Industrial Networking

Webcast teaches how to advance intelligent data sharing, analytics

Experts provide answers about helping industrial communication advance intelligence data sharing and analytics for industrial control systems, as part of the Control Engineering “Control system integration” series of webcasts. The April 11 webcast is archived for a year and an RCEP credit is available for those participating live.

Courtesy: EtherCAT Technology Group, Control Engineering webcasts

 

Learning Objectives

  • Explore topics to be covered as industrial automation communication experts discuss “Control system integration: Helping communications advance intelligent data sharing, analytics,” in a Control Engineering April 11 webcast that will be archived for a year.
  • Understand that converged networks still need determinism, redundancy, safety and security.

Industrial communication to advance data sharing insights

  • Industrial automation communication experts discuss “Control system integration: Helping communications advance intelligent data sharing, analytics,” in a Control Engineering April 11 webcast to be archived for a year.
  • Even as industrial network architectures change converged networks still need determinism, redundancy, safety and security.

Industrial automation communication experts discuss “Control system integration: Helping communications advance intelligent data sharing, analytics,” in a Control Engineering April 11 webcast that will be archived for a year. Audience listening live will have the opportunity to submit questions to presenters, participate in a poll and take an exam for RCEP credit.

Most plants and many facilities have multiple control systems. How well are they communicating with each other, with subsystems and with other systems and software in the facility or enterprise? What protocols are helping lower costs and improve communications with lower levels, with other controls and with other applications? Can analytics help sort it out when data exchange is less than optimal?

Expert presenters on industrial communications, topics covered

The two presenters are Robert B. Trask, PE, director and North American representative, EtherCAT Technology Group; and Tom Weingartner, technical marketing director, PI North America (Figure 1). They will cover the following learning objectives:

The two presenters for the Control Engineering April 11 webcast, “Control system integration: Helping communications advance intelligent data sharing, analytics,” are Robert B. Trask, PE, director and North American representative, EtherCAT Technology Group; and Tom Weingartner, technical marketing director, PI North America.
The two presenters for the Control Engineering April 11 webcast, “Control system integration: Helping communications advance intelligent data sharing, analytics,” are Robert B. Trask, PE, director and North American representative, EtherCAT Technology Group; and Tom Weingartner, technical marketing director, PI North America. Courtesy: Control Engineering webcasts

  • Understand tools being used to connect control systems of various vintages and from different

  • Explore options for exchanging information with devices connected to the control

  • Assess ways information is exchanged with other software platforms in the organization and the cloud, analyzed and delivered where needed for better decisions.

  • See examples of how such control system integration and analytics are working and producing benefits.

Converged networks still need determinism, redundancy, safety, security

Weingartner, in prepared comments for the webcast, said the big picture of Industry 4.0 digitalization effort is to reimage how we do things, from enabling new production capabilities and creating value, to augmenting real-time operation (Figure 2).

In response to digital transformation, we have gone from rigid, hierarchal systems using fieldbuses, to Industrial Ethernet-based networks where any device can be connected to any other device. Still needed in converged networks are determinism, redundancy, safety and security, said Tom Weingartner, technical marketing director, PI North America.
In response to digital transformation, we have gone from rigid, hierarchal systems using fieldbuses, to Industrial Ethernet-based networks where any device can be connected to any other device. Still needed in converged networks are determinism, redundancy, safety and security, said Tom Weingartner, technical marketing director, PI North America. Courtesy: PI North America, Control Engineering webcasts

“In response to this digital transformation, we have gone from rigid, hierarchal systems using fieldbuses, to Industrial Ethernet-based networks where any device can be connected to any other device,” Weingartner said.

Industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices at the field level can be connected to IIoT devices at the process/control level, the production level, even the operations level and above. Those changes do not mean that the requirements for determinism, redundancy, safety and security are any less on a converged network, he said. It means you need to have network technology that supports these requirements. Industrial Ethernet tools can help, Weingartner said.

Trask advised using a standard and open device level communication platform and to avoid proprietary communications that are open to other tools and communications.

Use a standard and open device level communication platform and to avoid proprietary communications that are open to other tools and communications, suggested Robert B. Trask, PE, director and North American representative, EtherCAT Technology Group.
Use a standard and open device level communication platform and to avoid proprietary communications that are open to other tools and communications, suggested Robert B. Trask, PE, director and North American representative, EtherCAT Technology Group. Courtesy: EtherCAT Technology Group, Control Engineering webcasts

Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology, [email protected], and moderator for this webcast.

KEYWORDS: Control Engineering webcast, industrial communications

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Written by

Mark T. Hoske

Mark Hoske has been Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994 and in a leadership role since 1999, covering all major areas: control systems, networking and information systems, control equipment and energy, and system integration, everything that comprises or facilitates the control loop. He has been writing about technology since 1987, writing professionally since 1982, and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from UW-Madison.