Setting up networks safely.

The CAN in Automation (CiA) association has released the second version of the CiA 319 specification. This specifies how to implement and to configure functional-safe devices compliant to EN 50325-5 (CANopen Safety). CANopen Safety services and protocols are used especially in mobile machines and industrial machine control. 

The European standard does not specify the configuration of functional-safe devices; this is given in detail in CiA 319.

“This document fills the gap und helps CANopen Safety system designers to safely set-up networks,” explained Holger Zeltwanger, CiA Managing Director. “Additionally, this document addresses editors of CANopen device profiles using SRDO (safety-related data objects as specified in EN 50325-5.” 

SRDOs comprise two CAN frames with bitwise-inverted CAN data fields and different CAN identifiers. CANopen Safety is approved up to SIL 3 (safety integrity level).

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@CANopen #PAuto #Communcations

Open and secure edge interoperability standards for industrial automation ecosystems.

Deep legacy of driving industry standards brought to open-standard initiative enables more flexible, scalable automation for customers

The Linux Foundation’s Margo, a new open-standard initiative designed to make edge applications, devices and orchestration software work together seamlessly across multi-vendor industrial automation environments, has been joind by Emerson.

Margo welcomed Emerson's expertese in automation technology and software which "will be instrumental in helping create a unified and cohesive edge management ecosystem."

As process and discrete manufacturers implement enhanced digitalisation, they encounter challenges at the edge due to multi-vendor and multi-technology devices, apps and orchestration environments that do not easily integrate. The Margo initiative addresses these challenges through the creation of practical reference implementation, open standards and testing toolkits.

This approach will help remove obstacles and simplify the process of building, deploying, scaling and operating complex, multi-vendor industrial edge environments, helping manufacturers of all sizes build new and better digital operations or modernise existing ones.

“The modern OT edge is the backbone of our next-generation automation architecture, enabling the availability of data and computing closest to where it is needed,” said Peter Zornio, Emerson's chief technology officer. “Successful implementation will require open edge standards that will enable scalable, simplified and seamless interoperability among applications, edge devices and orchestration software – no matter the vendor technology.

“Emerson is pleased to join the Margo initiative to help create a unified and cohesive edge management ecosystem. Our collective progress will make it easier, faster and less costly for our customers to develop digital transformation programmes that realise the full potential of AI, machine learning and analytics at the edge.”

The Margo initiative complements Emerson’s Boundless Automation™ vision for a next generation, modern automation architecture designed to break down data silos and enable computing power where it is best suited, whether that is in the field, edge or cloud.

Drawing its name from the Latin word for edge, Margo is supported by some of the largest automation providers globally. Emerson joins Margo as a steering member along with industry peers to develop open and secure edge interoperability standards for industrial automation ecosystems. 

The Margo project represents a significant industry collaboration to define mechanisms for interoperable orchestration of edge applications, workloads and devices. It will deliver the promise of interoperability through an open standard, reference implementation, and comprehensive compliance testing toolkit.

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@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @margo_project  @HHC_Lewis  #PAuto

Camera adopts European testing standards.

A major update to to Vision Research's published Phantom high speed camera product specifications has been issued. By incorporating European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) 1288 testing standards to measure sensor characteristics, a scientific overview of image performance is now available. This further enables users to choose the best camera for their challenging applications. EMVA 1288 has long been used to measure performance in machine vision cameras, but Vision Research is the first manufacturer to apply it to RAM-based high-speed cameras.

As a result of providing EMVA 1288 report summaries, Vision Research will no longer be including ISO 12232 measurements for their products in future. ISO 12232 has been used by high-speed camera manufacturers to indicate sensitivity; however, it has limited usefulness in practice. Significant indicators of image quality are not included, particularly when it comes to capturing images with high contrast and in low-light situations.

Kevin Gann, Vice President of R&D at Vision Research explains “We have always had a strong focus on image quality and EMVA 1288 provides a deep understanding about how a camera will perform in a particular application. It also provides consistency when comparing cameras and includes data about the imaging tradeoffs inherent in the sensor design. As the leaders in high-speed imaging, we felt incumbent to implement these measurements across our primary product lines so that our customers can truly understand their camera’s image performance”.

Quantum efficiency, temporal dark noise, dynamic range, and absolute sensitivity threshold are among the parameters specified in an EMVA 1288 report. Referencing these in addition to pixel size, resolution, and throughput provides the information necessary to compare cameras in terms of image response.

Toni Lucatorto, Senior Product Manager at Vision Research adds, “We are excited to implement this new set of image specs, as it is clearly a superior way to specify image quality and sensitivity. Visit our website for resources to learn about the measurements included in EMVA 1288”.

@phantomhispeed @emva_org @mepaxIntPR  #PAuto

Successful tests at technology day!

The 3rd CAN XL plugfest organized by the CiA (CAN in Automation) international users’ and manufacturers’ group took place in Troy,(MI USA) last month (Aprill 2023). CAN XL is the 3rd CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol generation. On the plugfest, IP (intellectual property) core implementations from Bosch, Kvaser, and Vector were tested on interoperability. On the 2nd CAN XL plugfest in 2022, a micro-controller prototype from NXP and an IP core from Fraunhofer/Cast have been already successfully tested.

In the afternoon session, different topologies have been used. Point-to-point and linear networks with short unterminated stubs achieved a data phase bit rate of up to 20 Mbit/s. The arbitration bit rate was 500 kbit/s. The connected nodes used CAN SIC (signal improvement capability) XL transceivers from Bosch, Infineon, NXP, and Texas Instruments. The achieved results are shown in the attached figure.

