OPC UA is more than just a Standard for data exchange. The architecture has the ability not only to transport machine data but also to describe it semantically in a machine-readable manner and combines both with security. Due to the constant further development of the communication standard, it ranges from the cloud to the Field level and can also interact with TSN in real time.
To the Almost
The essentials in 20 seconds
● What might the future of IT/OT convergence look like?
● Solution: OPC UA as a consistent and uniform standard, which is used harmonized in discrete manufacturing as well as in the process Industry, the energy industry, etc., not only for the vertical connection of IT/OT but is also established in the field level.
● In addition, uniform semantics are based on OPC UA core or companion specifications.
In an interview with the editor, Stefan Hoppe, President of the OPC Foundation, explains that the OPC UA standard, as a harmonized solution in the process environment and in the factory, is becoming the dream team for the convergence of OT and IT.
Mr Hoppe, is it even possible to migrate traditional Fieldbus and real-time Ethernet protocols to a uniform communication solution?
Stefan Hoppe: In principle, migration is possible but of course, that doesn't happen overnight, it's more of a slow process. Conventional Fieldbus and real-time Ethernet protocols will continue to exist for many years or decades. Nevertheless, there will be a market focus and, in addition to the established EtherCAT, Ethernet-IP and ProfiNET, a consistent OPC UA solution will be able to grow on the market in the long term. It is important that users are able to make free decisions based on a transparent cost/benefit calculation - but based on standards. This is exactly what standards like OPC UA, Ethernet TSN and the TSN profile from IEC/IEEE 60802 are required for.
In combination with the Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (APL), Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) and Ethernet Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), OPC UA can cover the requirements of the field level. How important was this development step and what new areas of application did it open up?
Consistent networking with Ethernet down to the field level - both in discrete manufacturing and in the process industry - creates the prerequisite for OPC UA to be used as a consistent industrial interoperability solution including uniform information models from the field to the cloud (and vice versa). can be used. With Ethernet TSN, standard Ethernet also supports deterministic data transmission, which is a prerequisite for numerous automation applications, such as fast horizontal communication, motion control, remote I/Os, or real-time process data acquisition.
In the first step, the horizontal (and optionally with TSN also deterministic) connection of devices from different ecosystems was made possible. What are the challenges in realizing a vertical expansion down to the field level?
The concepts developed for the first use case controller-to-controller are also used for the extension to the use case controller-to-device. However, field devices (devices) are usually parameterized by the higher-level controller and put into operation. That's why topics like bootstrapping and parameterization are elementary functions for the vertical extension. The variety of different field devices also makes it necessary to develop device-type-specific information models, including uniform semantics. For example, a motion profile for motion devices and an I/O profile for decentralized I/O peripherals.
For vertical expansion down to the field level, it is also important that field devices with limited resources are taken into account.
Citations
"The industry should definitely orientate itself towards international standards." - Stefan Hoppe
Why are Advanced Physical Layer (APL) and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) important technologies for bringing OPC UA to the field level?
APL is an important technology to establish Ethernet as a physical layer from the edge to the field level in the process industry. APL supports the special features in applications in the process industry, such as large distances and installation in potentially explosive areas. TSN is an IT infrastructure to enable real-time communication. IT and OT protocols can use a common network infrastructure without restricting their functionality or changing their characteristics. It is important that the market agrees on a common TSN profile (IEC/IEEE 60802) so that convergence and coexistence are actually possible across protocols. We are therefore cooperating closely with other organizations such as PNO so that it becomes just "one TSN" cable. This coexistence is not only essential for the convergence of IT and OT; it is also an important aspect when migrating existing "brownfield" solutions based on conventional Fieldbus protocols.
OPC UA - one solution for everything. What encourages you that this goal is achievable? And doesn't that require a lot of persuasion in the industry?
OPC UA is already supported by all relevant market leaders from IT (including Microsoft, SAP, Google, AWS) and OT (including Mitsubishi, Rockwell Automation, Siemens - but by 80% of the world sales of the top 50 OT companies) and is the established one neutral technology with very broad acceptance.
OPCUA is a modular system that can be easily adapted and expanded to meet new needs or requirements. Since OPC UA is protocol-independent, other IT infrastructures can also be supported very easily, such as 5G, and WiFi-6/7.
Numerous organizations around the world - first and foremost the VDMA with the approach of the world language of automation - help to define information models for a wide variety of applications based on OPC UA, which has also significantly increased acceptance on the user side over the past few years Has. OPC UA is practically set as the standard, including Industry 4.0.
A multi-vendor controller-to-controller interoperability demo will be shown for the first time at the SPS in Nuremberg?
3 years after the launch of the FLC initiative in November 2018, a multi-vendor demo will be shown at this SPS trade fair for the first time. with a focus on controller-to-controller interoperability: Controllers and network components from a total of over 20 manufacturers are combined to enable cross-manufacturer data exchange via OPC UA and OPC UA FX.
With the FLC initiative, the OPC Foundation provides the gravity centre for OPC UA-based communication at the field level - more than 320 experts from 65 companies work together cooperatively. No other organization provides this level of coordination between competitors.
What are other topics of the OPC Foundation at this fair?
The topic "OPC UA for Cloud" is definitely another highlight with which we address the scaling of OPC UA to the cloud: OPC UA over MQTT will be shown live for the first time - not based on prototypes but on commercially available products: from controllers directly in the cloud solutions and bi-directional back - or UA-based cloud repositories, OPC UA cloud confederation and impressive applications from equine with the OPC UA connection to Microsoft Azure or Renault and the UA connection to GoogleCloud.
There is no template for the merging of information technology and operational technology. Individual solutions are in demand at companies. How do you think the industry should proceed?
The industry should definitely orientate itself towards international standards. This includes OPC UA as an IEC standard and consistent solution with a uniform protocol and uniform information models, which enjoys the widest acceptance worldwide. OPC UA also offers providers the ability to integrate their own solutions and to be able to customize them with additional offers - but standardized.
What could the future of IT/OT convergence look like?
OPC UA as a consistent and uniform standard, which is harmonized in discrete manufacturing as well as in the process industry, the energy industry, etc., is not only used for the vertical connection of IT/OT but is also established at the field level. In addition, uniform semantics are based on OPC UA core or companion specifications from our partner organizations.
