Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor and Jamie Leland, Content Assistant

The irony of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is that it requires architectures that enable quick, in some cases real-time iteration and change from markets that often rely on industrial control systems (ICSs) that aren’t modified, upgraded, or replaced for years; in some cases, decades. There are several factors that contribute to the [...]

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Without question, the biggest obstacle facing widespread adoption of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is interoperability. From a high level, one impediment is the very loose classification of “industrial,” which spans a wide range of vertical markets, including energy and utilities, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare, to name a few. At a more granular level, [...]

Todd Walter, National Instruments and Tom Weingartner, Analog Devices

Industrial networks have long been plagued by interoperability issues stemming from a mix of proprietary communications technologies, even within single families of standards such as Ethernet. If not rectified, this incompatibility will slow the adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) rollouts that must be able to communicate across layers of network infrastructure to [...]

David Lippincott Chassis Plans

Robot control systems have progressed from simple relay logic to highly sophisticated dedicated controllers. Current system algorithms for the more capable autonomous robots require the latest processor capability and often require custom computer system design. With the improved computational capabilities come additional robot capabilities, including completely autonomous operation in complex, dynamic environments. Robots are available [...]

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

In this follow up to an interview with Martin Rostan of the EtherCAT Technology Group, Industrial Embedded Systems spoke with Thomas J. Burke, President and Executive Director of the OPC Foundation on a recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organizations, and how industry partnerships are taking hold on the Internet of Things (IoT) [...]

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

The advent of the Industrial Internet has raised the bar for security analysts and data scientists, a workforce whose number is quickly being dwarfed by the amount of connected machines. Now, machine learning and artificial intelligence professionals are teaming with traditional embedded vendors to help suppress the rising tide of cyber threats and Big Data. [...]

Dipesh Mukerji, KINGSTAR

Embedded OEMs – especially those whose products have complex human-machine interfaces (HMIs), manage many degrees of motion, and require hard real-time operation – have traditionally relied on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and digital signal processors (DSPs) to meet the precision and performance requirements of machine vision and motion control applications. Today, that hardware-centric model [...]

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

With all the fuss around wireless connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT), it’s sometimes easy to forget that the backbone of industrial systems is built on wired fieldbus technologies. While some of those legacy fieldbus technologies are starting to give way, EtherCAT, the “Ethernet Fieldbus” is not only continuing to succeed in industrial [...]

Rahul Prakash, Texas Instruments and Kunal Gandhi, Texas Instruments

A microcontroller is one of the most power-hungry components in an industrial system. As the Industry 4.0 standard becomes more popular, microcontrollers are taking on more and more of a computing burden. As a consequence, we are seeing an explosive increase in microcontroller power consumption. One way to manage power is to reduce the supply [...]

Miro Oljaca, Texas Instruments and Collin Wells, Texas Instruments

Operational amplifiers (op amps) are used in many systems across a broad range of applications. These systems operate over a wide range of conditions, including temperature, power supply voltages, common-mode voltages, output loading, and product lifetimes. Op amp open-loop gain (AOL) and open-loop output impedance (ZO) are the two main small-signal AC parameters that [...]

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

As the Industrial Internet demands more out of resource-constrained industrial data acquisition systems, sensor processing platforms are required to add performance while reducing size, weight, and power (SWaP). Rubin Dhillon, Marketing Director of the Embedded Systems division at GE Intelligent Platforms discusses his company’s approach to developing “brilliant machines,” and how off-the-shelf hardware is enabling these sensor platforms for the Industrial Internet.

Cindy Hollenbeck SoftPLC Corporation

Having complete and current data about any process can result in better decision making. One of the primary benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT), sometimes called the Industrial Internet, is that companies can make improvements in production processes, end products, and logistics that reduce costs and energy usage. By capturing and centralizing information from all the pieces/parts of production and doing so in a timely, automatic, non-intrusive manner, analytics programs can find places for these improvements.

Stephen Mellor Industrial Internet Consortium

This is the first of in a series of articles describing the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC). The first entry describes the goals, membership, and a broad outline of its work.

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Industrial systems have traditionally had connectivity at least at some level, so why with the dawn of the Industrial Internet (or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)) has security now become such a poignant issue?

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Rather than the discrete, single-function platforms of the past, today's industrial systems are built around multicore processors that are increasingly packing performance into compute equipment. Now, software developers are taking advantage of these multicore architectures with RTOS and hypervisor solutions that enable multifunction, safety-certifiable industrial systems that still retain their deterministic nature.

Maria Hansson, Kontron

Service providers must carefully evaluate available computing options to find the optimal intelligent system.