One day after the plugfest, CiA held a CAN XL technology day. The speakers introduced into the CAN XL ecosystem and several CiA members showed demonstrators (Bosch, C&S group, NXP, and Vector) as well as oscilloscopes with CAN XL decoder and trigger functionality (Keysight, Rohde & Schwarz, and Teledyne). The presentations covered base information on protocol and physical transmission as well as network design hints, embedded security (e.g. CANsec), etc.

CiA plans a similar event on June 22 2023, close to Paris.

@CANopen #PAuto #Communications

Instrument company achieves nuclear standard.

WIKA has been certified by TÜV SÜD in accordance with the new ISO 19443:2018 quality management standard for civil nuclear projects. The measurement technology manufacturer is thus the first company in Germany, and the fourth worldwide, to achieve this status. The audit was passed at the first attempt.

So far, WIKA has been certified to KTA 1401. However, this standard was primarily designed for the German market. With its processes in accordance with ISO 19443, WIKA is now focusing on global project business in the civil nuclear power generation segment. Customer audits for qualification as a supplier can thus be widely reduced.

For the measurement requirements of the industry, WIKA offers products and customer-specific solutions for the measurement parameters of pressure, temperature and level.

• WIKA products are marketed in Ireland through Instrument Technology.

@WIKANews #Pauto #Automation 

Medical device quality management system accredited.

ISO13485 accreditation enables Review Display Systems to pursue med-tech device design and manufacture.

Review Display Systems have announced that the business has achieved accreditation to ISO13485:2016 medical device quality management system standard. Accreditation to ISO13485 enables RDS to actively partner with med-tech businesses to provide medical device design, development, and product manufacturing.

Russell Gilbert, managing director, Review Display Systems said, "We have made a significant investment and worked tirelessly to obtain ISO13485 accreditation at RDS. As a result, we are immensely proud of our achievement and the accreditation provides a compelling business case to strengthen our ability to engage with designers, developers and manufacturers in the med-tech sector.

"Our strategy will be to nurture and develop new partnerships with med-tech businesses, designers, and consultancies, to collaborate in the design, development and production of new electronics-based medical devices."
 

As a result of achieving accreditation, RDS are now actively seeking to engage and develop partnerships with established med-tech companies, medical device design and consultancy businesses, and new start-up businesses, to aid and assist product designers and system engineers in the design, development and production of electronic medical devices and equipment. RDS have considerable technical expertise and commercial experience in the design, development and manufacture of electronic systems featuring high performance embedded computing platforms and high-quality display solutions.

ISO13485:2016 has been implemented to support medical device manufacturers in designing and developing quality management systems that establish and maintain the effectiveness of their processes and procedures. The standard ensures consistent design, development, production, installation, and delivery of medical devices that are safe for their intended purpose.

@ReviewDisplayUS #Medical #Standard

A new dawn in the automation industry!

Industrial leaders and pioneers have joined together to form UniversalAutomation.org (UAO) and advance the world of industrial automation. Vendors, end users, OEMs and academics will share a common automation software layer across their automation technology regardless of brand. This technological collaboration will drive the development of an ecosystem of portable, interoperable, “plug and produce” solutions, creating an entirely new category of industrial automation.

Current founding & intended members include: Aalto University, Advantech, Asus, Belden, Cargill, eaw Relaistechnik GmbH, ESA, ETP, Flexbridge, Georgia-Pacific, GR3N, Hirschmann, HTW Berlin, Intel, Jetter, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Kongsberg Maritime, Lawrence Technological University, Lumberg Automation, Phoenix Contact, ProSoft, R. Stahl, Schneider Electric, Shell, VP Process, Wilo, Wood and Yokogawa. Others are expected to join soon, with the organization actively recruiting new members.

Portability is already a reality in other market sectors. For example, mobile applications are developed to run across different smartphone vendors, enabling rapid advances through collective innovation. Until now, the industrial world has worked differently, with closed proprietary architectures and hardware-dependent software.  UAO will create a new era of openness and collaboration, decoupling software and hardware by sharing a reference runtime implementation of the IEC 61499 standard. 

“We are excited to be part of UniversalAutomation.org because it promises to be a complete gamechanger,” said Jac Opmeer, Principal Automation Engineer at Shell Global Solutions B.V. “It opens up a new world of possibilities for organisations like ours. Unlocking valuable data currently buried in proprietary systems, making the connectivity and deployment of new technologies like AI quick and simple. As part of UniversalAutomation.org we are actively collaborating with and supporting like-minded organisations to create an exciting new open era in operations and automation.”

UniversalAutomation.org will provide the basis for interoperable and portable automation software that can run with almost any Universal Automation-compliant hardware, creating an entirely vendor-agnostic ecosystem for automation software development. By merging both the information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) worlds, the organization seeks to unleash the full potential of Industry 4.0. 

“The creation of UniversalAutomation.org is the dawn of a new era within automation technology; over the course of the next five years, it will create a sea change for the future of automation software development,” said Dmitrii Drozdov, Chief Technology Officer at Flexbridge. “We are delighted to be a part of UniversalAutomation.org, driving the development of a “plug and produce” system which will help the industry keep up with the increasing demands of flexible manufacturing. There is no doubt that as members continue to join the organization and reap the benefits of collaboration and openness, that industry-wide change will follow.” “UniversalAutomation.org brings together vendors and users of technology, opening up the opportunity for continuous dialogue between members to share their knowledge. We’re excited to work with other members to enhance and develop our research and help combat the challenges currently facing industry,” said Valeriy Vyatkin, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Aalto University. “The IEC 61499 standard will help industry have a common platform for different types of software functionalities in automation, allowing organisations to achieve a certain level of reliability and predictability, as well as increasing flexibility of production plants.” “Wood is excited to be part of defining the future of automation and transforming profitability and productivity for the customers in our industrial markets. UAO technology will enable business innovation, increased digital adoption and agility with its open, interoperable and portable solutions- building business resiliency and empowering our clients to be future-ready,” says German Carmona, President of Wood’s Applied Intelligence business.

