Internet of Things
DEvElopmEnTs In InDusTRIAl 5g Leading players in the sector are now bringing together the worlds of 5G and IIoT through various proof-of-concept demonstrations, projects undertaken with customers, and an emerging family of 5G-connected gateway devices that combine powerful embedded computing, device-provisioning, remote- monitoring, and cyber-security features. Some highlights include: a new 5G radio
standalone application running at data- downlink speed up to 930 Mbit/s; connected capabilities that enable intelligent buses to revolutionise transportation; and connecting 5G applications to major telecom public networks within Europe. Currently, more than 10 proof-of-concept projects are live in different countries across EMEA
5g-READy pRoDuCTs Many 5G-ready products are already available in the market. These include high-speed 5G routers and edge computing gateways featuring a quad- core CPU with enhanced memories and eMMC for hosting powerful edge computing applications. They also boast a rich selection of industrial interfaces, including multiple 1Gb Ethernet ports with optional Power over Ethernet (PoE) Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) outputs that allow the gateways to power IP cameras directly, small form-factor pluggable (SFP) fibre-optic interface, active GNSS receivers for geolocation tracking, with serial interfaces and CAN bus support for vehicle diagnostics in transportation applications. Features also include support for 802.11ac (WiFi 5), digital GPIOs, dual SIM card sockets, and eSIM. Cyber security is handled with hardware including a TPM 2.0 secure element, as well as software- based security including secure boot.
5g IIoT ApplICATIon ExAmplEs Advantech has helped a customer set up a solution for autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) which leverages a dedicated private 5G network. This application area leverages 5G’s URLLC ultra- reliable low latency communication capabilities. This solution uses 5G to deliver AGV control communication over the air. Any real-time industrial-grade fieldbus protocol,
such as PROFINET or EtherCAT, is suitable for an application like this. In addition to the support for a wide range of industrial protocols, available in ICR-4400 routers, Advantech’s solution also offers industrial-grade robustness solution and full L3 routing features to simplify adoption with the enterprise IT infrastructure. With the RouterApp modules, microservices, and Docker support for containerisation, this solution helps customers maintain their devices easily and add more and more business applications on top of the gateways when needed.
ThE fuTuRE foR 5g AnD IIoT To be ready to deliver the right solutions at the right time, we are looking ahead about five years. Within this timeframe, we expect the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) to have become the
Instrumentation Monthly November 2021
driving principle powering most, if not all, industrial-grade IoT applications. There will be two defining aspects:
Cloud AI Cloud AI services will be focused on training and optimisation of AI models. Server solutions capable of handling these workloads are already available in the market.
Edge AI Edge AI will handle the real-time inferencing needed to meet industrial users’ needs; from day-to-day, and from second-to-second. Tiny machine learning is a critical enabling technology for edge AI and leading players are pursuing this to bring edge AI capabilities onboard 5G routers and thus realise the future artificial intelligence of things.
REAlIsIng AIoT Using connectivity technologies like 5G and others such as LPWAN, modern gateways are ideal for retrieving sensed data from the field, processing, curating, and forwarding to cloud servers optimised for AI model training. After training, leveraging the edge AI technologies
provides the channel for deploying the AI models to all the devices on the field site to perform inference locally. From this point, important and time-critical decision-making can be done instantly without sending data to the cloud, thereby delivering faster response, enhanced security, reduced reliance on Internet connectivity, and lower energy costs. From time to time, filtered data is sent back to the
cloud to enable further optimisation and refinement of existing AI models. This can help drive continuous improvement on the AI models. Together with real-time inference on the edge device, we believe this will be the next phase of AIoT. Future improvements will be achieved by focusing on how these technologies can be made to work together more and more effectively.
ConClusIon 5G is set to transform IIoT applications through improved performance and reliability, support for new services, and the flexibility to use private, public, and hybrid infrastructures to ensure the desired resilience, quality of service, and cost. It is a revolutionary technology that will play a key role in realising the goals of the now-unfolding fourth industrial revolution. Leading players like Advantech are developing 5G-
enabled high-speed gateway devices to serve the needs of industrial users, showcasing their readiness to embrace the opportunities 5G offers to deliver advanced IIoT applications that boast vastly superior speed, latency, capacity, and flexibility.
Advantech Europe
www.advantech.com 35
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