Pace Today - Feb 2017

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL.70 NO.1 | Est. 1953

INSIDE PACE

Water/wastewater

Sensors

Automation

Bringing wastewater treatment into the digital age

Ways to improve sensor efficiency

Teaching robots to talk over 4G

Post Print Approved PP100008186

ALL ABOUT

IoT

EXCLUSIVE: Solar energy’s shining future in industry

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN 11 MAY 2017

MELBOURNE WWW.ENDEAVOURAWARDS.COM.AU

CONTENTS

Managing Director: John Murphy Editor: Branko Miletic Ph: (02) 9439 7227 branko.miletic@primecreative.com.au Journalist: Stephanie Stefanovic Ph: (02) 9439 7227 stephanie.stefanovic@primecreative.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE

Sales/Advertising: Nick Baker Ph: (02) 9439 7227

32

nick.baker@primecreative.com.au Production Coordinator: Aneeb Suleman Ph: (03) 9690 8766 aneeb.suleman@primecreative.com.au Art Director: Michelle Weston Designer: James Finlay, Blake Storey, Sarah Doyle SUBSCRIPTIONS: $99 pa incl GST NZ: $A109 pa & OS: $A119 pa Subscriptions: Gordon Watson Ph: (03) 9690 8766

34 News 5

Energy Management 22

SCADA 6

Sensors 24

Water/Wastewater 8

HMI 28

Salary changes for engineers in 2017 SCADA software is required to be more versatile than ever before

Copyright PACE is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in PACE is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in PACE are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

Award-winning winery talks waste; Creating more clean water with less energy; Bringing wastewater treatment into the digital age RFID Technology 16

Taking efficiency to the next level with RFID

© Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2017 Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

Internet of Things 18

At-risk IoT devices revealed; Creating a secure password; The best IoT software platforms of Q4 2016

Head Office 11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 P: +61 3 9690 8766 enquiries@primecreative.com.au http://www.australianmining.com.au Sydney Office Suite 303, 1-9 Chandos Street, Saint Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia

30

Solar energy’s shining future in industry The growing market for HVAC sensors and controllers; Ways to improve IoT sensor efficiency The benefits of embedding HMI in near edge devices Wireless Technology 30

An unconventional and undetectable communication system; Wireless technology to optimise vineyard irrigation Automation 34

Teaching robots to talk over 4G New products 36

All the latest products for the process and control industry

ON THE COVER

All about IoT: Security, software and sensors

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL.70 NO.1 | Est. 1953

INSIDE PACE

Water/wastewater

Sensors

Automation

Bringing wastewater treatment into the digital age

Ways to improve sensor efficiency

Teaching robots to talk over 4G

Average Net Distribution Period ending Sept ’15 5,521

Post Print Approved PP100008186

ALL ABOUT

IoT

As plants hurdle towards Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes increasingly important. Accordingly, many organisations have adopted IoT-based technologies to improve the efficiency of process control and overall operations. While the early adoption of IoT is a crucial step towards competitiveness,

many organisations are confused about which technology they should be using and how to make the most of it. What’s more, this connected technology comes with untold security risks, which many organisations are unsure how to address. This issue of PACE addresses all of the big issues in IoT.

EXCLUSIVE: Solar energy’s shining future in industry

PRINTED BY: MANARK PRINTING 28 Dingley Ave Dandenong VIC 3175 Ph: (03) 9794 8337 FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 3

COMMENT

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Branko Miletic Editor

Sensors and Sensibility

ACCORDING to recent news stories, a 1.2 square kilometre area in Melbourne will soon be fitted with thousands of sensors for a smart transport project led by the University of Melbourne.

The project will integrate sensor data with other “islands” of data from VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria, the City of Melbourne, City of Yarra, and with traffic updates from a mapping firm.

Sensors and wireless units will be fitted to the roads, as well as to traffic signals and vehicles.

The university said it hoped the project will deliver “insights into traffic planning, pedestrian flows, public transport efficiency and freight movements.”

Another story that recently caused some waves was about smart watches and fitness trackers.

Wearable gadgets gave a Stanford University professor an early warning that he was getting sick before he ever

felt any symptoms of Lyme disease.

Geneticist Michael Snyder never had Lyme’s characteristic bulls-eye rash. But a smart watch and other sensors charted changes in his heart rate and oxygen levels during a family vacation. Eventually a fever struck that led to his diagnosis.

Now Snyder’s team at Stanford is tracking the everyday lives of several dozen volunteers wearing devices that monitor more than mere activity.

He envisions one day having wearables that act as a sort of “check engine” light indicating that it’s time to see the doctor.

“One way to look at this is, these are the equivalent of oral thermometers but you’re measuring yourself all the time,” said Snyder, senior author of a report released on the project.

So this is where it’s all heading – wall-to-wall sensors - in fact, more sensors than one could literally point a stick at.

As has been seen by the previous emails, the Age of the Ubiquitous Sensor is now here. This will of course have a profound impact on both how we work and how we live.

However, the most profound impact will be on the data - or rather the amount of data that will have to be processed.

And the effects of this tsunami of data have already become apparent, especially in the world of national security.

Last year, William Binney, a former NSA official with more than 30 years of experience at the agency, told the Washington Post that the US government’s mass surveillance programs have become so engorged with data that they are no longer effective.

Binney said that an analyst today can run one simple query across the NSA’s various databases, only to become immediately overloaded with information.

With about four billion people - around two-thirds of the world’s population - under the NSA and partner agencies’ watchful eyes, according to his estimates, there is too much data being collected.

“That’s why they couldn’t stop the Boston bombing, or the Paris shootings, because the data was all there,” said Binney.

“What we got was a blast of digital bits, like a fire hydrant spraying you in the face - It was the classic needle-inthe-haystack pursuit, except here the haystack starts out huge and grows by the second.”

“NSA’s computers simply weren’t equipped to sort through so much data flying at them so fast,” he said.

Binney called this a “bulk data failure” - in that the NSA programs are collecting too much for the agency to process. He said the problem runs deeper across law enforcement and other federal agencies, like the FBI, the CIA, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which all have access to NSA intelligence.

So now extrapolate this to healthcare, transportation, mining, manufacturing and process control just for starters, and the magnitude of this potential problem starts to become apparent.

There needs be a global common sense approach when it comes to the gathering, storing and analysing of all this sensor-procured data, otherwise much like the NSA has found, the results could be system paralysis and incorrect conclusions rather than some sort of diagnostic epiphany. branko.miletic@ primecreative.com.au Like us on Facebook and join the conversation facebook.com/PACEtoday

4 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

NEWS

Salary changes for engineers in 2017

T

he Robert Walters annual Salary Survey has revealed the professions which are most likely to see a salary rise in 2017.

According to the survey, NSW-based senior IT professionals are expected to see the biggest salary increase, due to strong demand for specialist talent.

“Overall, the recruitment market across Australia was more buoyant than expected in 2016, particularly in the areas of technology, corporate governance and infrastructure, which should continue throughout 2017,” said Robert Walters, managing director ANZ. “Technology advances enabling fast track productivity gains, regulatory pressures within the financial services sector and the $50 billion worth of investment committed by Australia’s national and state government, are the main drivers for salary growth.”

Human resources, sales and business support are the three sectors most likely to miss out on salary growth due to oversupply, whereas IT jobs in NSW, digital marketing roles in Victoria and infrastructure roles in Queensland are expected to see the most growth.

The engineering industry

According to Robert Walters, 2016 was a transitional year for the industry in Queensland, with continued challenging market conditions in mining and oil & gas, while civil infrastructure experienced growth, and construction remains the strongest market. The lack of major projects across all engineering sectors resulted in engineers migrating to NSW and Victoria to take up opportunities.

Furthermore, salaries have been stagnant or reduced in most sectors, with the exception

STATE

ROLE

2016 SALARY

2017 SALARY

NSW

IT network/ system engineer

$110,000 (max)

$160,000 (max)

NSW

Funds and operational analysts

$60,000 (max)

$80,000 (max)

VIC

Digital marketing manager

$140,000 (max)

$180,000 (max)

QLD

Logistics officer

$60,000 (min)

$75,000 (min)

NSW

Project manager

$130,000 (max)

$160,000 (max)

NSW

DevOps engineer

$90,000 (min)

$110,000 (min)

increase in demand due to a number of major projects coming online, including large road, rail and port initiatives.

In Western Australia, engineering recruitment slowed in 2016, which decreased salary expectations. Generally, salaries were either flat or shifted downwards and it is anticipated that this trend will continue in 2017. Large infrastructure projects, particularly in the road and rail sector, will generate growth in Western Australia. Candidates with a civil background from design to project delivery and niche candidates from road, rail and tunnelling are expected to be the most sought after.

PACE

NSW

IT tester

$70,000 (min)

$85,000 (min)

QLD

Customer service team leader

75,000 (max)

$90,000 (max)

of certain specialisations in civil engineering disciplines, such as design managers in rail and roads, rail engineers and estimators.

Towards the end of 2016 there were positive signs in the mining sector with more projects announced, indicating the potential for improved activity for 2017. Roles in the civil infrastructure and commercial construction sectors are expected to FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 5

SCADA

Automation Platform.NExT delivers support for Industry 4.0 According to Paul Hurst, Director at Products4Automation, the new features included in Automation Platform.NexT are designed to accommodate the trends and requirements that will define Industry 4.0.

I

ndustry 4.0 is a concept that has shaped automation dramatically since its conception at the 2011 Hannover Fair.

Attaining a ‘smart factory’ requires total interoperability and the utmost transparency of information between devices – which means SCADA software is required to be more versatile than ever before.

These requirements have been carefully considered by automation

6 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

software company Progea, as they launch their revolutionary new SCADA platform, Automation Platform.NExT. The new SCADA system has been designed to service and accommodate the existing and new technologies that will define the attainment of the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

Automation Platform.NExT has been designed as a future-proof SCADA product, hence why it has

been written from first principles on the .NET framework.

For their part, Progea spent four years intensively researching and testing Automation Platform.NExT – while holding constant dialogue with users and industry to gauge the suitability of new features.

Keeping pace with expansion

One of the main provisos of Industry

4.0 is scalability. Industry 4.0 demands that field devices of various hardware specifications can communicate openly with each other, to build a singular network that unites all devices in a facility. Furthermore, being able to expand your SCADA system as your business grows is a primary concern, as easy integration of new devices can greatly reduce installation costs and save time. The answer to this was to provide a versatile and

SCADA

modular SCADA system that could be easily managed.

Automation Platform.NExT has been specifically built to run on Windows 10, which offers many innate benefits for scalability. Many smaller devices, such as Raspberry Pi, are now supported by Windows 10. This means devices that typically would not be able to be integrated into a unified system can now do just that.

To compound these benefits, Microsoft has ensured that Windows 10 is Internet of Things (IoT) compatible, allowing multiple devices to communicate on the platform with ease. If devices of such a small size are supported, it offers integrators the tools to create a unified and customised monitoring system.