Members are working together to develop and adopt the next generation of Universal Automation solutions by collectively incrementing a runtime following shared source principles. Members will have access and the ability to shape the next generation of automation. The new organisation is actively recruiting new members. All entities looking to help advance industrial automation are encouraged to join.

Time for Universal Automation “Industrial operations are undergoing a total transformation,” said John Conway, President of UniversalAutomation.org. “As the IT sector has proven, advances in machine learning, augmented reality, real-time analytics, and the IoT hold great promise for step change advancements in performance, agility, and sustainability. However, within industry this promise is being held back by closed and proprietary automation platforms that restrict widespread adoption, hamper innovation, are challenging to integrate with third-party components, and are expensive to upgrade and maintain. Using a shared runtime changes all that.” Greg Boucaud, Chief Marketing Officer of UniversalAutomation.Org commented: “With the formation of UniversalAutomation.org, we are hitting the reset button on automation technology.  Using the IEC 61499 standard for distributed systems, we can create a new, open industrial environment that will lead to a more sustainable, efficient future.  UniversalAutomation.org will remove the barriers to innovation in automation by decoupling hardware and software and providing end users with the freedom they have been asking for — to easily integrate different technologies regardless of where they came from and fully optimize their automation systems.”

Industry advancement with interoperable automation software
Adopting a common runtime, shared across vendors, will provide limitless opportunities for growth and modernization across industry. The ARC Advisory Group found this move  could save the industrial market $30 billion (ca €26b) each year, which is currently spent servicing and maintaining the installed base of proprietary systems alone.  

UniversalAutomation.org members anticipate the adoption of this reference implementation-based approach to industrial automation to deliver a range of benefits, including: 

• Portability and reuse of software components on different systems, improving return-on-investment for software intellectual property (IP)
• Greater Innovation through the faster integration of new technologies and systems, development of new business models, easier connectivity, and flexibility to deliver customer requirements at greater speed 
• Extending the lifespan of existing industrial tools, devices and systems, and easier upgrading of systems reaching their end of life 
• Simplified training and skills (with teams only needing to learn one common system), making automation industry OT entry more accessible to IT professionals and the new generation of automation professionals
• Development of AppStore-like platforms to share apps around automation applications 

@Join_UAO @arc_advisory @teamlewisglobal #PAuto #Automation #61499

Where's the data?

Selecting appropriate product data in engineering is often time consuming. However, the new EPLAN Data Portal, with a new user interface and improved search algorithms, makes it easier and faster than ever before. Expanded search parameters mean that users can quickly find exactly the components they are looking for. Individualised solutions based on configurators can be intuitively generated – as demonstrated by the Lenze product configurator.

Timm Hauschke

EPLAN Director Cloud Business Master Data Timm Hauschke says: “The aspiration for high quality from the manufacturers coincides with the demands of our users. After all, only comprehensive, integrated, end to end data forms the foundation for the digital twin, which provides information for processes and to machines along all the stations of the process, from design engineering to manufacturing. The EPLAN Data Standard is being implemented worldwide since its introduction. Our goal is for device data to be available 100 percent digitally, thus providing the ideal foundation for highly efficient engineering.”

The new EPLAN Platform is on the verge of being released and will also mark the moment when the EPLAN Data Portal will exclusively be available for use in the EPLAN ePulse cloud environment. The platform’s updated user interface offers numerous enhancements for searching for and finding device data. Improved search algorithms and parameters make it much easier for users to quickly find the appropriate components to download. Increased system performance also ensures greater speed when selecting components. Another new feature is the integration of the Lenze product configurator.

Configurators streamline product selection

Lenze Easy Product Finder

Lenze Director of Team Processes and Data Bernd Spiegel explains: “The direct integration of our product configurator into the new EPLAN Platform lets customers very quickly find the product they need. There’s no need to search for devices in extensive lists and customers get the devices that match their requirements. Aside from which, this cooperation also provides benefits for Lenze as a manufacturer of many products and variants. Maintaining the data for the configurator in EPLAN Electric P8 is much easier for us than doing that for all the distinct variants of a product series.”

A real life example: A user needs a frequency inverter. Using the Lenze Easy Product Finder, said user needs just a few steps to find a suitable device from the company’s i550 series of devices. The defining characteristics such as rated power, supply network type, and the type of fieldbus network are included as selection criteria. Once users have decided on a particular device based on these parameters, the associated EPLAN data can be generated in the detail view and then imported into the CAE solution’s device management.

The configurators of additional manufacturers, including Endress+Hauser, Bosch Rexroth and Rittal, all work in a similar way. This makes each manufacturer portfolio easily accessible to design engineers. Selecting devices and acquiring high quality data is easy and intuitive. The data is up to date and can be transferred directly into projects. Similarly to configuring features for a new car, users are guided through the various product families of the assorted manufacturers. Integrating configurators doesn’t just expand the data available in the portal (more than 1 million data sets) by approximately two million configurable variants, it also makes it easier for users to compile high quality device data.

In addition, there are selectors from Aventics, IPF and Schneider Electric that ensure fast product selection. There’s no question that the data is correct thanks to the targeted narrowing of selections via search parameters. This portfolio will soon be expanded with the offerings from two additional well known global players – meaning users have even more to look forward to.

