Introduction: How to create an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a major concern, especially for enterprises with equipment from various manufacturers that have been in use for 5, 10, or even 20 years. When operating processes with old equipment, how can these devices be integrated into the IIoT? How can we overcome the challenges involved?
……The term Industrial Internet of Things has many names, including Industry 4.0 and connected factories. However, the name is not important; what matters is how to create and utilize the IIoT.
……With unprecedented development speed, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a hot topic in today’s media, dominating headlines in many mainstream outlets. According to market research firm Berg Insight, the number of wireless IoT devices in automation networks will rapidly increase at a compound annual growth rate of 27.2%, reaching as high as 43.5 million by 2020. In contrast, the Industrial IoT (IIoT) is more grounded, with many industry companies striving to leverage the advantages of the IIoT.
Challenge – Preparing for the Industrial IoT
……How to create an IIoT is a major concern, especially for enterprises with equipment from various manufacturers that have been in use for 5, 10, or even 20 years. When operating processes with old equipment, how can these devices be integrated into the IIoT? How can we overcome the challenges involved? Due to limitations such as cost and time, replacing equipment is not feasible. You need to find a new solution that not only protects existing investments but also ensures compatibility between old and modern devices, achieving a win-win situation.
Solution – Protocol Conversion
……Protocol conversion is the key first step in addressing communication issues between multi-vendor and old devices. Wikipedia defines a “protocol converter” as: “a device that converts the standard or proprietary protocol of one device into a protocol suitable for other devices or tools to achieve interoperability.”
……In manufacturing plants, there are various different devices, each with its unique protocol, so companies need to handle multiple different protocols to collect data. Protocol conversion can be performed in a network environment composed of multi-vendor devices through human-machine interfaces or other automation products, making it the best way to connect devices using different protocols and consolidate the collected data.
……Protocol conversion allows you to collect data transmitted from different devices and protocols and convert it in a central device, thereby gathering and compiling all the data from the factory. Subsequently, you can transform this information into useful trend information and reports to make accurate decisions and effectively plan resource utilization. At the same time, we can also refer to it as “actionable intelligent data mining and display,” allowing you to understand the status of factory equipment in real-time, achieving higher operational efficiency.
Connection – Speaking the Same Language
……Integrating new and old devices into the same network can bring numerous advantages. Some of the latest devices in factories may support Ethernet connections, while older devices may only support vendor-specific serial connections and old protocols. By integrating different devices (allowing old devices to communicate with the latest devices), different devices can communicate freely in a multi-vendor environment.
……Industrial environments are continually introducing the latest communication facilities, such as cellular M2M, Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, fiber optics, and PoE (Power over Ethernet). These communication technologies enhance data transmission bandwidth, providing more information and intelligence to production environments.
Monitoring – Achieving Process Visualization Through Data
……Protocol conversion is also crucial for process monitoring—by collecting and analyzing data to develop more efficient operational methods and reduce downtime. Especially when executing protocol conversion in a multi-vendor environment, users can maximize the use of visualization management solutions to display key performance indicators (KPIs) used to track, assess, and analyze manufacturing processes. These performance metrics are often used to evaluate whether actual operations meet set goals. Each company’s KPIs vary, but in manufacturing, they generally include: counts (good or defective products), defect rates, speed, targets, cycle times, Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), and downtime.
Control – Enhancing Operational Efficiency
……Protocol conversion can help you integrate PLCs, PCs, and SCADA systems to collect and process data in real-time to control devices and applications that directly impact operations. Implementing operational control means users can start or stop old serial devices from anywhere, as well as open or close valves.
……In summary, protocol conversion can help users address the challenges of the IIoT, enhance productivity, and improve operational efficiency through real-time device connectivity and data processing. Protocol conversion enables seamless communication between all old and new devices, providing a holistic environmental interface that allows customers to plan and implement measures more efficiently.
……By enabling communication between different devices, users can now connect, monitor, and control factory operations from a single platform. This data-driven monitoring and decision-making approach can help customers stay ready to embrace the IIoT.
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