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

As the IoT hype peaks, the time has come for marketing to become implementation, for promise to become fulfillment. However, not all variants of the IoT are created equal, and this interview with Steve Jennis, Senior Vice President, PrismTech, reveals how the Industrial/Enterprise IoT differs from consumer-oriented versions of the IoT, as well as the requirement for an Industrial IoT data connectivity architecture and projections for when the major industry players will make the IIoT a reality for big business.

Marcia Gadbois Invensys

Through open standards, PC technology and networking advances, and cues from connected consumer devices, embedded Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) have enabled greater efficiency and capabilities in industrial applications.

Diane Davis Red Lion Controls

With industrial network demands increasing, the transition to Gigabit Ethernet architectures is upon us.

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Securing Industry 4.0 networks demands a new approach to security that includes a rethink of current network arch

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Jim Tung describes how Model-Based Design (MBD) brings a higher level of abstraction to Integrated Development Environments (IDEs).

Don Divelbiss Divelbiss Corporation

Take control down a level - Single-chip PLCs simplify programming and ease system development for automation apps.

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Increasingly complexity in product portfolios requires a new approach to manufacturing. Enter Product Line Engineering.

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Enhanced Cybersecurity Services are under development by the DHS to provide information-sharing and defensive strategies against a new generation of cyber threats.

John Ralston Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.

Current legislation is now driving system feature requirements, specifically in the area of health and safety. This article focuses on the control subsystem (the programmable logic control function), and how multicore processors are helping to address safety requirements and provide additional functionality needed in industrial control.

Vibhoosh Gupta GE Intelligent Platforms

Industrial automation systems are performing more tasks and doing so more quickly, more accurately, and in harsher environments than ever before. They are becoming connected tools with substantially more computing and communication capabilities, allowing them to interoperate with other devices. As they evolve and proliferate, these systems put new demands on their computing technology. Rugged COM Express modules not only meet the computing needs of today’s rapidly changing industrial landscape, but also protect the investment to meet tomorrow’s performance needs.

Jennifer Hesse Managing Editor

Speaking with Industrial Embedded Systems, Shaye Shayegani of Lantronix explains why wireless technology and cloud environments necessitate device-side and user-side security considerations for industrial automation equipment.

Jennifer Hesse Managing Editor

Tom Barber of Silicon Labs discusses the Internet of Things (IoT) and the wireless embedded technologies poised to deliver a truly connected world.

Mike Ueland Telit Wireless Solutions

Deployed M2M applications have needs such as reliability, uptime, wide cellular coverage, and long lifecycles, that must be addressed during the design process.

Doug Jones MathWorks and Brian McKay MathWorks

Simulation and testing with Model-Based Design has become a best practice as motor control systems continue to increase in complexity.

Jennifer Hesse Managing Editor

In this Industrial Embedded Systems Q&A;, Karim Wassef of GE Energy Power Electronics talks on nonisolated Point Of Load (POL) modules and how they are helping tighten the clamps on industrial power.

Joshua Edberg Honeywell Sensing and Control and Fred Hintz Honeywell Sensing and Control

The truth about chopper-stabilization magnetic sensors reveals other alternatives like bipolar latching sensors.

Juerg Roth ABB Switzerland and Klaas A. Vogel Elsys Instruments, LLC

Modern industrial VFD controllers and motors require open, modular transient recorder equipment to diagnose, troubleshoot, and fine-tune the system as the electronics within them have evolved.

Alicia Asin Libelium

Smart grids and smart cities need smart parking lots: Over The Air (OTA) smart parking wireless sensor networks take aim at reducing CO2 emissions, drive time, and fuel loss.

Staff

Mike Ueland, VP and General Manager of Telit Wireless Solutions North America, talks M2M networking and how advanced cellular technologies such as video streaming enable remote monitoring of industrial applications.

Louis-Nicolas Hamer SCL Elements

Embedded gateways and Web servers at the controller level simplify the transition to wireless technology and IP integration in the building automation industry.

Staff

In an interview with Industrial Embedded Systems, Rob Ranck of HomePlug Powerline Alliance outlines the future standards that will integrate hybrid wired and wireless networking capabilities throughout the home.

Andreas Johannsen Vinotech GmbH

Conventional motor drive efficiency only reaches its peak when running at full capacity. Fortunately, Intelligent power modules (IPMs) have the brainpower to facilitate the use of electronic commutated motor drives amidst a slew of space, environmental, and EMC limitations while simplifying design.

Daryl Miller Lantronix

The integration of M2M communications in legacy systems through the use of device servers makes for a more efficient smart grid.

Mike Holt Semitech Semiconductor

Real-time configurable Power Line Communications (PLC) modems optimize data transfer over the power grid.