EPLAN Data Standard becoming entrenched

EDP Rittal enclosure

More than one third of the data on the portal already conforms to the new, high quality Data Standard, and solutions provider EPLAN has set further ambitious goals: half of all the device data should meet the Data Standard by the end of 2022, if possible. This calls for further commitments from device manufacturers, many of whom are recognising the benefits of having 100 percent digital data. Big players that have been pioneers in this in the international arena include Chint (China), IFM, Pilz, Rittal and SMC (Europe), Numatics (USA) and Omron (Japan).

Pilz Vice President Customer Support International Arndt Christ says: “We’re pleased that we can now offer our customers high quality engineering data. In 2020, we decided to create our Pilz product macros to conform with the EPLAN Data Standard. The data standardisation that is currently possible, which makes using the macros easier, benefits our inhouse engineering departments in our affiliated companies and, externally, our customers around the globe. While macros previously had to be inserted into designs using value sets, today it can be accomplished using a functional template. The benefits include improved networking of data – for instance between 2D and 3D – fewer errors because the wiring connections are precisely defined, and time savings above all because the macros are standardised. The new Data Standard, particularly the functional template, is a mark of quality for our macros and meets our expectations for high quality data. We have a dependable partner for the future in EPLAN, someone we can work with to continue advancing this approach.”

@EPLAN_global @Lenze_Gruppe @Pilz_INT @RittalIreland @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Data

Highest cyber security standard.

TÜV Rheinland has confirmed that the product development processes and product life cycles at Endress+Hauser meet the IEC 62443-4-1 international industry standard for cyber security. By adhering to this certified guideline, the company ensures that its products contribute to the reliability and security of its customers’ plants.

Measurement instruments and components from Endress+Hauser make certain that numerous process engineering systems around the world operate securely and reliably. For industrial plants and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environments, cybersecurity is becoming a growing focus. With networking and connectivity becoming increasingly prevalent, it’s imperative that companies protect their production systems and automation technology from unauthorized access.

To optimally protect its customers’ production systems, Endress+Hauser lays the foundation for secure operation as early as the planning and development phases of its products and services. In March, TÜV Rheinland, one of the world’s leading testing service providers, issued a certification in line with the IEC 62443-4-1 norm confirming that this product development process, as well as the product life cycle, meets the highest international standards.

“This is a testament to the quality of our work, which we are extremely pleased about,” says Mirko Brcic, Product Security Officer at Endress+Hauser. “In light of ongoing technical advances – you only have to think about the advanced physical layer or IIoT products – for us it’s very important that we not only accelerate digitalization but continue to safeguard the security of our instruments and software at the same pace.”

Stringent requirements for automation technology

A total of eight different areas define what a secure product development process should look like:
Security management
Security requirements specification
Secure design guidelines
Secure implementation guidelines
Verification and validation of security properties
Vulnerabilities management
Creation and publication of security updates
Security product documentation

By aligning the processes with IEC 62443-4-1, among other things Endress+Hauser ensures that products are developed from the beginning with all security requirements in mind and that the components it delivers pose no risks. Added to that are other measures such as code analyses and reviews, penetration tests and the installation of security updates.

“With IEC 62443-4-1, a proven certification standard in industrial automation, we ensure that all employees involved in these internal processes are working at the same level of security. That allows us to lay the cornerstone to be able to offer high-quality measurement, automation and IIoT products for connected production environments, now and in the future,” adds Mirko Brcic.

Endress+Hauser has a long tradition of investing in innovation. Last year the IETF recommended for standardization the innovative CPace security technology developed by Endress+Hauser, which provides password-protected instrument access. Patent applications are regularly at high levels as well. The Group currently boasts a portfolio of 8,900 patents and patent filings.

@Endress_Hauser @tuvcom_presse #Pauto #Cybersecurity

Bus error detection capabilities.

The Institute of Computer-Architecture and System-programming (ICAS) of the University of Kassel has examined the CAN XL data link layer protocol specified in CiA 610-1. More than half of a year, Prof. Dr. Josef Börcsök and his team investigated in the evaluation of the error detection mechanisms provided by the CAN XL protocol. The final research report comprises a qualitative evaluation of the residual error probability, too.

Graphical representation of RER values in an exemplary CAN XL network

“The report concludes that CAN XL is at least as reliable as competing network technologies,” said Holger Zeltwanger, CiA Managing Director. “This is a very conservative estimation.”

CAN in Automation (CiA) members have developed the CAN XL data link layer specification. It is available in the CiA 610-1 CAN XL data link layer and physical signaling document. The data link layer (DLL), also known as layer-2 in the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model, provides the functional and procedural means to transfer frames between network entities (nodes) and to detect errors that occur in the physical layer. Frames or DLL protocol data units (PDUs) do not cross the boundaries of a network segment. Inter-network routing and global addressing are higher-layer functions, allowing data-link protocols to focus on local delivery, addressing, and media arbitration. In this way, the DLL is analog to the neighborhood traffic police; it arbitrates between parties competing for access to a medium.

CAN XL, the third CAN generation, features two CRC polynomials, stuff-bit checks, and frame format checks to detect errors in CAN XL frames. In the summary, the researchers concluded: “The CAN XL protocol improves reliability by using cascaded Cyclic Redundancy Checks (CRCs). In that, the MAC frame has two CRC fields: the 13-bit Preface-CRC (PCRC) and the 32-bit Frame-CRC (FCRC). The CRCs are cascaded so that the FCRC also protects the PCRC. Together, both CRCs can detect any five randomly distributed bit errors.” This compares with a true Hamming Distance of 6 with no shortcuts. “The format checks and the stuff-bit checks additionally ensure the detection of errors in a frame. Here, not only the errors in the format fields and in the stuff bits are recognized, but partly also the errors in the remaining bits, which can entail the corruption of the values in the format fields and stuff bits.” The researchers developed new formulas for the residual error rate (RER) calculation, in order to cover the extended error detection measures in CAN XL. With them you can calculate the RER for a given CAN XL network. The figure shows an example as provided in the research report.