Automation Platform.NExT delivers the power to serve the largest facilities, but also the versatility to incorporate the smallest devices into its framework.

Scalability is further supported via the platform’s own modular construction. It allows the addition of plug-ins and modules – enabling total centralisation and customisation of processes and their related information. Furthermore, information can then be assigned to tags that can be populated to connected devices or processes, providing global information centres

for either sections of the plant or its entirety. This allows total information transparency, allowing users to create a virtual copy of their physical world processes with accurate models and real-time data.

Dynamic visual clarity

Clarity of information is achieved via Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) supported by DirectX graphics.

This gives SCADA operators the ability to create modern 2D and 3D graphics with dynamic functions that also give plenty of scope for user artistry. Such features will allow users to create and adapt their SCADA system with developments inside the plant, while also allowing easy integration and representation of new technologies into their centralised systems.

Interoperability is a key asset for designing software that will move with the Industry 4.0 concept. Creating a global network relies not only on servicing various hardware capabilities, but also being able to communicate with the protocols that govern them.

Progea has therefore designed Automation Platform.NExT to be compatible with OPC UA network protocol, one of the most utilised industrial communication languages on the market. This allows more scope for integrators, while also

providing the efficiency and safety in communication that is a given with a proven platform.

Openness is also greatly increased, as OPC UA can engage with some of the most recent automation products to enter the market, and will be a standard long into the future. By delivering openness on a proven protocol, Progea noted that it aimed to create a dynamic and future-proof SCADA platform.

Data gathered through these communications is managed by an I/O Data Server, which provides total industrial connectivity. All data types are supported, rendering traditional boundaries redundant and enabling users to have complete control over data types. Via OPC UA, data access, alarms and conditions plus historical analysis is available to be accessed anywhere, anytime via the Cloud.

In addition, the I/O server driver management uses specific protocols for field devices such as Siemens, Rockwell, Omron, Modbus, Profibus, PROFINET, Konnex, EtherCAT and PowerLinK.

Remote access

The Cloud is a key component of Industry 4.0, due to the fact that it allows operators to access their plant off-site 24 hours a day. By hosting processes and associated data on the Cloud, users can quickly diagnose alarms and assess performance from a handheld wireless device.

Automation Platform.NExT offers this support for HMIs, but also for handheld iOS and Android devices.

By installing an app, operators can control and monitor facilities far from site with total convenience.

This is enabled by a HTML5 web client, which is designed to keep pace with the latest web based services and devices. By offering multi-platform off-site monitoring, Progea has allowed the benefits of Cloud computing to reach devices not traditionally served by SCADA software, greatly increasing accessibility.

With accessibility comes the issue of security, an issue Automation Platform.NExT has addressed with a highly robust system for managing users and passwords. This guarantees that project engineering is in confluence

with stringent security protocol, which is applied to all systems represented on the platform.

Users can be assigned permissions by administrators, but also by command and action functions to create selective permissions for users regarding separate projects and process tags. Progea has ensured that high security is matched with versatility, allowing end users to set administrative powers and access as is required.

Automation Platform.NExT differentiates itself from the rest of the Progea range by being actively geared to future technologies. While Movicon 11 may make a more suitable option for certain applications, users who wish to take the next step in device connectivity and monitoring on a future-proof SCADA platform will require Automation Platform.NExT. Its transparency and versatility allows operators to create a truly tailor-made system that also has the benefits of total communication with all processes within a facility.

Easy integration of new devices and technologies is wholly catered for, while also promoting the attributes required to keep pace with the developments of Industry 4.0. PACE Products4Automation www.products4automation.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 7

WATER/WASTEWATER

Sirromet’s green light on sustainability Sirromet is renowned for producing award winning wine from Queensland’s Granite Belt but the winery takes just as much care with its waste management and impact on the environment as it does with its wine production, recently relocating and installing a new $700,000 waste treatment facility on the Mount Cotton property.

T

he new fully computerised waste treatment facility has taken 15 months to install and has the capacity to process 50,000 litres of waste per day, with a holding capacity of 350,000 litres.

Chief Winemaker and project manager Adam Chapman has developed Sirromet’s waste system and eco department over the last 17 years to ensure the winery is sustainable.

Chapman said the waste treatment facility pours 58,000 litres a year of old sludge onto drying beds which are designed to evaporate 85 per cent to atmosphere, with the balance sent to Sirromet’s worm farm.

“Everyday waste management such as placing rubbish into the waste bins and rates for sewage and water usage

8 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

all comes at a cost,” he said.

“At Sirromet we want to put money into developing new waste and eco strategies to enhance the environment and at the same time reducing our annual costs for waste removal.”

“Our waste water plant treats and reuses approximately 7.6 million litres of water a year and we use this recycled water to water the plants and vines on the property.

Our worm farm not only treats the carbon based waste from the dry sludge, but our worms also take care of 150 tonnes of skins and stems from the winery annually.”

Along with compressing and reselling 40kg of bales of plastic up to 40 times a year and recycling approximately 250,000 glass bottles a year, the winery has 800 solar panels spanning two buildings, generating

200 kW of solar power, enough to run 50 households.

“We are constantly redeveloping our processes and are looking to the future to ensure we remain as sustainable and accountable to the environment as we possibly can,” he said.

“Looking to the future of wine production, we are beginning to adopt Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), which is popular in the United Kingdom and is gaining awareness in Australia. By developing carbon labelling we will be able to show consumers what Sirromet is doing not only to help save the environment, but to show the full life cycle of a bottle of wine’s production and also express in grams per litre the carbon dioxide equivalents.”

In addition, Sirromet utilises

a cogeneration system in the winery fridge plant, circulating approximately 30,000 litres of 55°C hot water back into the feed of the gas water boilers, saving over $100,000 a year.

Chapman said the winery has also adopted temperature saving designs with double concrete thickness flooring to prevent warmth increase from the earth through the floor, as well as air tunnels on the storage building allowing any heat to be sucked out of the roof space before entering into the storage facility.

“Most wineries in Australia would use approximately 3-4 litres of water per litre of wine in processing. At Sirromet we only use approximately 1.7 litres per litre of wine processed.” PACE Sirromet 07 3206 2999 www.sirromet.com

WATER/WASTEWATER

Creating more clean water with less energy With water scarcity affecting nearly two billion people — many of whom live near the oceans — “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink” has become a common cry for more than just wayward sailors. Desalination through reverse osmosis (RO) has long offered one solution to help meet global water needs in the face of population growth, development and climate change. However, removing salt from water is energy-intensive.

A

team of MIT researchers has responded by creating a new design for reverse osmosis desalination that significantly exceeds the energy efficiency of state-of-the-art techniques. Instead of the standard steady flow operation, their two proposed configurations vary the salinity of a set volume of water over

10 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

time, essentially providing desalination in “batches”. This batch approach could substantially reduce the energy use of future desalination systems.

The team is co-led by two MIT mechanical engineers, PhD candidate Emily Tow and post-doc David Warsinger, and also includes MIT PhD student Kishor Nayar, Stanford University graduate student Laith

Maswadeh, and John H. Lienhard, the Abdul Latif Jameel professor of water at MIT. “In traditional RO systems, the entire system is maintained at a steady, high pressure to be able to reach the desired level of water recovery,” said Warsinger.

Specifically, saline water (the feed solution) is pumped through

a membrane that passes water but blocks salts and other impurities.

As water permeates through the membrane, the feed solution becomes more concentrated. Due to osmosis, additional pressure is required to force water out of a more concentrated solution.

“The commercially-available semi-batch design, called closed-

WATER/WASTEWATER

circuit reverse osmosis, or CCRO, recycles the concentrate into the feed stream, so that the feed solution becomes concentrated over time, and pressure in the system can be increased incrementally as needed,” said Warsinger.

A full batch design, as proposed by the team, has the potential to push the efficiency even higher by using a closed feed tank to reduce the amount of mixing between the recycled concentrate and feed.

“Mixing causes entropy generation, which is the enemy of efficiency. Our model shows how reduced mixing in batch RO improves energy efficiency over CCRO by up to 20 per cent,” said Tow. “Compared to conventional RO systems, the batch configuration provides up to 64 per cent energy savings.”

The trick is in the timing. The proposed configuration can ramp up

the pressure over time to precisely follow the osmotic pressure of a concentrating batch of salt water.

To conserve energy, the first new configuration uses part of the RO module as a storage tank, while the other configuration uses a pressure exchanger to enable saltwater storage atmospheric pressure.

“The batch system starts with a fixed amount of solution in a circulation tank and passes it multiple times through the RO membranes to collect clean water,” said Warsinger.

“With each pass, the concentration of the remaining solution increases and the pressure of the system increases to match its osmotic pressure. This gradual increase eliminates the excess energy needed to maintain the entirety of a continuous system at a high pressure.”

With practicality in mind, the team’s designs avoid the use of a pressurised circulation tank. One

design takes advantage of a rotary pressure exchanger to pressurise the salt water flowing into the reverse osmosis membrane by depressurising the concentrated brine leaving the module. An alternative design pumps permeate into a flexible bladder within the pressure vessel that contains the membranes, eliminating the need for a pressure exchanger and enabling small-scale operation.

“The energy required for seawater desalination has been reduced by a factor of four in the last three decades through advances in energy recovery devices and membrane designs, approaching the thermodynamic minimum for conventional continuous reverse osmosis processes,” said Richard L. Stover, a water industry veteran with 25 years of commercial and technical experience and a director of the International Desalination Association.

“However, recent research and

New possibilities with Beamex workshop

field trials have shown that batch and semi-batch processes have the potential to provide additional energy savings of up to 25 per cent.

In addition, these new processes can use advanced high-permeability membranes, such as graphene, better than continuous processes can, providing additional energy savings.

For these reasons and more, batch and semi-batch processes are the future of RO.” The authors have applied for patents on their batch systems and see potential applications for industry in the near future. As well as saving energy in large facilities, the more efficient and low-maintenance design could be very useful for smaller scale systems in off-grid areas, and could be run off of portable generators or solar power. PACE This article was published with the permission of MIT News.

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FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 11

WATER/WASTEWATER

Bringing wastewater treatment into the digital age

P

roper treatment of wastewater is vital for both human and environmental health. With the build-up of concentrated population centres, separation of wastewater from drinking water catchments was historically undertaken purely to prevent public health issues from contamination. With increased awareness of our natural environment, wastewater management has in recent decades shifted to also consider nutrient run-off and the potential for negative impacts to marine life through eutrophication of lakes, rivers and ocean.

Many current treatment processes are energy, chemical and labour intensive. Use of automation however, can drastically save operating costs and improve overall plant performance.

a few key treatment steps that may be incorporated into their design – each with its own function and aims.

