Industrial Edge
Industrial Edge impact on smart manufacturing Industrial Edge technologies are making an impact on smart manufacturing. In this special report, industry experts comment on the current evolution of control technology, open source Linux applications, industrial PCs configured as both control computers and edge PCs, and the renaissance of Industrial Ethernet.
Edge data processing is being used to filter, sanitize, and transform data into interoperable formats before transmission directly to databases or cloud services. INDUSTRIAL EDGE TECHNOLOGY IS ENABLING comprehensive IIoT solutions that extend from the edge to the cloud, and provide a powerful impetus in the convergence of IT and OT operations. In this special showcase, the Industrial Ethernet Book looks at how edge technology is making an impact on smart manufacturing. Industry experts weigh in on the leading trends in edge computing, and we present the latest new solutions for manufacturers.
Evolution of control technology Edge solutions driven by application and networking security standards.
Industrial control technology is evolving from traditional formats like RTUs, PLCs, and PACs to edge-oriented options like edge 06.202 1
programmable industrial controllers (edge controllers or EPICs) and edge I/O, according to Josh Eastburn, Director of Technical Marketing at Opto 22. These formats provide general-purpose processing, networking, and storage in the field, which create a foundation for embedding other critical technologies. “At the top of that list, are application and networking security standards like user authentication, firewalls, and SSL/TLS encryption,” Eastburn told IEB recently. “The lack of these features in industrial devices has been a showstopper for years in terms of bridging IT and OT systems, but with them in place, edge-to-cloud communication is entirely feasible.” “And if edge-to-cloud or IIoT is the goal, MQTT is another critical enabling technology,” Eastburn added. “Designed for the internet
i n d u str i a l e th e r n e t b o o k
of things (IoT), this protocol supports lightweight, secure communication for distributed edge devices. When paired with Sparkplug B payloads, interoperability, state management, and fault tolerance are also boosted.”
Technology stack at field level
According to Eastburn, edge controllers and I/O combine traditional automation functions with embedded tools for security, communication, and data processing that previously required many layers of hardware and software. For example, moving data from a single field device into business applications might require transferring data through PLC, SCADA, MES, and ERP systems. Low-level systems have lacked the protocols to establish secure
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