The researchers emphasize “that due to the worst-case assumptions of the values of some parameters in the development of the formula, as well as in the calculation of the final values, a pessimistic estimate of the RER” is given. This means, the calculated RER values are conservative.

To make the estimation of the upper bound value more precise, the channel model can be improved, to match better to the errors that occur in a specific environment, like burst length, duration of a glitch, and bit error rate. Further the estimation can consider more features of the FCRC and PCRC polynomials. When using the formula to calculate the values, it should be considered that the FCRC for the block length of up to 274 bit features a minimum Hamming Distance of 8. For block length with more than 275 bit, the Hamming Distance is in minimum 6. This means, five randomly distributed bit errors are detected.

@CANopen @presseunikassel #PAuto #Standards

VoNR conformamce test approved.

Industry's first VoNR (Voice over New Radio) Protocol Conformance tests on Anritsu Corporation's 5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR was approved for the GCF CAG at their CAG#65 meeting held in January 2021.

“5G NR standards are driven mainly by data services, however voice / video communication is essential for full adoption of a new technology, hence support for VoNR on network and devices is a key enabler for deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) mode networks” said Mr. Shinya Ajiro General Manager of Anritsu Mobile Solutions Division “Anritsu is proud to be able to support the wireless industry achieve another important milestone”

 The VoNR and IMS conformance tests for NR are defined by 3GPP in TS 34.229-5 and have earlier been verified by Anritsu at 3GPP RAN WG5 (Radio Access Network Working Group 5). These tests have also been submitted to PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board) PVG (PTCRB Validation group) for approval in the upcoming PVG#92 meeting.

The 5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR is registered with both the GCF and PTCRB as Test Platform (TP) 251. 

The ME7834NR is a test platform for 3GPP-based Protocol Conformance Test (PCT) and Carrier Acceptance Testing (CAT) of mobile devices incorporating Multiple Radio Access Technologies (RAT). It supports 5G NR in both Standalone (SA) and Non-Standalone (NSA) mode in addition to LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-A Pro, and W-CDMA. When combined with Anritsu’s new OTA chamber MA8171A and RF converters, the ME7834NR covers the sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G frequency bands.

@AnritsuEMEA @Anritsu @NapierPR #TandM

Certification Body under the CB Scheme.

Emitech has had its own international certification service called Emitech Certification since 2014. It has now been recognized as an NCB (National Certification Body).

Pascal Bonnenfant - Emitech Certification

As an ISO 17065-accredited product certification body, Emitech Certification has initially become a Notified Body for CE marking. As such, it issues certificates of conformity under the RED 2014/53/EU directive for radio communication equipment, and the EMC 2014/30/EU (electromagnetic compatibility) directive. This involves assessing the conformity of a product for which there are not yet any harmonised standards, extending the validity of a test report to an entire range of products, validating the integration of sub-assemblies by partial tests or a voluntary approach by a manufacturer.

Emitech Certification supports manufacturers who want to market their products internationally. It takes care of the technical and administrative formalities, arranges for local tests to be carried out if necessary to obtain approval, and chooses the most suitable procedure. The CB Scheme (CB Scheme) is thus the most efficient way to approach export markets in more than 50 countries throughout the world. Within the framework of the CB Scheme, Emitech's international certification service has just been recognised as an NCB (National Certification Body). It can now manage its network of CBTLs (Certification Body Testing Laboratories), and deliver, based on their reports, the CB certificates recognized in the member countries.

The CB scheme, a process of mutual recognition of test results between participating countries
The CB scheme is an international certification program for the exchange and acceptance of product test results from recognized participating laboratories, "CBTLs", and National Certification Bodies, "NCBs" in more than 50 countries around the world. The goal of the CB Scheme is to constantly harmonize electrical product safety and electromagnetic compatibility requirements at international level, while also taking national deviations into account.

Thanks to mutual recognition of CB certificates between countries, the tests performed are recognised in these member countries. This makes it easier to place products on the market abroad and opens the way for manufacturers to obtain certification marks (NF, etc.).

Within this context, four of Emitech's laboratories have already been recognized for several years as CBTLs in the categories for medical, laboratory, multimedia and information processing equipment. A CBTL has to depend on a single NCB. Since April 2020, Emitech's certification service has been recognized as a National Certification Body under the NCB scheme. This means that this service can now issue CB certificates from its own CBTL laboratories.

Emitech supports its customers in a global approach to marketing their products abroad. As this process is fully controlled under the framework of the CB Scheme it is largely autonomous and its reactivity is augmented. This recognition is part of the strategy to internationalise Emitech's service offering, established when Emitech created its certification service.

@EMITECH_SA #MEPax#PAuto #TandM 

Highest-level component data.

By implementing a new data standard, software solutions provider Eplan contributes to further simplifying control and switchgear construction. The new standard increases the quality of article and device data in Eplan Data Portal, a web service offering product catalogues from numerous component manufacturers. Several thousand data sets – for instance from Rittal, leading provider of enclosure systems and IT infrastructure – are already available at this premium level, and additional well-known component manufacturers are working on providing data in line with this new standard.

When control cabinets or switchgear systems are being designed in 3D, wire lengths automatically calculated, or mounting panels processed by machines, standardised component data are required. These data are also the foundation for the digital twin, which is becoming increasingly indispensable in the product life cycle. The new Eplan Data Standard defines the type of component data required to automate and simplify processes in (pre)planning, engineering, manufacturing and maintenance. Users of Eplan’s engineering software solutions benefit from a significant increase in quality in Eplan Data Portal, which gives them direct online access to the product catalogues from numerous component manufacturers.