The process

Secondary Treatment Using biological processes, the main purpose of secondary treatment is the

Whilst no two wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are the same, there are 12 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

Primary Treatment The primary treatment step is focused on the removal of larger solids from the raw, incoming flow from the sewerage network. Largely comprising physical processes, primary treatment includes filtration of rubbish (e.g. paper & plastic) by staged screens, sand and grit removal through aerated grit tanks and sedimentation of heavier organic matter including fats/oils/greases.

The sedimentation process slows the wastewater stream, allowing gravity to pull and separate out to the bottom of large tanks the heavy particles, called primary sludge.

removal of nutrients such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) compounds from the Mixed-Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) of bioreactor tanks. In this step, typically an activated sludge process, naturally occurring microorganisms remove nutrients through consumption in an environment carefully controlled for dissolved oxygen content, temperature and pH. After the aeration tank/bioreactor stage, activated sludge plants often include another sedimentation process (secondary clarifier), where the activated sludge settles out and can be either returned to the bioreactor (return activated sludge or RAS) or if in surplus, removed from the process as WAS (waste activated sludge).

Tertiary Treatment Tertiary treatment occurs in some more sophisticated plants. In this step, the “clean” water that has passed

through all prior treatment, is given a final filtration, disinfection and general “polishing” before being released as effluent into the environment. After this final removal of fine particles, bacteria and potential parasites in the water may be incorporated into water recycling initiatives such as irrigation and dual reticulation in residential networks.

Waste and sludge handling The solids by-product removed from each of the previously mentioned treatment steps will, often with the assistance of chemical coagulants, undergo thickening to remove excess water before final dewatering (eg. centrifuge or presses) to further reduce the sludge volume for transport.

Whilst this thickened/dewatered sludge was historically only seen as inconvenient and costly waste, more recently it has been identified as a rich

WATER/WASTEWATER

Sensors can be used in all stages of the wastewater treatment process to make it more efficient and cost- effective. resource, capable of generating both usable biogas (energy) from anaerobic digesters and resalable biosolids (fertiliser) from dewatering.

Where automation comes in

In order to achieve target or regulated levels of treatment, many of the discussed processes in current WWTPs rely heavily on: • Labour for manual sampling, testing and reporting • Somewhat slow and inelastic schedules of control • Inefficient over-processing based on peak conditions • Heavy dosing of expensive chemicals to stimulate sedimentation and dewatering • Heating diluted sludge feed to anaerobic digesters Automation can bring drastic labour savings in terms of sampling and testing through the introduction of reliable sensors at key stages of the treatment process. Activated sludge plants will conduct time-consuming dry weight (or equivalent) laboratory tests daily from each bioreactor to measure the total suspended solids (TSS or MLSS) of the tank – an estimate of the microorganism population.

As they work more efficiently in an

environment with a stable/sufficient proportion of nutrients (food) to bug population, this insight allows operators to know whether to re-circulate RAS to increase the population or expel WAS if it is too high.

By using a Cerlic ITX for measurement of TSS instead, the physical collection of a MLSS sample can be avoided, along with the waste of laboratory consumables and 30-60 minutes of lab time taken for analysis and reporting.

Operational savings and maintenance costs from the incorporation of dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors are generally accepted in activated sludge processes where their continuous feedback is used to control blower speeds to ensure sufficient

aeration for the bug population.

However, in municipal WWTPs the norm is still to use the once per day measured TSS/MLSS value as a static reflection of the bug population throughout the entire day. This is done even though inflow fluctuations diurnally change with peak morning / evening routines (eg. shower and toilet after waking up and before bed) and midday quiet patches.

The use again of a real-time TSS sensor such as the ITX would foster elasticity in the MLSS return/wasting control cycle, not possible with the more labour intensive, once daily sampling regime.

This process improvement could have even more significance in regional or holiday WWTP locations for

impact where the practice of manually operated control systems means plants are often operated at near full capacity throughout the year to ensure successful wastewater treatment at peak times (eg. school holidays), even though the population and therefore inflow from surrounding suburbs will scale back by magnitudes out of holiday times.

Given the widespread use of sedimentation processes in primary and secondary treatment along with sludge thickening steps, it is clear that significant opportunities exist for automation here too.

Take for example the replacement of daily, manual sludge blanket measurement by an operator at a reasonably sized WWTP with four primary sedimentation tanks and four secondary clarifiers (conservative numbers for the WWTPs of most populated suburbs). If just one sample per shift is taken from each tank, more than an hour will be lost from each day - significantly more if a complete laboratory based “settling test” is conducted for each. Once again, the recorded variable is now assumed static for the entire shift, defining the use of expensive chemical coagulants until the next sample, regardless of any changes.

If the process was monitored instead by a continuous sludge blanket sensor such as the Cerlic CBX, operators would have an updated sludge blanket level every 30 minutes without leaving their office. Changes in sludge settling caused by a rain event or improper polymer dosing would be picked up rapidly, allowing for process control to prevent a possible wash-out event (with associated expensive filter backwash cycles or non-compliance issues), optimisation of chemical dosing or automatic clarifier de-sludging for RAS/WAS in MLSS balancing in the

By monitoring sludge blanket and fluff blanket levels in sedimentation processes, wash-outs can be prevented and de-sludging/thickening maximised.

FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 13

WATER/WASTEWATER

those offered by Cerlic, plant staff can find automation opportunities throughout their WWTP, leading to significant cost savings, streamlined biosolids handling and improved effluent quality.

The difference

The sensors’ solids detection mechanism is based on BeerLambert’s law. bioreactors for sludge retention time (SRT) control.

Similarly, in thickening and dewatering processes, there is room for savings and process improvement through automation. Typically, equipment in many of these stages operates based solely on an infeed/ outfeed volumetric flow rate (eg. m3/min), without consideration of the variation of total solids (TS) concentration. This means that the amount of chemical added and the speed of dewatering equipment (eg. centrifuge, belt or screw press) operates independent of the total solids (TS) content of the sludge – i.e. the same amount of coagulant would be added whether the sludge feed content is 2 per cent or 24 per cent TS, and likewise the centrifuge speed would not alter.

By installing a continuous, inline sludge TS sensor such as the Cerlic ITX-IL, plants could automate both the chemical dosing rate and dewatering equipment speed to match the real-time TS concentration, optimising the dewatering to ensure a consistent cake TS with

The Cerlic optical sensing circuit, including reference detector.

14 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

minimised volume for transport.

For WWTPs that incorporate anaerobic digesters, there are also ways that sensor controlled automation can help. The microorganisms that populate the anaerobic environment within a digester consume the carbohydrates from incoming sludge, releasing methane gas as a by-product. The bugs require a stable operating environment with a temperature of 37°C in which to do this. Lower concentration sludge increases the volume of water and dilutes the carbohydrate supply of the digester.

This dilution means an unnecessary increase in energy use to heat the sludge, whilst causing a lower yield in the gas production. Once again, by monitoring TS of sludge feed with inline sensors and incorporating sludge blanket sensors in pre-thickening processes, the plant can minimise the water content delivered to the digester and optimise the production of valuable methane gas, captured for plant-based electrical cogeneration.

With the incorporation of reliable process control sensors such as

Although a number of the suspended solids sensors on the market rely on the use of reflection or light scattering techniques developed for turbidity measurement in clean water, the Cerlic range of optical sensors utilise near infrared (NIR) transmission of light instead.

A linear correlation between loss of light and sample light absorption in wastewater treatment processes is created by calibration of the sensor against clear, particle free water and a sample of known concentration.

To ensure robust and steady operation throughout the lifecycle of Cerlic optical sensors, a reference light detector is uniquely located within the sensor head (next to the light source) to provide continuous light compensation for any natural variation that may occur in the intensity of the light source.

As a clean sensor is a more accurate and reliable sensor, all Cerlic optical suspended solids sensors utilise high pressure self-cleaning, with a choice of either water or compressed air. To cut down maintenance and increase life expectancy, this cleaning has no moving parts (i.e. no service requirement) and is completely integrated into the body of the sensor – rather than attached to the

outside where it becomes entangled with hair and other rubbish that has bypassed screening in the early wastewater processes.

Commonly used sludge blanket sensors use an ultrasonic pulse to bounce a soundwave off a blanket represented by a fixed density. In applications however where a floating layer of sludge or changing density in the sedimentation process exists, this ultrasonic principle tends to become inaccurate as a noisy signal becomes more prevalent.

The Cerlic CBX instead lowers a suspended solids sensor through the entire sedimentation tank, continuously correlating TSS concentration and depth. From the one sensor, individual outputs from the CBX are continuously provided for fluff level (i.e. poor settling sludge), sludge blanket level (i.e. sludge interface) and tank profile (i.e. TSS versus tank depth). This way an accurate profile of the tank sludge levels can be seen by process operators, regardless of the sludge settling properties.

With increased information gleaned from the real-time feedback of reliable, repeatable and accurate analytical sensors, WWTP have a wide scope of potential automation upgrades in the digital age to not only provide improved plant performance, but enhanced process knowledge and environmental outputs over the years to come. PACE Control Components 02 9542 8977 www.controlcomponents.com.au

Self-cleaning of the ITX has kept the sensing element free from build-up after 8 months without manual maintenance.

Low-cost level measurement.

Radar sensor for water management.

Reliable level measurement in water treatment facilities, pump stations and rain overflow basins.

Open channel flow measurement and water level monitoring.

VEGAPULS WL S 61 ▪ Measuring range up to 8 m

▪ Can be used outdoors without restriction ▪ Flood-proof IP 68 housing

▪ Operation via Bluetooth with Smartphone, tablet or PC

Further information: www.vega.com/wls61

Phone 1800 817 135

RFID TECHNOLOGY

Taking efficiency to the next level with RFID technology The RFID market is booming. This ubiquitous technology that has infiltrated our lives, whether at work or play, is worth US$10 billion globally. The relatively inexpensive technology has become indispensable in a world driven by data. In Australia we have felt its benefits acutely, with RFID set to continue its dominance in a range of industries.

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ithin Australia the technology has assumed a vice like grip on a variety of industries. Our airports are becoming increasingly dependent on the technology, after decades of archaic barcode identification technology. Due to RFID’s relatively low overheads in installing and maintaining the tags, it has helped to generate large cost savings.

Qantas has credited the technology for making its logistical process infinitely more simple. The company initiated a highly automated check-in process by distributing and selling permanent RFID bag tags, which

16 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

are coded with the passenger’s information. When the passenger drops off the luggage it is scanned and automatically linked to that person’s flight details. Simple perhaps, but highly effective in tracking baggage and quickening the airline’s check-in process.

Other Australian industries have been quick to implement the technology, not only for its economic benefits but for its ease of use. In manufacturing machinery, RFID tags installed onboard have the ability to increase quality control and efficiency.

When a product is being assembled, robotic stations can automatically adjust themselves to suit the process

after recognising the tag.

Furthermore, next July, Amazon will launch in Australia, in an exciting moment for e-commerce in the country. Currently the online giant is testing the water on a new brick and mortar experience, called Amazon Go, and RFID is at the heart of its potential success. You can walk into any store, pick up your goods and walk out without worrying about negotiating a line or waiting for a cashier to serve you. It’s all possible due to existing RFID technology.

