Unlike consumer-grade controllers, industrial controllers need to be tested under extreme conditions to ensure reliability in the field.

Author | Bill Dehner

Although industrial automation technology differs significantly from consumer-grade hardware and software commonly encountered in our daily lives, industrial microcontrollers are enabling industrial applications to benefit from open source. The technology of industrial controllers is narrowing the gap with consumer technology, bringing some significant and unexpected gains to end users.

It is generally believed that industrial automation technology, including controllers, develops slowly compared to consumer technology. The lagging reason is that advanced technologies are often only used in more conservative and harsher industrial applications after being proven in the consumer market. Since industrial applications require continuous, safe, and reliable operation of potentially hazardous equipment for many years, well-designed and packaged automation products are particularly important. This means that other functions of controllers, such as ease of use and good connectivity, are often secondary considerations.

In the past 15 years, the “maker” culture in the consumer field has made significant progress. This community has brought passion and creativity to using PCs and microcontrollers to operate various “DIY” projects. Among these developers, most open the source code of these homemade projects for anyone to use, but these technologies often do not yet meet the conditions for use in factory workshops.

Industrial microcontrollers combine the advantages of open source with mature industrial platforms, providing end users with more automation choices.

Open source projects are related to industrial applications in many ways. For example, in recent years, the general-purpose Linux open source operating system has been embedded in industrial IoT (IIoT) facilities as a platform for running control and visualization software, playing an increasingly important role.

Open source programmers typically provide source code and programs free of charge to all users. Many people believe that this openness increases certain risks for implementers. However, greater openness allows anyone to view the code, and a large developer community can respond quickly when issues are discovered.

From the perspective of open hardware, two leading microcontrollers are the Raspberry Pi and Arduino. The former is more like a small single-board PC, while the latter is simpler. For Arduino, stackable accessory boards called Shields add Ethernet, Wi-Fi, GPS, and other extended functions, making these systems very suitable for prototypers and enthusiasts (Figure 1).

▎Figure 1: Microcontrollers like Arduino are an important part of the maker community, helping enthusiasts realize computing and automation projects. Image source: Automation Direct

Microcontrollers like Arduino are created for students learning C++ programming and are designed for use by anyone with any programming experience. Effective, free, and rich software libraries, along with numerous low-cost hardware options and a focus on end-user design, make this open source concept a favorite in the maker community. The popularity of microcontrollers has attracted the attention of the industrial automation industry, as many features required by amateur enthusiasts are also needed in industrial projects. Some end users even apply consumer-grade microcontrollers in industrial fields, but the differences between commercial and industrial specifications can bring certain risks.

By choosing open source to implement automation projects, end users will certainly benefit from the fusion of modern programming options with mature industrial practicality. Users can mix and match various methods to obtain what they need.

Sometimes, it makes practical sense to continue using programmable logic controllers (PLCs) while adding networked industrial open controllers to perform specialized tasks or calculations. In some cases, users can develop all control logic and general computing in an open controller and then automate associated devices with input/output (I/O).

Another factor to consider involves the skills of design and maintenance personnel. Although current industrial users have received PLC training during their careers, the next generation of users may be more suited to using modern technologies and programming languages in open source hardware.

▎New products like Productivity Open from Automation Direct provide a way to combine the functionality of industrial specification open microcontrollers with I/O design.

The new platform can bridge the gap between open controllers and PLCs and I/O, allowing industrial manufacturers to leverage current skills and utilize new employees to cultivate technicians who wish to work on modern open platforms.

As the momentum of industrial open source continues to grow, users will continue to seek new applications. One basic method of using open source controllers is to configure them as data loggers, which is easy even for C++ beginners. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) can use open controllers as a one-stop solution for operating machines while providing more advanced algorithms and data processing capabilities than PLCs.

▎New graphical programming software provides end users with another accessible way to integrate open Arduino microcontroller capabilities into their industrial projects.

Open source is also very suitable for various semi-industrial applications, such as environmental control or laboratory equipment monitoring. More consumer-oriented applications, such as automated smoking racks, home automation, and agricultural projects, can also be achieved through industrial open source platforms. Gardening enthusiasts can configure a microcontroller for backyard vegetable greenhouses and irrigation systems. At work, they can utilize the same concept to automate large agricultural systems and equipment.

Those who use microcontrollers at home to remotely control lights and other devices can also extend the same concept to the automation of lighting and environmental control in commercial or industrial facilities.

For machine manufacturers, consumer-grade microcontrollers may be an attractive automation option due to their low hardware costs. However, since up to 20% of operating expenses are often related to maintenance, these controllers, which cannot withstand harsh industrial environments, will consume support budgets.

Now, PLCs and Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) technologies have evolved to provide industrial-grade open source hardware options, allowing end users to use the powerful platforms they need to integrate the modern automation systems they desire.