Currently, Eplan Data Portal has more than 239.000 users and offers data of more than 913.00 products from 286 manufacturers. All of the software solutions embedded in the Eplan Platform can access this web service. The simple transfer of the available component data into Eplan documentation is via drag and drop, which reduces the effort required in design and increases the quality of machine and plant documentation. Manufacturers are also being optimally supported – the Data Creation Tool based on eCl@ss Advanced offers them an import option that significantly simplifies data provision.

First data in the new standard already available
Several thousand updated component data, with a focus on manufacturing integration, are already available in the new Eplan Data Standard. This includes, for instance, a schematic macro, a 3D file and connection diagrams for typical electrical components. Rittal – sister company of Eplan in the Friedhelm Loh Group – is one of the pioneers in this and has already integrated initial data for control and switchgear systems as the standardisation of such systems is one of the central USPs of the company.

Renowned component manufacturers including ABB, IFM, LAPP, Phoenix Contact, Puls, SEW-Eurodrive, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Wago, Weidmüller, Wieland and others are already implementing the standard – they all recognised the need for comprehensive, standardised data early on. The optimised, standardised data sets can be used to create complete bills of materials or to reliably calculate the weight of the control cabinet using defined weight specifications as just two examples.

A practical example
Around five hundred connections must be laid for the control technology in an average control cabinet – all with different colours, cross-sections and wire processing. Preparing and wiring all of the connections manually requires an average of four minutes per wire, which takes too long to keep up with the competition. Modern production methods get prefabricated wires from machines, saving the effort and time required for manually cutting to length and assembly. But how does the machine know which individual connections exist? The answer lies in the digital twin of the control cabinet, in which all the components were selected in engineering, presented with their characteristics in the schematics and subsequently assembled in the control cabinet in 3D. The connection points and designations for the components are already described in the 3D layout. Using this component data, the electrical designer can output the colors, lengths and wiring targets for the connections with a mouse click and transfer them to the processing machine.

#PAuto @EPLAN_Germany @Rittal @PresseBox

Computing Standard for Server-Grade Performance at the Edge.

"Everyone talks about the impact of edge computing in IoT" said Rex Lee, Director of Advantech Embedded IoT Group. "As a global leader in embedded platforms and IoT enabled solutions, Advantech sees opportunity in the market for cost-performance balanced architectures from cloud computing to edge computing. At COM-HPC, our innovative computer-on-modules will migrate server-grade performance to the edge. We are working together with PICMG and leading embedded companies to meet these market requirements."

Rex Lee

Cloud computing, where servers can store and analyze high volumes of data uploaded by end users for specific applications, has been essential to this process. Data is collected, stored, and then analyzed on the cloud to solve problems related to an array of different application scenarios. In order to transmit and analyze big data, the cloud must be extremely powerful—offering high performance and wider bandwidth for successful transmission. As the volume of data increases, »edge computing» is emerging as a key solution to achieve effective data management and making computing processes significantly more efficient.

Currently, there is strong and growing demand for edge computing. COM Express, a very popular standard, has been used for over a decade and the Type 7 COM Express was created for this purpose. COM-HPC represents the "next generation" technology in this field. Compared with COM Express, COM-HPC supports significantly higher performance levels and features an innovative design that fulfills high-end computing demand.

COM-HPC is a new industrial standard for embedded computer on module. There are two types of COM-HPC for different purposes: one is a server type for high performance computing and data transmission; and the other one is for embedded computing with graphics requirements. With unique form factors and optimized pin definition, COM-HPC supports powerful CPU, memory capacity up to 1TB, and it offers next generation super-speed interfaces such as PCIe Gen4/5 (16Gbps/32Gbps), USB4.0 (20Gbps), and 10G ports. Such features are highly suitable for edge computing.

COM-HPC specifications are currently under definition. As a global leader in the embedded market, Advantech plays a key role in the process. This encompasses the early industrial specification ETX, XTX in 2006, COM Express 2.0 in 2010, and COM Express 3.0, including Type 7 in 2017. In 2019, Advantech is honored to work with other leading manufacturers and PICMG to engage in the COM-HPC concept discussion in its earliest stages.

Advantech provides a comprehensive product design and validation process that includes schematics and layout simulation, power transient testing, power quality, and signal integrity using e.g. high bandwidth (25GHz) oscilloscope. This process is helpful for products using a super-speed interface and powerful design, such as COM-HPC. Reliability tests, like thermal shock and harsh environment testing, ensure products are stable and durable. Advantech strives to provide early sample stability, giving customers more time for product development and verification to accelerate the time-to-market.

From embedded design-in service to IoT integration, Advantech provides a one-stop service model for the successful integration of embedded boards, systems, software, displays, and peripherals. A series of integrated IoT solutions and services—from edge computing to cloud services—accelerates IoT solution business development and implementation worldwide.

#IoT @Advantech_eIoT@iAutomation_EU 

DC energy meters certified!

LEM has become the first company to receive the German certification for the EM4TII (Energy Meter For Traction) DC energy meters.

In the 21st century, the world faces a huge challenge to reduce CO2 emissions. The impact of CO2 on global warming has been proven, and the progress of new technologies in power electronics and battery chemistry is accelerating. The introduction of an alternative to the combustion engine driven car, the electric vehicle (EV) is a massive advance in technology and the market is undeniably booming.

