance, and upgrade costs in the process automation industry.
• Work supports the Open Process Automation™ Standard (O-PAS), a standard of The Open Group^®, that defines resilient and scalable process automation system architectures.
• Collaboration establishes a multi-vendor ecosystem for interoperable, interchangeable edge hardware via specifications like InterEdge.

APRIL 24, 2024 — WAKEFIELD, MA. PICMG, the consortium for open hardware specifications, has entered a liaison partnership with The Open Group Open Process Automation™ Forum (OPAF) to collaboratively develop interoperable, interchangeable technology specifications for the process control industry. The partnership fills a gap in edge controller hardware that exists in the O-PAS™ Standard—an open architectural framework for developing industrial process automation systems, currently being defined by OPAF initiatives.

Governed by The Open Group, OPAF membership is comprised of 110+ member organizations, including companies like Exxon Mobil, Schneider Electric, Phoenix Contact, Intel, and others. These companies work collaboratively to address the needs of end users in the process control market through initiatives like the O-PAS Standard. The O-PAS framework references existing standards wherever possible or, in the absence of such standards, works with associated organizations to achieve proper standard definition.

To complete and standardize work on an edge controller performed by OPAF member Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), The Open Group Forum evaluated several hardware standards development organizations. The OPAF Members selected PICMG to develop a new open edge hardware technology specification that defines electromechanical interoperability, interchangeability, hot plug capabilities, and compatibility with existing standards such as IEC 61499 and IEC 61131.

The result was the recently ratified InterEdge specification.

Collaborative Standards Development Yields InterEdge Specification

Founded in 1994, PICMG is a consortium of more than 150 member companies that defines open, interoperable, and multi-vendor technology specifications for high-performance embedded computing platforms. With a heritage of specifications that span edge-to-cloud use cases, including CompactPCI, AdvancedTCA, and COM Express, PICMG brings a proven process and track record of successfully producing lasting, quality technology specifications.

“During development of the O-PAS Standard, we realized the need for physical hardware that provided interchangeability in an interoperable way,” explained David DeBari, Process Control Engineering Associate at ExxonMobil. “Because our focus is primarily on the software side, we opted to bring in third-party expertise. PICMG was the organization that best fit our needs in that regard—a lot of our suppliers were involved with them already, so working together was the natural choice.”

The InterEdge specification introduces a modular open architecture that delivers state-of-the-art I/O abstraction and flexibility and in a common physical form factor. It supports the OPAF and O-PAS goals of reducing integration, maintenance, and upgrade costs in the highly fragmented and largely proprietary process control technology market.

Collaboration for A More Open Industry

The OPAF and PICMG relationship is ongoing, with work on new versions of the InterEdge specification already underway. Meanwhile, the Open Process Automation Forum has introduced InterEdge to its physical platform subcommittee, who plan to include the specification in an upcoming revision of the O-PAS Standard and devise a set of tests that evaluate conformance to the InterEdge specification.

“Through standardization, proprietary physical interfaces are quickly becoming a thing of the past. The InterEdge standard from PICMG is the first step in that transition for process automation industry end users. Enabling hardware interchangeability allows end users to select components based on performance characteristics instead of physical interface compatibility. We look forward to seeing this key quality attribute normatively referenced in the O-PAS standard,” added Aneil Ali, Forum Director of The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum.

“Our relationship with PICMG is invaluable. It is industry changing,” said Steve Bitar, former ExxonMobil automation advisor and secretary of the PICMG InterEdge working group. “And we already know that some of our vendors will use—or are already using—other PICMG standards like COM-Express and COM-HPC. That level of collaboration and integration brings us a step closer to our vision—an industry built on open architecture standards and qualifications that are supported by end users, suppliers, and integrators alike.”

Learn More

The InterEdge specification is available now and can be purchased from the PICMG website for $750. For more information on the OPAF-PICMG liaison relationship, the   O-PAS standard, or InterEdge, visit:

• The Open Process Automation Forum: https://www.opengroup.org/forum/open-process-automation-forum
• PICMG Website: picmg.org
• O-PAS Standard Download Page: https://publications.opengroup.org/standards/opa/c230
• InterEdge Overview: https://www.picmg.org/openstandards/interedge
• E-mail: [email protected].

About The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF)

The Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) is an international forum of end users, system integrators, suppliers, academic institutions, and other standards organizations working together to develop a standards-based, open, secure, and interoperable process control architecture. The Forum is part of The Open Group, a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards. Our diverse membership of more than 900 organizations includes customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tool vendors, integrators, academics, and consultants across multiple industries. For more information, go to https://www.opengroup.org.

About PICMG

Founded in 1994, PICMG is a not-for-profit 501(c) consortium of companies and organizations that collaboratively develop open standards for high performance industrial, Industrial IoT, military & aerospace, telecommunications, test & measurement, medical, and general-purpose embedded computing applications. There are more than 150 member companies that specialize in a wide range of technical disciplines, including mechanical and thermal design, single board computer design, high-speed signaling design and analysis, networking expertise, backplane, and packaging design, power management, high availability software and comprehensive system management.

Key standards families developed by PICMG include COM-HPC, COM Express, CompactPCI, AdvancedTCA, MicroTCA, AdvancedMC, CompactPCI Serial, InterEdge, ModBlox7, SHB Express, MicroSAM, and HPM (Hardware Platform Management). For more information, visit https://www.picmg.org