INDUSTRY 4.0/IIOT FEATURE


BRINGING THE BENEFITS OF I4.0 AND DIGITALISATION EVER CLOSER


Niaz Ahmed, Eaton associate product line manager for MTL Process Connectivity Products, outlines the devices that can access the benefits of improved connectivity using existing industrial platforms


T


he availability of accurate and comprehensive data is critical for


success in today’s process industries. Cloud computing and Ethernet connectivity are key enablers for the adoption of Industry 4.0. Ethernet provides the best architecture for the required volume of data flow in real time. Using Ethernet for industrial automation systems could make vast numbers of new sensors accessible to the network and therefore useful for analysis and decision making. In addition, it makes all the information from smart sensors available rather than a single analogue reading. There is just one fly in the ointment:


plant instrumentation is traditionally disconnected from Ethernet systems. In computerised plant automation, individual control loops dominate the architecture. Legacy control systems use analogue protocols to communicate with plant instruments. Some optimisation of multiple loops is possible at the central level, but the architecture is built around individual loops. The existing installed base of


conventional analogue architecture will not be replaced overnight. An industrial Ethernet standard is imminent but it will take time to adopt it. Known as IEEE 802.3CG, this standard is based on Single Pair Ethernet (SPE), and offers communications and power transmission for lengths of up to 1,000m at speeds of 10 Megabits per second. However, process engineers and system


integrators need a transition solution immediately, so they can deliver at least some of the benefits of I4.0 without the capital outlay of a complete system overhaul. Let’s explore some of the technical solutions available to bridge the gap between I4.0 systems and plant automation systems. Fieldbus integration – Fieldbus is an


industry standard that introduced digital communication between instruments and control systems. It uses a twisted pair cable as the bus on which up to 32 instruments can be linked1


. This


digitisation allows for multiple devices to be connected to a single twisted pair. Each device has its own address on the network and is configured via software.


/ PROCESS&CONTROL


Both power and communications are provided on the single cable. Fieldbus is an open network


standard allowing for integration of products from


Technical solutions are available now to bridge the gap between I4.0 systems and plant automation systems


communicated using the HART protocol compared to Ethernet systems. Eaton MTL multiplexers provide the link


between field instruments and the control system or instrument management software. They strip the digital signal from the analogue base and make it available on a RS485 network. An RS485 convertor connects the RS485 network to the Ethernet system. One of the barriers to widespread use of


multiple vendors and the elimination of proprietary systems. Because these systems were designed with industrial environments in mind, they are available in intrinsically safe versions for hazardous area applications. Eaton’s MTL FOUNDATION fieldbus physical layer components are one example. Hart Integration – HART is another common plant instrument protocol2


. It is


designed to access information from field instruments by adding a digital layer to the analogue 4-20mA output. This digital signal is stripped from the analogue signal and routed to instrument management software for processing and analysis. The plant automation system continues to operate with the analogue signal and is not affected by the digital signature. The HART protocol therefore uses the existing analogue architecture of plant automation systems. It makes more information available without additional field wiring changes. However, there is still a limit to the volume of information that can be


Eaton supplies intrinsically safe power supplies and gateway modules that enable digitisation of plant automation systems right down to the field level


https://instrumentationt ools.com/basics-of- foundation-fieldbus/ 2


1


Ethernet in process industry applications has been the challenge of intrinsic safety and explosive environments. However industrial Ethernet is able to comply with the strict regulatory requirements of these environments. Eaton supplies Industrial Ethernet products that enable digitisation of plant automation systems right down to the field level. This includes intrinsically safe power supplies and gateway modules from RS485/RS422/RS232/TTL to Ethernet. Connecting field instruments to cloud


https://www.mtl- inst.com/images/uploads /product_brochures/Eat on_MTL_HART_Connect ion_010916.pdf


For HART systems, Eaton MTL multiplexers provide the link between field instruments and the control system or instrument management software


based I4.0 applications has raised security concerns. Eaton suggests a zone-based defence in depth network structure to improve overall security and offers Tofino cyber security solutions for systems using open protocols. While smart instruments have the


capacity to generate all the information needed for I4.0 there is a gap between analogue plant automation systems and the cloud. Industrial Ethernet will bridge this gap over time, but reliable interim solutions are available now. Through its MTL product portfolio,


Eaton provides Ethernet connectivity to both Fieldbus and HART systems making the instrument data accessible to the higher level I4.0 applications – even in harsh and hazardous environments. So, even though each instrument in a process automation system may not yet be linked to a universal architecture, the information can be made available through conversion units that bridge the gap, bringing the benefits of digitalisation and I4.0 working ever closer.


Eaton MTL www.mtl-inst.com


PROCESS & CONTROL | NOVEMBER 2020 15


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