The steadily increasing battery capacity has helped the EV market grow, but the most appealing use cases remain short journeys in an urban setting. To make electric vehicles the vehicle of choice for the wider market and to reduce the carbon footprint of private transport, a network of fast chargers must be installed, allowing users to make long trips without worrying about range or the charging time. Energy suppliers have already started to deploy fast charger networks (30min, 150kW) and expect ultra-fast chargers (>10 min, 350kW) by 2020. Fast and ultra-fast chargers provide direct current (DC) as they are directly connected to the battery.

As from April 2019, new regulations will enter in force that require energy providers to only charge energy delivered to the car (it is normal not to pay the losses related to the performance of the charger). Today only certified AC energy meters exist for billing electricity to the end user.
As DC solution, LEM proposes the proven DC meter for railway applications called EM4TII which has successfully passed all required tests and has obtained the type approval certification, the Baumusterprüfbescheinigung by PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) last month. In parallel, for the future requirements of the market, LEM will introduce soon a new ‘LEM Direct Current (DC) Meter’, much more compact than the previous version of the EM4TII. This new meter will be as accurate and universal, whatever the topology of the charging station (up to 600 kW).

Mr Mathieu Béguin (Product marketing engineer) summarises, “Originally developed for railway applications, we identified an opportunity to adapt the EM4TII DC Meter to comply with German regulations. Information about the new DC Meter will follow in due course.”

@LEM_Inc #PTB @NapierPR

Industrial programmable controller to IEC 61131-3.

Opto 22 has added international standard IEC 61131-3 programming options in its groov EPIC® edge programmable industrial controller.

Adding these new programming options to the existing flowchart and custom user-written options in groov EPIC gives control engineers the ability to program using a variety of languages they already know, while taking advantage of the EPIC’s extended capabilities for automation and industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications. All IEC 61131-3 standard languages are supported by groov EPIC, including Function Block Diagram (FBD), Structured Text (ST), Sequential Function Charts (SFC), and Ladder Diagram (LD).

Adding the IEC 61131-3 option gives engineers several key advantages. First, they can pick the best software tool for their specific application. Second, they can mix and match several software tools to build control and IIoT solutions on one unified platform. And last, companies can continue to leverage existing employee knowledge in IEC 61131-3 programming methods, including decades-old ladder logic.

The PC-based CODESYS® Development System V3 is used to create and compile IEC 61131-3 programs for download to a pre-installed CODESYS Runtime running on groov EPIC. The CODESYS Development System is available at no charge from the CODESYS Store at https://store.codesys.com. The CODESYS Runtime on groov EPIC is enabled by a free software license available from Opto 22.

“As the world’s leading manufacturer of independent IEC 61131-3 software,” stated Markus Bachmann, President of the U.S. subsidiary of the CODESYS Group, “we are excited that CODESYS has been chosen to boost Opto 22’s groov EPIC to the next level in industrial automation products, integrating state-of-the-art industrial control with new IIoT and Industry 4.0 applications.”

In addition to IEC 61131-3, groov EPIC can also be programmed using Opto 22’s native PAC Control™. Field-proven, flowchart-based PAC Control with optional scripting offers 400+ plain English commands for analog process and digital sequential control, complex math, conditional branching, string handling, and other complex functions.

Other programming options include using software languages supported on the Linux® operating system through secure shell. This access—along with toolchains and interpreters for Java, C/C++, Python, JavaScript/Node.js and more—allows developers to create custom applications. In addition, groov EPIC includes Node-RED as another programming option. Node-RED uses a flow-based development environment optimized for edge data processing and communications.

@opto22 #PAuto 

Enabling middleware-free IIoT Manufacturing via the IPC CFX Standard.

Aegis Software is now the first MES solution to natively leverage the power of the IPC Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) standard.

The FactoryLogix platform leverages CFX from data acquisition to analytics and process control automation. As a result, any manufacturer on the FactoryLogix platform that purchases a CFX-compliant device, machine or system will instantly consume, interpret, and leverage the mission-critical information from those devices without the need for any middleware or custom integration. The emergence of CFX combined with an MES that natively understands the data streams ushers in the era of true IIoT, which is an enterprise that is free of the need for custom middleware to get data from the factory floor. Now manufacturers of all sizes will be able to fast-track the actual realization and transformative benefits of Industry 4.0.

“Until now, for manufacturers to truly capitalize on the promise of IIoT and Industry 4.0, middleware was required to reside between the device layer and the upper system layer. The use of middleware always meant additional costs and complexity. Additionally, as soon as a factory introduced a new machine or upgraded existing machines, more development resources and time would be needed to update existing adapters to leverage the machine information,” stated Jason Spera, CEO of Aegis Software. “By updating the entire architecture of the FactoryLogix platform to fundamentally ‘understand’ IPC CFX data from acquisition up to analytics and process control automation, we have enabled FactoryLogix to natively support any CFX-enabled machine, device or system instantly and without the need for middleware or custom programming. What makes this FactoryLogix design unique is its ability to not just consume the data but rather to immediately interpret, analyze and act on that information in real-time to transform manufacturing into a truly adaptive environment capable of automatically controlling material flow, eliminating downtime, increasing yield, operating at the lowest inventory levels, and ultimately enabling new business models and revenue sources. We are the only total MES/MOM solution provider that can deliver this revolutionary capability today.”

As with the previous two CFX demos at IPC APEX EXPO, metrics and analytic reports streamed live from machines across the entire show floor into a cloud server (provided as a courtesy to the industry by Aegis Software) and available to every visitor through their mobile devices by merely reading a QR code. In this year’s global live manufacturing demonstration, additional CFX data will be exchanged between many machine vendors on two live production lines as well as the show floor machines, showing how CFX data enables Industry 4.0 closed-loop feedback systems and critical decision-making. FactoryLogix, using CFX, will virtually bridge the IPC APEX EXPO show floor and the two demo lines into a set of ‘virtual factories’ that become visible and live through dashboards throughout the show. For visitors, this delivers a powerful experience at an assembly line level, illustrating how the IPC CFX standard is working and enabling Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory solutions. To date, there are more than 400 support members that are actively involved in the IPC Consortium and more than 50 companies already actively supporting the CFX standard.