The technology’s benefit is its flexibility and cost for Australian industry. RFID provides the perfect platform to evolve to the ever changing

demands of industry. For instance, we have seen the rapid uptake of ultra-high frequency tags which come in the form of long-range tags,

“The technology’s benefit is its flexibility and cost for Australian industry.

RFID provides the perfect platform to evolve to the ever changing demands of industry.”

RFID TECHNOLOGY

high temperature tags, low-range tags, printable tags and more, all at increasingly reduced prices.

The benefits for Australian industry are evidently numerous, whether that is in cost, technology or most pertinently in machine efficiency. Industry and infrastructure consume more than 31 per cent of the available energy in the world, and electrical motors alone use more than 60 per cent of that energy. In an increasingly competitive market, it is essential to work out how to make your manufacturing process more efficient. End to end tagging technology is a simple and cost effective way of saving money, time and maintaining security.

At Schneider Electric, we have been excited by our recent panel mount smart antennas. The system’s main benefit is its ease of installation and security on site. We have worked tirelessly to create a system that can bring better security to the workplace thanks to operator and tool identification. RFID tags have enabled

us to identify each operator through its profile and ultimately increase productivity thanks to reduced set up time.

We wanted to provide technology that was optimised to today’s Australian industrial landscape.

Our system can react and apply the right parameters, configured in the RFID tags. Increased knowledge has ultimately unlocked greater efficiency for our partners. Our technology has enabled full accuracy of the information displayed to each operator through its profile, and experience increased productivity thanks to reduced setup time. Predict necessary maintenance with data-driven precision. Simple and easy installation and configuration Perhaps the best feature of the new RFID system from Telemecanique Sensors is that it is easy to set up and install.

RFID technology has changed our lives in Australia. By integrating accessible and efficient RFID tags, we are able to increase productivity and increase security. The range of

industries that RFID technology can infiltrate in Australia is unparalleled as leaders understand its far-reaching benefits. Schneider Electric is incredibly excited to see how RFID will drive our country’s innovation agenda and help to make us a more effective and most pertinently a more efficient workforce. By implementing RFID technology, Australian industry

is helping to keep the country incredibly competitive on a global scale. PACE This article was written by Paul Morton, product manager – sensors & LE control at Schneider Electric.

Schneider Electric 1300 369 233 www.schneider-electric.com.au

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FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 17

INTERNET OF THINGS

Most at-risk IoT devices revealed

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recent analysis from security company Zscaler reveals the IoT devices that are most at risk of attack. The company looked at the history of its cloud for types of devices in use, the protocols used, locations of the servers with which they communicated, and the frequency of their inbound and outbound communications over a two-month period (26 August 2016 - 26 October 2016). The company found that the most at-risk devices were cameras, home entertainment systems, printers and IP phones. This is because many of these devices were still using plain-text HTTP protocol for authentication and firmware updates, “which makes their communication vulnerable to sniffing and Man-in-The-Middle (MiTM) attacks”.

The following devices have been targeted the most in recent attacks:

Video monitoring and surveillance cameras

1. Flir FX Wireless HD Monitoring Camera Security concern: “This device was found to be communicating over plaintext HTTP with the FLIR services

18 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

server for firmware updates without any authentication tokens.”

2. Canary Home Security System Security concern: None.

3. Foscam Security concern: “This device was leaking user credential information over HTTP in the URI.” 4. Dahua DH Security Camera Security concern: “Weak default credentials and communication over HTTP makes the communication susceptible to sniffing and MiTM attacks.”

5. Axis Camera Security concern: “We found the remote management console of the camera to be using basic HTTP based authentication, which makes the communication susceptible to sniffing and MiTM attacks.”

Smart TVs and entertainment devices

1.Haier Android TV Security concern: “The security concern with respect to smart TVs in general

is the use of outdated libraries which could be exploited to gain control over the system.”

2. Chromecast Media Player Security concern: None.

3. Roku Streaming TV and Media Player Security concern: None.

Smart network printers and scanners 1. Epson Printer Security concern: None.

2. HP Designjet printers Security concern: None.

3. Fuji Xerox Printer Security concern: “We observed print monitors connecting to maintenance logging modules without any authentication. Network printers are usually installed and set up in a way to make them reachable by most users on the internal networks.

It is important to ensure that these printers are running the latest security patches by keeping firmware up to date.”

Digital and network video recording systems (DVR/ NVR)

1. VideoEdge NVR Security concern: “Weak default credentials and communication over HTTP makes the communication susceptible to sniffing and MiTM attacks.”

2. D-Link DNR-202L Security concern: “`Weak default credentials and communication over HTTP makes the communication susceptible to sniffing and MiTM attacks.”

IP Phones

1. Panasonic KX-TGP500B04 Security concern: “These devices were found to be downloading a root certificate as well as performing authentication over plain-text HTTP protocol, making them vulnerable to sniffing and MiTM attacks.”

2. Yealink SIP T46G phones Security concern: “These devices were found to be using basic HTTP authentication.” PACE This information was sourced from Zscaler.

INTERNET OF THINGS

World’s most common passwords

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n 2016, hundreds of thousands of IoT devices were hacked due to the use of insecure default passwords.

DDoS source codes like Mirai scan the internet for these poorly-protected devices, upon which they flood them with attacks, resulting in anything from stolen information to device manipulation and sabotage of operations, writes Stephanie Stefanovic.

Earlier this year, security firm Keeper conducted a study of 10 million passwords that became public through data breaches that occurred in 2016. As a result, the 25 most common passwords have been revealed.

According to Keeper, the list of the most common passwords has changed little over the14.12.16 past few years, Projekt1 08:23despite Seite 1

increased user education. In regard to IoT devices, this suggests that the onus must be on the developer to ensure users are automatically prompted to set a password when setting up the device, disenabling the use of default passwords.

The developer should also implement controls that enforce minimum length and complexity requirements, multifactor authentication and other security measures.

This need for controls dictating minimum length and complexity requirements is reinforced by the fact that four of the top 10 passwords and seven of the top 15 are six characters or less.

According to Keeper, these passwords can be unscrambled in seconds.

Furthermore, passwords such as

“1q2w3e4r” and “123qwe” are examples of sequential key variations, which some users may adopt thinking they are safer than passwords such as “qwerty” or “12345”. However, dictionary-based password crackers know to look for sequential key variations and will not be fooled.

Some general rules for creating a secure password: • Create a password that is at least 8 characters, with a mixture of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and other characters.

• Do not use common phrases or words found in a dictionary.

• Do not use composition rules (eg. device name + year or user + factory name). PACE

25 MOST COMMON PASSWORDS 1.

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123456 123456789 qwerty 12345678 111111 1234567890 1234567 password 123123 987654321 qwertyuiop mynoob 123321 666666 18atcskd2w 7777777 1q2w3e4r 654321 555555 3rjs1la7qe google 1q2w3e4r5t 123qwe zxcvbnm 1q2w3e

FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 19

INTERNET OF THINGS

The top IoT software platforms Q4 2016 A new report from Forrester has identified and compared the top 11 IoT software platform providers for the last quarter of 2016. Stephanie Stefanovic writes.

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ccording to the report, IBM, PTC, GE and Microsoft lead the pack, while AWS, SAP and Cisco Jasper offer competitive options, and LogMeIn, Ayla Networks, Exosite and Zebra Technologies lag behind.

Forrester evaluated vendors based on 25 points of criteria, which were divided into three “high-level buckets”: Current offering: Vendors’ current offerings were evaluated according to the functional categories of connect, manage, secure and analyse.

Forrester looked at the breadth of protocol support and cloud integration, the strength of the management console for managing virtual devices using a rules-based engine, support for developers through SDKs and prebuilt applications, and the platform’s identity and access management functions. Forrester also examined each platform’s capacity

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for analytics, including advanced capabilities such as predictive analytics, augmented reality and edge analytics.

Strategy: Forrester assessed each vendor’s strategic positioning as a factor of several evaluation criteria, including planned enhancements, geographic reach and the robustness of its partner ecosystems.

Market presence: This category indicates the relative ranking of the vendors in the areas of customer installation, geographic client distribution and dedicated employee resources.

Why IBM, PTC, GE and Microsoft top the list

IBM: “The Watson IoT Platform can serve a broad range of advanced IoT use cases. The tech giant doubled down on IoT in 2015 with an investment of US$3 billion dollars to create a new IoT business unit. The new

organisation includes more than 1000 researchers, developers and designers dedicated specifically to developing the Watson IoT Platform.

“Since then, IBM has added significant capabilities to the platform, including augmented reality, cognitive capabilities, blockchain, edge analytics, analytics tooling and natural language processing, to name a few. With a strong commitment to open source standards and a robust global partner ecosystem, IBM is well positioned for market leadership. However, according to some customers, Watson is not well integrated with analytics engines, and IBM’s product portfolio terminology is confusing and hard to decipher.”

PTC: “PTC has invested $1 billion in IoT offerings since its acquisition of the ThingWorx platform in 2013.

The company’s broad protocol support for both short-range and wireless connectivity options, strong digital twin functionality, and a multitude of prepackaged applications that include asset management, alert management, product relationship management, and workflow management place PTC in the top tier of vendors for this evaluation.

“The company also boasts the strongest augmented reality capabilities in this evaluation, due in part to its acquisition of Vuforia in 2015.

Despite these advanced capabilities however, some references reported a shortage of technical expertise within PTC’s professional services division in addition to a lack of communication and clarity regarding newly released features.”

GE: “The vendor offers its Predix platform primarily for IoT applications. GE has been using its Predix platform to support its own native offering before making it available to others to build upon.

Predix enables remote monitoring and

advanced predictive and edge analytics and features this evaluation’s most advanced digital twin capability, which allows customers to design and test new capabilities of connected highvalue assets like wind turbines and airplane engines using a high-fidelity digital model of the asset.

“Numerous customer references cited GE’s intense focus and history in the industrial market as a key differentiator over its competition.

This evaluation did uncover some areas to improve, such as developing more packaged, end-to-end solutions for IoT use cases beyond asset performance management.”

Microsoft: “The Azure IoT Suite integrates an array of specialised tools and analytics services to support IoT platform functions. The offering includes preconfigured solutions for predictive maintenance and remote monitoring to help customers implement IoT solutions efficiently.

These preconfigured solutions use Azure services such as IoT Hub for device connections, authentication and monitoring and use Notification Hubs, Machine Learning, and Stream Analytics to capture insight from connected assets.

“Microsoft’s Azure IoT Suite has a strong road map and extensive global reach in 13 regions, including China and Germany. In addition, Microsoft acquired Solair in March 2016 to expand its IoT solution capabilities for retail as well as food and beverage customers. However, Azure IoT Suite is currently available only in a public cloud environment and is not yet available in hosted private or private cloud environments.” PACE Information for this article was sourced from The Forrester Wave: IoT Software Platforms, Q4 2016.

