June 19, 2019
“Take the Smart Sensor Challenge” illustrates how to create Plug-and-Play Interoperability with 4-20mA sensors
Highlights:
- Promotion introduces new open approach to sensor interoperability
- Extend DTMF Redfish management and control specification to IIOT
- Showcase of member products supporting IIOT and sensor technologies
San Jose, Calif., June 2019 – PICMG, a consortium focused on collaborative development of open specifications, will promote its concepts for new IIoT specifications at Embedded Technologies Conference in booth #2017.
PICMG will perform live demonstrations during the two days of the event, including a Smart Sensors Challenge to showcase the consortium’s efforts to create Plug-and-Play sensor interoperability for Internet of things (IoT). The consortium is inviting all anyone with a 4-20mA sensor to come to the booth to “Take the Smart Sensor Challenge”.
The demo includes three main components:
- Control and visualization station
- IP-enabled Smart Sensors and binary-enabled Smart Sensors
- Multilingual Smart Sensor gateway.
The visualization station is responsible for monitoring and control of the factory installation. It is implemented with standard hardware and utilizes IT technologies to gather data and take actions. PICMG is collaborating with the DMTF® to extend their Redfish® management and control specification for use in Industrial IT.
Out on the factory floor, hundreds (or thousands) of sensors and actuators gather information and alter operation under the control of the Control and Visualization station. In order for these sensors to participate, they must be able to communicate over the installation’s IP network. Some autonomous sensors (or sensors with higher levels of functionality) may do this directly though their own dedicated ethernet port. These IP-Enabled Smart Sensors plug directly into the installation’s network and present themselves as micro-servers of the PICMG/DMTF Redfish sensor data model.
“Other, generally lower-cost, sensors may present sensor data in binary fashion over a serial data link. This greatly reduces the cost of the associated controller yet requires an extra gateway in the system to translate from the binary coding to the PICMG/DMTF Redfish format on the IP network. Current PICMG initiatives include binary coding of the data model and the operation of the multi-lingual gateway, and a small form-factor “Postage-Stamp” module for creating sensor endpoints,” stated PICMG CTO Doug Sandy
As sensors are added to this demonstration system, the sensors automatically report their capabilities to the system without need for reprogramming. Enabling plug-and-play capability over the IP network is at the heart of PICMG’s industrial IoT movement.
The PICMG IIoT network architecture model, currently beginning development, will not dictate specific hardware to be used. However, PICMG COM Express® and PICMG CompactPCI® Serial may both be good choices for many installations due to their rugged designs and ability to withstand harsh environments.
To learn more, please email [email protected].