@FactoryLogix #PAuto #MES #Industrie4

Progress in RoHS3 compliance as deadline approaches.

Anglia has continued to make big strides towards full RoHS 3* compliance over six months before the deadline for meeting the new provisions. The distributor is working closely with its suppliers and can confirm that the majority of the suppliers they work with are now confirmed as fully compliant with the new more rigorous regulations. Details of the status of each supplier is fully documented on Anglia Live.

Commenting, Claire Stevenson, Quality Manager of Anglia, said, “We are continuously updating our Anglia Live website as we receive confirmed compliance information. 58 of our suppliers have already confirmed their products are fully compliant with the requirements of RoHS 3, they represent over 70% of the product lines we are able to supply. Many of the remaining suppliers have provided compliance road maps showing that they will be able to fully comply by the deadline.

“Much of our current inventory is already compliant with the requirements of RoHS 3, and we have taken steps to ensure that all inventory will be RoHS 3 compliant by the deadline. Customers can continue to use RoHS 2 compliant products up until 22nd July 2019, after this date they will need to ensure products are RoHS 3 compliant. Certificates of RoHS compliance can be downloaded from Anglia Live allowing customers to complete their own compliance documentation.”

RoHS 3 was announced in 2016 and expands the list of prohibited substances from six to ten by adding four new types of phthalates.

Manufacturers have until the 22nd July 2019 to meet these provisions. Although it is an EU directive, it has been widely adopted in many other regions across the globe and will still apply to British industry even after Brexit.

* Guide to RoHS 3

@angliaComponent #Environment  @EU_ENV  #Breatimeacht #Brexit

Advance for CAN FD network designers.

CAN in Automation (CiA) association has released the CiA 601-3 bit-time setting recommendation. The document provides rules and background information about the setting of bit-times in CAN FD networks. CAN FD is the successor of Classical CAN. Most of the OEMs are migrating to CAN FD in the next couple of years. The CiA 601-3 document comes with a spreadsheet to check, whether your selected bit-rates are possible.

CAN FD frames are transmitted with two speeds. The rules for the arbitration bit-rate are the same as for Classical CAN. In the dataphase, the nodes are not synchronized. Therefore, other rules apply such as phase margin for received and transmitted frames. The released document contains all the necessary formulas to calculate the limits. In addition, it proposes, how to measure them. CiA members can download the documents free-of-charge and non-members can purchase them from CiA Office in Nuremberg

@CANopen #PAuto #Automative

Gold standard in cloud!

In addition to classic automation projects at field level, the demand for scalable solutions that offer connectivity from the sensor to the cloud and with mobile devices is increasing among industrial manufacturing firms. COPA-DATA is responding to this demand by integrating its zenon software with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Thanks to its knowledge and wealth of experience in cloud-based smart factory and smart city solutions, the company has now achieved Gold status in the Microsoft Cloud Platform competency.

Stefan Reuther

With the awarding of competencies, Microsoft is supporting its partners in the Microsoft Partner Network to advertise their industry-leading skills and specialist knowledge in a professional manner and to clearly set themselves apart from the competition.

In order to achieve one or more of the 18 competencies in the six categories available at present, it is necessary to meet certain requirements and to evidence these in annual reviews. Depending on the extent to which these requirements have been met, a company may be awarded either a Gold or a Silver competency. Only partners that have shown consistent high performance and exceptional commitment are given Gold competencies.

After achieving Silver status in the Cloud Platform competency in 2016, COPA-DATA has now satisfied all the requirements for the highest level – Gold – in this category.

“The requirements for achieving Gold status in this competency are high,” explained Johannes Petrowisch, Global Partner & Business Development Manager at COPA-DATA. “One of the criteria, for example, was to have achieved Microsoft Azure sales amounting to at least 100,000 US dollars within the last twelve months. This shows that companies have to implement customer projects on a relatively large scale and in a relatively short space of time to obtain the necessary competency. We are therefore particularly pleased that we have been able to evidence this and put ourselves forward as an expert partner for cloud projects.”

As zenon is seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Azure, data can be retrieved and further processed centrally and in real time. This means, for example, that relevant production, performance, or consumption indicators from various locations can be captured, collected, processed further, and compared in order to identify potential for improvement and to take corresponding optimization measures. Thanks to connectivity from the field level up to the cloud, the interaction between the two technologies presents an entirely new range of applications which sees classic automation projects merge with typical IT or business intelligence projects. As a result, production efficiency can be increased, use of resources optimized, and completely new service or business models implemented, to name but a few benefits.

Integration between zenon and Microsoft Azure started back in 2014. Initially, the main reason for integrating selected Microsoft Azure services was to provide a scalable solution for storing the large volumes of data collected in industrial projects centrally in a cost-effective infrastructure.

“In today's industrial applications, which extend up into the cloud, the delivery model is mainly used for calculations across systems or locations, and for predictive analyses,” explains Stefan Reuther (Pictured above right), Chief Sales Officer at COPA-DATA. “In order to capture, collect, aggregate, further process, and present data, users require a high-performance piece of software like zenon to obtain valuable insights into production output, energy consumption, and quality indicators.”

In addition to its Gold Cloud Platform competency, COPA-DATA is also listed as a Microsoft Gold competency partner for Application Development.

@copadata #Pauto @Azure