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SOLAR ENERGY

Solgen lighting a shining path to effective solar energy usage In our ongoing series talking to industry leaders, we have a chat with Solgen Energy group executive General Manager David Naismith about reneweable energy, the solar industry and the challenges borne out of the growing solar power storage sector.

PACE: Could you tell us more about Solgen’s business direction here in Australia and what are your plans for your customers here?

David Naismith: Solgen Energy Group is a leading solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) group providing turnkey renewable solutions in the commercial and industrial sector. While the basics of solar power are generally well understood, the applications are growing. We’ve completed projects covering large ground-mount solar farms, multi-story solar car parks with charging stations, solar pumping for agriculture – the applications are enormous and the market is demanding more innovative solutions. We have a very busy New Ventures team that spends all its time vetting product and opportunities, continually looking for the next solution for our clients.

PACE: What is Solgen’s position with regards to Industrial Internet of Things? (i.e. the need for cyber physical systems, internet of things, cloud technology) David Naismith: We have seen a general commoditisation of products in the solar and storage space.

Differentiation for solar is generally determined by the underlying design and experience of the vendor. Storage however is currently enjoying a differentiation by brand. Over time this will change and storage is likely to become extrememly commoditsed.

The leaders in the space will be the data owners and software developers that control the interaction between the grid, solar, storage and integration of consumption patterns. It is this platform that will lower electricity 22 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

price delivery to the consumer by managing where that power comes from and opens the opportunity for peer-to-peer energy trading. In addition, the platform will learn consumption patterns of the business and interact with machinery to best manage energy demand.

transparent commercial process for every industry that is renowned for delivering certainty around generation and financial returns.

PACE: Why will solar energy be essential for businesses in future?

David Naismith: Storage is a very exciting space. While still relatively expensive, the cost of energy storage is expected to fall rapidly over the next few years and we are already seeing evidence of these price drops. Current pricing means the business case in a commerical environment is difficult.

However, where storage begins to play a role in demand management as well as shifting consumption patterns, we will see increased demand in the commercial space.

David Naismith: Solar power effectively acts as a long-term hedge on energy prices. Solar power is able to deliver electricity over 20 years at approximately $0.06 per kilowatt hour in today’s money – that’s a very stable savings both now and well into the future. Incorporating solar power into a businesses energy mix gives the business greater control over its rates moving forward. In addition, customers are demanding to source their products from businesses that can demonstrate manufacturing techniques that are environmentally sustainable at an efficient price.

Solar delivers in both of these areas – renewable energy that delivers longterm savings to businesses.

PACE: Why would customers buy Solgen’s products over a competitor?

David Naismith: Solgen Energy Group stands out from its competitors by its experience in delivering some of Australia’s most iconic solar projects nation-wide. Our reputation for installing industrial solar panels is backed by our performance of projects in the field. We have carried out major rollouts for the National Broadband network right through to food manufactuerers in the Northern Territory. We have a simple and

PACE: Is Solgen looking to exploit economic opportunities from the home battery revolution?

PACE: What supplementary service does Solgen offer customers?

David Naismith: Solgen Energy Group focuses on providing solar solutions to the commercial and industrial sector. Beyond this core market, the Group also offers services for medium scale (megawatt) solar power plants and more niche markets such as solar water pumping solutions for agri-businesses and power factor correction for businesses with high inductive loads.

PACE: How do customers access product maintenance?

David Naismith: As a contract requirement, all customers are sent Operation & Maintenance Manuals following the installation completion.

These manuals are compiled in-house and are specific to every system.

Contained within are maintenance

schedules for the system, as well as shutdown and isolation procedures.

Data sheets and warranties for every component used are attached to the manual, providing the customer with more in-depth information on the technical specifications and

SOLGEN ENERGY GROUP EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER, DAVID NAISMITH David Naismith is a founder or Solgen Energy Group with close to ten years experience across some of Australia’s leading solar projects. David has spent more than 10 years in corporate finance followed by his role as Chief Financial Officer of a technology group listed on both the Nasdaq and London Stock Exchange. David’s finance background provides a unique blend of financial and project development insight behind the drivers of deployment of solar power. David holds a Bachelor of Commerce, an MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management and is a Chartered Accountant.

SOLAR ENERGY

maintenance duties for every part of the system.

In the event a customer requires further advice, or a product is showing a fault or requires comprehensive technical maintenance, the customer would call their Solgen project manager that is always on hand.

PACE: What challenges do renewable companies face in competing against established interests like Big Oil and Big Coal?

David Naismith: Fossil fuels are no longer seen as a ‘competitor’ to renewable energy. Renewables have carved their own space and work in harmony alongside traditional energy.

Fossil fuels face far greater challenges

than renewables, simply because they are reliant on a finite resource, uncertain markets and enourmous amounts of infrastructure to deliver.

That infrastructure requires significant maintenance just to keep it running each day. Solar power on the other hand has no moving parts and simply does its thing with exceptionally low maintenance requirements.

PACE: How do companies judge what level of solar power can meet their energy needs?

David Naismith: We assess the consumption patterns of a business over a minimum 12 month period and overlay a system specification that best meets the energy needs of the

business. In most cases, the system is shaped on delivering energy that can be consumed in the business without exporting to the grid. However, even with the right blend of export to the grid, that can still deliver the highest financial returns. Our primary aim is to deliver the best financial outcome to the business.

PACE: When do you think renewable projects will not need government subsidies such as the renewable energy target (RET), ARENA support or grants from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation?

David Naismith: Anything that can contribute to higher returns is naturally a factor in our clients’ decision to implement solar. However increasing grid energy prices and the lower cost of components mean that financial returns have gradually become strong enough as a standalone business case. This is why the Renewable Energy Target incentives are beginning to unwind.

Our clients want to see the financials stack up without too much reliance on government policy.

PACE: With state governments ramping up renewable energy targets, is 100 per cent renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal etc.) a realistic proposition or not?

David Naismith: Not only is it possible, it makes sense and delivers a far more stable outcome that is sustainable well into the future.

Intermittency issues associated with wind and solar are now being addressed through significant advances in energy storage.

Furthermore, with peer-to-peer energy trading, we are no longer reliant on single points of failure in delivery of our energy.

PACE: How much human labour is needed in future on renewable energy products?

David Naismith: The Climate Council recently noted that a 50 per cent Renewable Electricity target scenario in 2030 will lead to over 28,000 new jobs, or almost 50 per

cent more employment than the current targets would deliver and 80 per cent of these jobs are an addition to the economy.

PACE: What is the next step in renewable energy- e.g. how do you see the all the elements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution linking together? Do you see renewable energy linking up quantum computing?

David Naismith: We have gradually seen barriers to purchase fall away, primarily driven by advances in technology that have driven significant reductions in price. This has been key in placing solar on a level playing field with grid power.

We have gone from an industry that wasn’t really solving a problem other than green credentials to one that is becoming a critical part of any business’s energy mix.

We are in a very exciting space.

Business and consumers will continue to pressure the grid to become more service-based and less supply-centric.

That service will create unlimited opportunities for peer-to-peer, business-to-business energy trading where combinations of renewable energy, storage and cloud-based technologies will mean that business will have far greater control over how they consume energy and what they pay for it. We are a very progressive organisation and while solar will remain our core business, we need to keep innovating across its application and be mindful of adjacent technologies that in combination will maximise results for our clients.

PACE: What is the potential for solar microgeneration and people going off grid? What are the implications for Solgen and energy companies of microgen?

David Naismith: We are seeing a large uptake of solar-hybrid systems that effectively allow people to come off-grid. This can be in combination with desiel generation or simply solar and battery storage. PACE Solgen Energy Group 1300 660 704 https://solgen.com.au FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 23

SENSORS

The growing HVAC sensors and controllers market

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he global HVAC market is projected to reach US$9.34 billion by 2024, according to a new report from Transparency Market Research which details trends in the sector from 2016-2024.

Titled HVAC Sensors and Controllers Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016-2024, the report has noted that a majority of the leading companies operating in the global HVAC sensors and controllers market are currently eyeing mergers and acquisitions and even collaborations to gain better traction.

For example, companies such as Emerson Electric, Schneider Electric and Siemens are working towards expanding their global presence by establishing HVAC distribution and manufacturing centres around the world.

According to the report, the 24 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

global market for HVAC sensors and controllers stood at US$5.18 billion in 2015, and is projected to reach US$9.34 billion by the end of 2024. This represents a CAGR of 6.9 per cent.

Regionally, North America is expected to continue leading the market through the forecast period. It held over 33 per cent of the revenue share in the market in 2015.

The report has predicted the following trends for the forecast period: Installation of HVAC sensors and controllers to rise due to growth of non-residential businesses: The global HVAC sensors and controllers market is driven by the impressive growth witnessed in non-residential businesses. Maintaining indoor air quality is a crucial concern for these businesses, which is achievable through HVAC sensors and controllers. As businesses switch from

mechanical to electronic systems, the demand for HVAC sensors and controllers is expected to rise in response. This will subsequently provide opportunities for the entry of new players, thus aiding expansion of the global HVAC sensors and controllers market.

Implementation of IoT to provide the market with lucrative opportunities: The market is projected to gain significantly from the implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT). Leading players are already aiming to optimally capitalise on IoT technologies over the next decade, to achieve significant growth in commercial and non-commercial sectors alike. The building automation system is already included in most modern HVAC systems.

Integrating IoT with the same, will enable HVAC sensors and controllers to establish wider communication

streams within related devices installed in a building.

High initial investment required for HVAC system installation to stagnate growth: The high initial investment incurred on installation could stagnate the market’s growth to an extent. Nevertheless, the continuing evolution of the IoT will help the HVAC industry transform over the forecast period. Furthermore, the market will also witness tremendous growth across Asia Pacific and Latin America. India, Brazil, China and Japan are among the nations showing a high rate of infrastructure development. Technical advancements witnessed in both commercial and residential sectors provide immense opportunities for the growth of the global HVAC sensors and controllers market. PACE IDTechEx www.idtechex.com

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SENSORS

Use smart hardware to improve IoT energy and sensor efficiency The Internet of Things (IoT) will use distributed sensors to build more intelligence into the world around us. By sensing chemicals, moisture, temperature and other environmental variables, IoT systems will be able to tune conditions inside buildings to be more comfortable, make factories more productive, and distribution more effective by keeping the goods under optimum conditions at all times writes Simon Duggleby, product marketing manager, Electronics Division, RS Components.

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ne of the most important requirements for an IoT sensor node is low energy consumption. In many cases, the sensor node will be wireless for ease of installation. All of the node’s power will need to be supplied by a built-in battery or harvested from the environment. To minimise maintenance costs, many users will want the battery to be able to power the device for its full service life – which could be five years, ten or more.

