IT-OT Convergence
Software technology solution bridges gap between IT & OT
Flexible exOS technology offers a crossover solution that bridges the divide between IT and OT.
Exploring new horizons
The challenge is to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of harmonious, effective IT/OT collaboration. Traditionally, the two domains have existed more or less as parallel universes. "But with the rise of the Industrial IoT, the time has come to change that," said Stefan Bina, B&R's product manager for SOURCE: B&R
HOW DO COMPANIES BRING IT AND OT together? It's a question that must be answered by any company hoping to realize the visions of Industry 4.0. It’s a puzzle, so far, without a real solution. But new technology is now bridging the IT/OT divide, and offering machine builders access to the world's largest software ecosystem. To pull off today's more advanced manufacturing solutions, machine builders need experts from the fields of IT and OT collaborating on interdisciplinary teams. That's the key to leveraging the full potential of the Industrial IoT. But it also becomes an arena of conflict between two different worlds. While OT experts are well-versed in machine design, PLC programming and commissioning, their IT colleagues are more at home using high-level programming languages like C++, Python or JavaScript and working with open-source software and Linux. Common ground can prove hard to find. A team is only ever as good as its members. But picking the best and brightest from individual fields and gathering them around a table will only get you so far. You also need to give them the tools and opportunities to apply their craft toward a common solution. And all too often, there lies the rub.
SOURCE: B&R
New exOS software offers machine builders a solution to the divide traditionally separating IT and OT. Using exOS gives Linux software developers an option to develop, compile and debug their code using their preferred environment, in coordination with B&R's Automation Runtime real-time operating system.
The exOS technology gives control systems the ability to access and understand any Linux software. 04.202 1
i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
Industrial IoT network solutions. "It's time to erase the lines between IT and OT." Among the biggest obstacles is a lack of support in today's control systems for the full bandwidth of high-level programming languages. As a prerequisite for true IT/OT connectivity, control systems must therefore be given the ability to access and understand Linux software. This is exactly where new technology from B&R comes in – with its new enhanced crossover Operating System, or exOS for short. "With exOS, we bridge the divide that has traditionally separated IT and OT, and finally give machine builders a connection between the two worlds," said Bina. "In doing so, we give them access to the world's largest software ecosystem." exOS gives every Linux software developer the freedom to develop, compile and debug their code using their preferred environment. Then, the Linux application can be easily integrated into the control system with the help of exOS and used hand-in-hand with B&R's real-time operating system, Automation Runtime. "This offers the huge advantage that developers can work in their familiar environment, like Eclipse or Visual Studio, where they can make the best use of their knowledge and experience," explained Bina.
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