The lifetime energy usage of an IoT sensor is a combination of the energy consumed while actively processing and interacting with the wireless network and the energy used for the periods in between those periods of activity. The power consumption of any CMOS logic-based device such as a microcontroller is largely due to the influx of charge required to switch between different states. On top of this, the constant trickle of current lost through leakage needs to be added.

Power consumption and energy wastage

The power consumed during switching is determined by the formula CV²f where C is the total capacitance of the circuit paths within the device, V is the supply voltage and f is the operating frequency. The leakage power depends on the process technology and is at a much lower level than switching power. But, because leakage is continual, it leads to significant wastage of energy over the long term.

The only way to prevent leakage is to power down the circuitry completely. Many microcontrollers are designed to support this.

26 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

When the system is quiescent, the microcontroller’s sleep state allows large parts of the integrated circuit (IC) to have the power rails disconnected, leaving only small portions of the device, such as the real-time clock, running. A low-power sleep state will consume far less energy during a given period of time than its active state.

Many IoT applications can take advantage of the microcontroller’s support for sleep modes. The gaps between periods of high activity can be relatively long. Each sensor reading is likely to take no more than a few

hundred microseconds to complete and can be far less. Even if a sensor reading is required ten times a second, the sensor node can be fully asleep for much of its overall lifetime.

Lifetime is highly sensitive to the duty cycle between active and sleep modes. At a duty cycle of five per cent, the device can wake five times every second for a period of 10ms. An MCU that consumes 1mA when fully active, and which supports a deepsleep mode that consumes a constant 2µA, may operate for approximately four years from an 1800mAh battery.

If this active cycle increases to 10 per cent then the lifetime will be almost halved.

Microcontroller activity

Designers of microcontrollers aimed at the IoT have taken great care to not just reduce the power consumed during active and sleep modes but to make it possible to increase the proportion of time spent in sleep than in high-activity states. Peak activity for a microcontroller will typically occur during periods when the central processor is running software.

SENSORS

Some power will also be wasted during the wakeup and activitysuspension periods. During these periods, the software will not be performing useful work. Although MCU designers have worked to reduce the wakeup delay using fast-starting on-chip clock oscillators but the system will consume power while it transfers the values of important registers to and from non-volatile memory and performs other housekeeping tasks.

The key, therefore, to longer battery life is to minimise the number of wakeup cycles needed. Intelligent peripherals provide the means to achieving this.

Power-saving peripherals

A number of have incorporated intelligent, power-saving peripherals – they range from 8bit MCUs such as the Microchip PIC range through to 32bit ARM-based SoCs. Some of them incorporate state machines and I/O processors that coordinate peripherals without the need to involve software processing until absolutely necessary.

Examples include Atmel’s picoPower and SleepWalking technologies and the LESENSE peripheral block used

by the Gecko series of MCUs made by Silicon Labs. Microchip has employed the concept of Core-Independent Peripherals in a number of its PIC12 and PIC16 MCUs. The inclusion of state machines and other logic into the hardware peripherals make it possible to keep the processor core asleep for longer by transferring some of the calculations often performed in software into the hardware domain. The simpler, low-level hardware engines can activate more quickly from a sleep state and consume far less power than the fully operational central processing unit.

In a typical application, the MCU will run for much of its time almost fully asleep with only the most vital functions, such as the core hardware interrupt circuitry and the real-time clock running. This not only allows the system to process reset interrupts and maintain the system clock, but having the clock operational makes it possible to generate a timer interrupt at regular intervals.

This timer interrupt can lead to a partial wakeup that activates important hardware blocks such as the analogueto-digital converters (ADCs) attached

to the IoT device’s external sensors.

Once activated, the ADCs can take measurements and pass them into on-chip memory. The state machine in a LESENSE controller, for example, can compare the new value with a threshold set by the software before the processor core last went to sleep.

If the value is below the threshold, the processor can remain sleeping.

Otherwise, the LESENSE unit will wake the processor to perform more detailed analysis and possibly act on the change.

Low-level hardware coordination between peripherals makes it possible to store data from repeated measurements so that the values are available to the processor when it finally needs to be woken. The picoPower subsystems in Atmel ARM-based MCUs have access to direct memory access (DMA) controllers that allow captured data to be stored safely in local memory. The DMA controller can reduce system power even further by using a hardware CRC engine to automatically calculate a checksum to provide integrity checking, saving additional power.

The range of Core-Independent

Peripherals available for the Microchip PIC range include a Configurable Logic Cell that performs combinational and state-based logic on up to 32 internal or external input sources, continuing operation while the processor core is asleep. This lets the MCU perform signal conditioning and data manipulation without invoking the processor unless the logic’s truth determines that the wakeup interrupt needs to be asserted.

Low-enery IoT applications

Atmel’s Dynamic SleepWalking optimises power consumption further by enabling power domain transitions without waking the processor. This allows the MCU to use the lowestenergy mode possible at any given time, autonomously increase to a higher power domain if required to use additional system or peripheral resources, and return to a lower power mode once the event has been handled.

Within the ARM ecosystem, software support for low-energy IoT applications has arrived in the form of the event-based mBed OS. Traditional real-time operating system (RTOS) design can increase power consumption by attempting to provide the lowest possible latency.

The event-based model of mBed OS follows the design principle used by hardware-enhanced MCUs to minimise energy consumption.

The mBed OS does not use regular timer interrupts to initiate tasks – the processor is expected to only wake up if events need to be handled. The single-threaded model processes tasks within the same power domain before transferring control to tasks from a different domain. This avoids the problem of different power domains being activated and put to sleep again frequently, which minimises overall energy consumption.

The optimisation of processing for energy efficiency in the MCU ecosystem continues, which will yield further gains in battery lifetime for sensor nodes. But the combination of smarter hardware peripherals running in conjunction with microprocessor cores already provides the framework for low-energy IoT sensor nodes. PACE RS Components 1300 656 636 au.rs-online.com/ FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 27

HMI

The benefits of embedding HMI in near edge devices Compact HMI software can be integrated into near-edge devices to add IIoT connectivity and other functions, writes Scott Kortier, InduSoft Web Studio senior technical engineer at Wonderware by Schneider Electric.

M

achine builders and OEMs often provide human machine interface (HMI) functions with a separate component, either a PC-based HMI or an embedded HMI. In either case, the HMI program is developed on a PC and a runtime project is downloaded to the target.

The term PC-based HMI means a HMI software runtime application hosted on a PC, which is the target.

The term embedded HMI refers to

28 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

an HMI software runtime application hosted on a target platform capable of running an embedded OS such as Windows Embedded, Linux, VxWorks, and so on.

However, a new class of embedded HMI is emerging, where a compact HMI runtime is hosted on a target smart edge device such as a smart drive, power meter, special-purpose controller or another component— and viewed on a smartphone or tablet.

In this case, the HMI runtime is still developed on a PC, but in

this case, the target is the smart edge device. Using off-the-shelf configuration software (such as IoTView), only the HMI functions and data collection required for the device is transferred to the target as the runtime application.

For example, some smart edge devices will only require HMI connectivity functions, while others may need connectivity, local data storage and visualisation.

Customising the HMI application to the target allows the developer

to control and limit the computing resources required at the target, which is critical as most smart edge devices have limited storage space and processing power.

In some instances, embedding HMI functions in one or more smart edge devices will eliminate the need for a traditional PC-based HMI or embedded HMI. In other cases, a traditional HMI will work hand-inhand with smart edge device HMIs. A HMI/SCADA software package, whether hosted on a PC or an

HMI

embedded platform, traditionally provides the connection between the plant floor or facility and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). It’s the means or gateway for connecting controllers and smart edge devices into other SCADA systems, company databases, ERP and MES systems, the cloud and the IIoT.

Embedding the HMI at the edge

Some smart edge devices have embedded connectivity that could, in theory, push data directly to the cloud, but it’s typically not feasible in most industrial systems for security and other reasons.

However, modern, platformagnostic HMI software enables embedded connectivity gateway applications to be developed on a PC and downloaded to the smart device.

Such gateways can then establish connectivity between smart devices and cloud-based systems such as database and analytical applications.

The embedded smart device HMI delivers connectivity by consolidating, filtering and manipulating the information through configurable scripts and rules before forwarding it to the cloud. Moreover, built-in security settings and native support for encryption (SSL) represent an additional layer of security and isolation between the real-time control network and the enterprise network and the internet.

The smart edge device typically has a serial or an Ethernet port, or a wireless connection. The device may

also include a TCP/IP stack. Local or remote users can connect to the smart device—through Wi-Fi for example— using a smartphone, tablet, laptop or another component capable of hosting a HTML5 web browser.

Given proper credentials, the user can monitor or adjust the system settings through a configurable rich graphical interface—providing visualisation into the smart edge’s embedded HMI. The embedded connectivity at the smart edge device eliminates custom coding of communication drivers and related support of firmware.

It also eliminates the need to use custom code to create displays because extensive object libraries and built-in graphical functions are available.

One of the main advantages of embedding HMI at a smart edge device is the ability to send data directly to the cloud, a necessity for many IIoT implementations. Sending data to a cloud-based storage system such as an SQL database—or to a commercial data-storage company such as Amazon, Microsoft Azure or Alphabet—is simplified.

Future proofing connectivity

that can keep pace with shifting standards and communication protocols.

One way to protect the investment and make current HMI systems future-proof is to design solutions based on off-the-shelf products and open architectures.

Key features to look for include:

• Portability to different target platforms (Windows, Linux, for example) • Interoperability with multiple protocols and systems (driver, OPC, Databases, and so on) • Support for mobility standards such as HTML5 to access the information from devices such as smartphones, tablets or wearable devices One example is an IIoT agricultural implementation that deploys intelligent irrigation systems.

Adequate water supply is key for agriculture. Integration of Web Map Service and Sensor Observation Service with the intelligent irrigation system provides a way to manage use. This IIoT agricultural

implementation analyses water requirements and weather forecasts to provide only the irrigation needed, reducing water and energy use.

Another example is PML Exploration Services, an oil field services company. PML offers realtime information to ensure affordable, efficient and safe drilling practices.

The HMI/ SCADA system pushes data on gas and soil composition to the cloud, even in remote locations off the grid, and notifies users of alarms and critical conditions. These notifications can be used to improve operations and safety while protecting expensive drilling equipment.

Embedding HMI connectivity in smart edge devices simplifies communication locally and with the IIoT. It also makes it easier to create advanced operator interface displays and to exchange data with cloud applications and other computer platforms. Instead of custom code, off-the-shelf software is available to develop and configure the embedded HMI functionality and download it to the smart edge devices. PACE This story was originally printed in Design World, www.designworldonline.com

Eventually, every device or system will be connected to one another through vertical and horizontal networks to get the most productivity and value from each machine. The scope and speed of which devices are connected are proceeding quickly, so design systems need flexible architectures

FEBRUARY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 29

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

Using household chemicals to send messages Researchers have built a machine that sends messages using common chemicals. Among many potential applications, this system could relay secret messages or allow tiny devices to communicate inside the human body, writes Taylor Kubota.

N

earing the completion of his master’s degree in computer engineering and computer science at York University in Ontario, Canada, Nariman Farsad was considering pursuing further study elsewhere.

But his supervisor, Andrew Eckford, convinced him to stay by suggesting an odd line of research.

The idea? Figure out how to create a system that uses chemicals to transmit messages.

“When he explained it, it was intriguing to me because it was very new and seemed futuristic,” said Farsad, now a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford, in the lab of Andrea Goldsmith, professor of electrical engineering.

“I thought, okay, it’s a high-risk, high-reward project, so why not?”

This remains relatively uncharted territory, studied by few other researchers in the world. At York, Farsad built the first ever experimental chemical texting system, which used vodka to send its messages. Now, as a member of the Wireless Systems Lab at Stanford, he has a faster version that communicatesthrough pulses of glass cleaner and inegar.

There are challenges yet unmet by the current system and another, bacteria-based system in the making.

In the midst of this work, Farsad

and Goldsmith relish envisioning the strange and wonderful potential of data exchange through chemicals.

“It’s wireless and affordable, and it could work without electronics. That means it could function in places where typical electromagnetic communications systems struggle, such as under water or in places containing lots of metal.”

30 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

Simple idea, complex execution

In essence, the chemical communication system is a straightforward concept. Like many systems, it relies on a binary code to relay messages. But instead of zeros and ones, it sends pulses of acid (vinegar) or base (glass cleaner). The researchers type their desired message in a small computer. The computer then sends a signal to a machine that pumps out the corresponding “bits” of chemicals, which travel through plastic tubes to

a small container with a pH sensor.

Changes in pH are then transmitted to a computer that deciphers the encoded message.

Farsad chose these specific chemicals because they are easy to obtain and they cancel each other out at the receiving end of the system.

In his vodka messaging machine, the signal would build up to the point that the receiving end was too saturated with vodka to receive more messages.

The complications of this type of system, like the vodka hurdle,

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

“Chemical-based data exchange could be self-powered, traveling throughout the body harmlessly – and would be undetectable by outside devices.” are largely due to the fact that it’s completely new. Goldsmith has spent her entire career working in wireless communication. Chemical messaging offers a new twist on familiar problems.

“Every problem that we’ve addressed in traditional wireless communications over the last three or four decades is really different now because it’s a different mode of communicating,” said Goldsmith.

“As such, it opens up all of these new ways of thinking about the optimal way to design this type of communication system.”

One of the most pressing challenges is figuring out how to separate the

signal from the noise at the end of the transmission. Upgrading from vodka to the acid-base combination was an immense improvement but the chemicals still leave residue behind as they move through the channel.

A science-fiction solution

If asked, Goldsmith and Farsad could probably imagine a dozen ways in which chemical messaging could change the way we transmit and receive information. It’s wireless and affordable, and it could work without electronics. That means it could function in places where typical electromagnetic communications systems struggle, such as under water

or in places containing lots of metal.

Fantastic possibilities they’ve already discussed include leaving secret messages that others wouldn’t even know to look for, having robots communicate with trails of liquid text, or being able to fall back on chemical communication in the extremely unlikely scenario that our electric grid is knocked out by a terrorist attack.

“It’s just so ‘out there,’ like science fiction,” said Goldsmith.

“What are all the exciting ways that we could use this to enable communication that is impossible today? That’s what I would want someone to walk away thinking about.”

The researchers are currently looking into how chemical communication could advance nanotechnology. Cost-effective nanotechnology that may someday go inside the human body already exists.

But these devices are so small that, in order to communicate, they have to be wired together or else depend on

high-frequency signals, which could potentially cause organ damage. These signals also tend to only travel short distances and powering them has yet to be figured out. As an alternative, chemical-based data exchange could be self-powered, traveling throughout the body harmlessly – and would be undetectable by outside devices.

“This is one of the most important potential applications for this type of project,” said Farsad.

“It could enable the emergence of these tiny devices that are working together, talking together and doing useful things.”

While working to improve their current chemical texting system, Goldsmith and Farsad are also collaborating with two bioengineering groups at Stanford to make human body-friendly chemical messaging a reality. PACE This article was printed with permission from Stanford University.

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WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

Sensor system uses internet to maximise vineyard irrigation efficiency

A wireless sensor system to maximise vineyard irrigation efficiency began field trials in January, writes Thomas Luke.

S

martVine, developed in South Australia by TK SmartTech, utilises a network of sensors to collect data on soil, crop health and moisture from across a vineyard.

Using SmartVine’s software, vignerons can then assess and manage their irrigation zones using a central system on their laptop, smartphone or tablet.

TK SmartTech co-director Tenzin Crouch said the package would allow growers to optimise watering solutions based on using a series of algorithms.

“You basically end up with a map of the vineyard which shows the areas that are most productive,” he said.

“That way we can easily map the optimum watering to the right type of soil, and work out where your inputs need to go.

“We’ll be running some algorithms for the farmers, based around what agronomists suggest, and that will eliminate the farmer’s need to interpret all this complicated data - they’ll just get some really simple outputs.”

The data from SmartVine will allow growers to more effectively

32 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

determine optimum watering patterns, reducing waste in the vineyard.

“Of course water is one of the biggest costs for any grower, and it’s a really critical part of the growing process as well,” said Crouch.

“It’s really important to make sure you get the right amount of stress to get the optimum grape, which comes back to how you’re watering.”

While SmartVine can automate the irrigation process based off its

algorithms, data gathered using the software can also be sent to other experts for analysis.

Vignerons can then set up watering schedules using the program, based on the individual needs of their crop.

“We’re basically trying to give the grower the tool to make that decision themselves,” said Crouch.

“Our algorithms will be useful to get a good baseline, but sometimes

TKSmartTech directors Tenzin Crouch (left) and Kai Harrison.

your farmer might want a specific profile, or something based off what their winemaker has said.”

In its current form, the sensors will connect to a private system, but as Internet of Things technology grows, SmartVine will take advantage of the rapidly expanding network.

One McLaren Vale vineyard is currently participating in the trial but TK SmartTech is still looking to recruit growers in the Barossa Valley and Riverland regions.

Trials will continue until after harvest with SmartVine expected to be commercially available by June 2017.

Crouch and fellow TK SmartTech director Kai Harrison recently completed an entrepreneurial course through Flinders University’s New Venture Institute where they were also finalists in a pitch competition with their SmartVine system.

IoT developer Thinxtra announced this month it would partner with the South Australian Government to roll out a statewide network by mid-2017. PACE This article was printed with permission from The Lead.

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AUTOMATION

Teaching robots to talk over 4G When we were building the hardware architecture of the new warehouse in Andover, we realised we had developed a world first in radio design, writes Adam Green from Ocado Technology.

T

he new warehouse solution designed for our next generation of CFCs has thrown up lots of interesting technical challenges along the way. One of the first was how to communicate with over 10,000 robots concurrently.

More specifically, how do we get timely information on the locations of thousands of robots so we can efficiently control them? The answer lies in our unending striving for new and novel solutions to technical challenges.

Here is the story of how we taught robots to talk over 4G - and created a number of world firsts in the process.

Why Wi-Fi was a no-go

We started this project by studying the properties of Wi-Fi. The standard Wi-Fi network uses a distributed 34 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

coordination function which is not a deterministic means of guaranteeing latency. The analogy often used is polite conversation at a dinner party: it is easy to have one single conversation at a table of two, much harder once you get to 12.

Now imagine a state banquet; not everyone will have a chance to share their important information. There is provision in the standard for a point coordination function but nothing available on the open market supported this feature.

There is also the issue of scale, as most Wi-Fi access points (APs) can support a maximum of somewhere between 64 and 256 concurrent clients. Consider that we need to communicate with swarms of thousands of robots, talking to each ten times a second and with guaranteed latency. We needed to

understand what this meant for the network design as well as how to accommodate it in an already busy spectrum plan.

Through our experience of existing systems, we knew we should enable a maximum of around 80 clients per AP and reduce the cell size to a very small area. This is similar to the approaches taken in high density deployments such as sports stadiums and auditoriums. However, unlike in those areas, the clients would be constantly moving and using the Wi-Fi network as their primary activity, rather than watching the sports game or concert. There is relatively little headroom above the bots, providing a further driver for many small cells.

Roaming would be required between the Wi-Fi APs – this is notoriously unpredictable. The best

How do we get timely information on the locations of thousands of robots so we can efficiently control them? results we see in the real world are around 300ms, which would impact the command and control of traffic.

Another aspect to consider is that this approach would require complex planning and installation work for each warehouse, which would be expensive and difficult to maintain.

Ultimately, we found that Wi-Fi’s non deterministic performance would hinder our ability to develop an efficient real time control algorithm

AUTOMATION

for the bots. Resolving this problem was therefore critical to the success of the overall project.

Working with Cambridge Consultants

We had a few ideas for solutions, but wanted to get a fresh perspective on the problem. Cambridge Consultants with their world class RF (radio frequency) and DSP (digital signal processing) skills were the obvious choice.

They also have the know-how and complete range of equipment onsite to manufacture small batches of the final product; in fact we learned a great deal from them about electronics manufacturing.

The partnership has proven to be very successful because we produced a fully featured prototype within two years (it usually takes three to five). In addition (and maybe quite surprisingly to some), the initial system architecture we defined at the very start of the project remains unchanged.

The solution

The system we came up with takes advantage of modern wireless communication principles but has secret ingredients that tailors it to our environment. For example, it works in a license-free spectrum so we can deploy it at a moment’s notice.

In fact, it’s the first deployment anywhere in the world to use the unlicensed 4G spectrum for warehouse automation. By making

the system private, we were able to improve the performance and simplify overall complexity by minimising handshake and eliminating roaming aspects. The system guarantees a connection ten times a second to each of the 1000 client hosts per base station – all working within a 150-metre radius.

Like all extremely low-latency, real-time systems, we also needed to include features to provide redundancy. The devices have physical attributes such as dual network and power links and also logical tools to enable failover to hot standby units; this has enabled us to upgrade the base station firmware without impacting its operation. These tools also enable us to automatically recover from network and power outages, which has been invaluable during site commissioning tests.

Through this project, we have also brought Precision Time Protocol into the business. One benefit is that it enables very tightly synchronised log capture across multiple machines, which was beneficial during the development of the system.

improve warehouse efficiency and designing a custom roaming algorithm optimised for our specific application.

This is only one of several wireless projects that are defining new applications for wireless technology – with OSP, we need to expand our capabilities in the RF domain. We’re recruiting!

Right now we’re looking for two team leads: one for traditional Wi-Fi, RFID and Two Way Radio systems and another person to oversee our Internet of Things applications team, which includes this technology. In addition, we’re hiring two wireless engineers for testing and product development.

Because there are many alternative applications for our scalable solution – factories, construction sites, airfields etc. – our next task is to create a demonstration system to show off the technology to interested businesses.

Strategically, there are a number of areas we can improve to make the system work even harder, for

The system guarantees a connection ten times a second to each of the 1000 client hosts per base station – all working within a 150-metre radius. The answer lies in our unending striving for new and novel solutions to technical challenges. example: miniaturisation, increased processing power, and beyond. It’s not in our nature to just say job done and stop innovating, and I’m excited to see where we can take the system next. PACE Ocado www.ocado.com

Where next?

Building and deploying this system from the drawing board in only three years was impressive in anyone’s book but we haven’t finished yet.

By designing this system ourselves, we’re free to alter and add features as we see fit. Soon we’ll be analysing how alternate MAC layers could help

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NEW PRODUCTS

Ultra compact IPC BECKOFF has introduced the ultra compact C6015 Industrial PC, designed for universal use in automation, visualisation and communication tasks, as well as EtherCAT-based applications. The multicore IPC measures just 82 x 82 x 40mm.

It is designed as a passively cooled device in a robust, aluminium/die-cast zinc housing, offering long-term availability. The device also offers a full range of standard features for industrial environments such as extended operating temperature range up to +55°C and high resistance to vibration and shock.

The device offers many installation options. It can be mounted both vertically and horizontally on the rear wall of the control cabinet, or attached to a DIN rail.

Even in tight installation spaces, this allows various mounting scenarios with flexible orientation of the IPC. Due to the small dimensions of the device, when connecting up to six separate cables, it is crucial that

the connection level can be optimally aligned to the cable routing, which is usually dictated by the machine layout.

Other features include: • 30GB SSD and Windows Embedded Compact 7 operating system support • Optional Windows 7 and Windows 10 • 2GB DDR3L-RAM (expandable ex-works up to 4GB) • Display port connection • On-board Dual-Ethernet adaptor with 2 x 100/1000Base-T connection and ports for USB 3.0 and 2.0 Beckoff Automation 02 8069 2333 www.beckoff.com

HMI with CODESYS 3 PLC and visualisation TURCK has announced a new HMI series: the TX500 HMI PLCs. The HMIs are suitable for use in small- to medium-size machines whose processes have to be controlled, displayed and operated locally. Each TX500 is equipped with a Profinet master and EtherNet/IP scanner, as well as a Modbus TCP and Mod¬bus RTU master. The HMIs can also be run as field devices for both Modbus protocols.

CODESYS 3 allows the lean and simple programming of the PLC and visualisation functions. The latest processor technology of the units enables the smooth handling of computing intensive processes such as moving image visualisations. The high resolution TFT display with 64,000 colours also supports high performance display of graphics and animations. The front panel of the TX500 series is protected to IP66.

Two RJ45 Ethernet ports, a serial interface for RS232 or RS485 as well as two USB ports are provided on the terminal side. An additional SD card slot makes it possible to expand the 128MB internal data memory. The company is offering the series in three variants with different display sizes and resolutions: two 16:9 displays with 7” or 13” diagonals and one 10” device in 4:3 format. The two smaller displays offer 800 x 400 pixels, while the larger display comes with 1280 x 800 pixels.

Turck Australia 1300 132 566 www.turck.com.au

Differential pressure transmitter/switch ALVI Technologies has introduced the 984M differential pressure measuring transmitter with LED display. It has a selectable output signal and pressure range selection, enabling users to reduce operating costs and increase operational reliability.

The transmitter covers a pressure range from 0…100Pa to max. 0…250kPa. To ensure optimum adjustment to the respective pressure related application, the it is equipped with a selectable output signal of 0…10 Volt or 4…20mA, which the user can

36 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

set by means of a jumper on site during the installation.

According to the company, a key advantage offered by the model is the option of equipping it with a 3.5-digit LED display that can be easily read in difficult conditions.

Along with an analogue output signal, the differential pressure transmitter also contains an adjustable transistor switching. The sensor is housed inside the casing which provides protection against splashed water as per IP54 (EN 60529). It can be mounted

in any position. The self-compensating piezo resistive pressure transducer eliminates any possible mounting error.

The transmitter can be used for monitoring of gaseous, non-aggressive media in building automation, air conditioning systems and clean room monitoring, valve and flap control, filter, ventilator and blower monitoring and control of air flows.

Alvi Technologies 02 9838 7220 www.alvi.com.au

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NEW PRODUCTS

Oxygen permeability sensor BESTECH Australia has introduced the OX2/231, an oxygen permeability tester to determine the oxygen transmission rate of film and package products, including plastic films, composite films, sheeting, plastic bottles, plastic bags and other packages. This is important to ensure the food product maintains a long shelf life. It comes with two test modules for both films and packages for accurate tests. The tester can test three specimens at once, and then export test results for analysis. An easy-to-use menu interface with LCD display makes viewing and exporting data convenient.

The tester is recommended for the following packages:

• Films – plastic films, aluminium foils, etc.

• Sheeting – engineering plastics, rubber and building materials • Package caps • Plastic pipes • Blister packs • Wine bottles • Contact lenses Bestech Australia 03 9540 5100 www.bestech.com.au

Box PC for industrial automation MEN Mikro Elektronik has released the BE10A – a space and power-saving box PC with low power consumption that can be operated in light, space-saving housing without fans, allowing for maintenance-free operation. Its versatile I/O possibilities make it suitable for IoT gateway applications in industrial automation.

The PC is equipped with a Sitara AM57x processor from Texas Instruments, which is based on the ARM Cortex A-15 core. According to the company, the PC easily manages demanding processing and communication tasks despite its low power consumption of a maximum of 15 Watt at an operating temperature of up to 60°C. Furthermore, it offers flexible and task-specific

configuration options for PC-based process automation or robotics control. In more complex applications, like energy substations, it can handle the communication between sensors and server or cloud. Deployed as a gateway device, it can exchange data with the control centre. In HMI applications, such as industrial control units, it interfaces between the screen and the peripheral devices.

The PC supports several industrial protocols, including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, POWERLINK, PROFINET and SERCOS. They can be enabled by a simple firmware update.

Hand pump for pneumatics BEAMEX has announced its PGC hand pump, which is a pneumatic pressure and vacuum generator capable of generating -0.95 to 35bar.

It is conveniently switchable between vacuum and pressure by using the in-built pressure/vacuum selector, and is capable of very fine pressure adjustment using a fine adjustment valve. The hand operated scissor action of the pump with adjustable stroke length setting allows the generation of pressures up to 35bar with ease.

The hand pump is supplied as standard with the company’s normal low pressure fitting, a G 1/8” female with a 60° male internal conical adaptor.

For use with the hand pump, there is also a new 40bar T Hose set with fittings that match the hand pump and Beamex pressure modules in the same way that the current 20bar T hose set does.

Beamex www.beamex.com

38 www.pacetoday.com.au FEBRUARY 2017

Men Mikro Elektronic www.men.de

Multi-sensor module for IoT and wearables STMICROELECTRONICS has announced SensorTile, which at 13.5mm x 13.5mm, the company claims is currently the smallest turnkey sensor board of its kind. It contains a MEMS accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor and a MEMS microphone.

With the on-board low-power STM32L4 microcontroller, it can be used as a sensing and connectivity hub for developing products such as wearables, gaming accessories and smart home or Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The module has a complete Bluetooth Low-Energy transceiver including a miniature single-chip on-board, as well as a broad set of system interfaces that support use as a sensorfusion hub or as a platform for firmware development. It can be simply plugged into a host board, and when powered it immediately starts streaming inertial, audio and environmental data to ST’s BlueMS smartphone app.

Main features of the SensorTile core system: • LSM6DSM 3D accelerometer + 3D gyroscope • LSM303AGR 3D magnetometer + 3D accelerometer • LPS22HB pressure sensor/ barometer • MP34DT04 digital MEMS microphone • STM32L476 microcontroller • BlueNRG-MS network processor with integrated 2.4GHz radio STMicroelectronics 02 8338 1172 www.st.com

NEW PRODUCTS

Capacitive displacement sensor system BESTECH Australia has introduced the capaNCDT 6110, a compact single-channel system capable of thickness, coordinates, level, tilt and vibration measurements.

It consists of a capacitive displacement sensor and controller and can be used for automation, test bench construction, laboratories, semiconductor production and more.

It is also adaptable for OEM applications – linearity, resolution, digital interface, cable length, housings, and measuring range can be customised to suit specific applications. The analogue or digital single channel system is

easy to use and stands out due to its compact design and high performance at low cost.

Key features: • Compact and robust design • Strong temperature stability • Nanometer repeatability • Any conductive target • 24V (9 – 36V) power supply • Resolution (static): 0.01 per cent full scale • Resolution (dynamic): 0.015 per cent full scale • Linearity: <0.01 per cent full scale Bestech Australia 03 9540 5100 www.bestech.com.au

High density, high performance I/O platform modules CONTROL Logic now stocks the compact RSTi-EP remote I/O system by GE to deliver higher performance and maximised productivity in today’s connected automation systems.

Suited for industrial Internet-enabled applications, it features an extended operating temperature range, enhanced diagnostics, plug-and-play connectivity and high channel density to simplify machine design and maintenance. It is also suitable for remote applications, especially those where I/O can be difficult to reach.

The RSTi-EP can accommodate up to 64 modules and 1024 I/O points per drop, yet its 11.5 mm I/O slices are some of the smallest

in the industry, helping to maximise limited cabinet space. By adopting the most compact I/O system on the market, it is possible to incorporate smaller cabinet sizes into userfriendly system designs.

The high performance 4A system bus power supply makes it possible to power 64 I/O modules directly from the network adapter, saving on power feed modules, and simplifying planning and execution.

With the RSTi-EP’s integrated web server and advanced diagnostics, failures in the system can be identified remotely, eliminating the need to travel to the machine, saving both time and money.

Control Logic 1800 557 705 www.control-logic.com.au

Machine automation controller OMRON Electronics has released its entry level controller, NX1P, designed for small to midsize production machines. Based on the Sysmas (System for Machine Automation Control) platform, the controller features advanced motion control and networking for onsite IoT. It is battery free and reduces machine maintenance, featuring an SD memory card slot to restore, back up and verify data in the controller. With one or two built-in option boards, there is no need to increase the size of the control panel for adding serial and analog communication. This makes it a compact controller with push-in-plus terminals at the I/O and CPU unit to strengthen connection and save wiring time. According to the company, these features together with a fast execution time of 3.3ns makes the NX1P an easy-to-use, high performance compact controller.

Moreover, the NX1P has built-in Ethernet/IP and EtherCAT ports. EtherCAT allows connection between I/O devices with a single cable providing control for up to eight servo systems, reducing wiring work. Single-axis position control and four axes of motion control can also be achieved through electronic gear/cam and linear/circular interpolation. IO-Link master is enabled, meaning downtime is reduced and status of machines can be detected quickly and precisely.

Omron Electronics 1300 766 766 www.omron.com.au

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