How to support factories from afar 8-17-98

August 17, 1998 Design News

FACTORY AUTOMATION

How to support factories from afar

Remote development, maintenance, and reporting is simplified using TCP/IP, Ethernet, and Windows 95/NT networking technologies

Gordon E. Presher, Jr., President, ORMEC

How to effectively provide worldwide support for sophisticated automation systems is a major concern for design engineers and engineering management at OEM and end-user companies. The need for highly skilled personnel to maintain and optimize system performance, manage software updates and improvements--plus the cost of travel and language barriers--all provide significant challenges that are difficult to address after an automation system has been shipped to a remote plant location.

Added to this is the variety of needs and the team of people required to fully support the automation systems in production:

Development. Once a system has been shipped to the manufacturing location, the work of starting up and optimizing system performance begins. But even after the machine has been commissioned, there is a continuing need for development personnel to gain access to the machine to "perfect" or modify the manufacturing process--e.g. adjust machine set-up parameters or update application software to deal with unanticipated issues and/or changes.

The combination of TCP/IP, Ethernet, and standard Windows 95/NT networking is dramatically changing the cost and attractiveness of using remote connectivity to support factory automation systems worldwide.

From the design engineer's perspective, TCP/IP based remote connectivity provides significant benefits--convenient access, speed, reliability, and low prices. This is possible because of the ability to leverage standard PC-industry hardware and software. The resulting low overall cost greatly extends the possibility of implementing remote communications in every machine.

Since Ethernet, TCP/IP, and Windows 95/NT dial-up networking are open technologies broadly implemented in the computer industry, a wide community of software vendors and solution providers supports applications that deliver value in the factory automation marketplace.

Nearly all servo-driven automation systems can benefit from an ability to perform remote development, maintenance, and reporting--and now the cost and complexity of achieving these goals is low. New features added to ORMEC's industrial PC-based motion controllers build on industry-standard hardware and open TCP/IP communications, and provide the designer with tools to implement cost-effective, remote communications.

There are two enabling factors behind the ORIONr product line. First, TCP/IP, the primary protocol of the Internet and Ethernet LANs, serves as ORION's fundamental communications technology. Second, all parameters, adjustments, and software in an ORION-based servo-controlled machine are software-based. In addition, all of that information is stored in a single location--on an industry-standard, rewritable, removable Flash PC Card. This information includes system and applications software, servo setup parameters and gains, all HMI touchscreen panels, and even operator adjustments to the machine.

Since TCP/IP supports multi-port communications on a single physical connection, that connection can be used to simultaneously monitor machine performance, manage software updates, perform diagnostic and maintenance tasks, and collect production management information.

All this is possible with standard Windows 95/NT networking software and Ethernet hardware at a low cost. If the end user doesn't have or want an Ethernet LAN, he can get very similar overall functionality via dial-up networking and an auto-answer modem connected directly to the ORION.

Remote connectivity and traditional factory networking functionality can also co-exist on local area networks, wide-area networks, or a company-wide intranet. On top of TCP/IP and industry-standard Ethernet hardware, new factory network protocols such as Modicon's Quantum Ethernet or Allen-Bradley Ethernet provide high-level application software for communicating data and I/O information in factory control network applications.

HMI and SoftPLC software vendors have written communication drivers for a variety of factory network protocols, including Quantum Ethernet. These communication interfaces implement register-based communications between industrial PCs running HMI and SoftPLC software, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and other compatible devices.

A new MotionBASICr Extension (MBX) for Quantum Ethernet communications is the most recent addition to ORMEC's factory connectivity line-up. Using industry-standard Ethernet hardware-- either an ISA bus or PC Card adapter--Quantum Ethernet provides customers an inexpensive yet fast solution.

Quantum Ethernet provides connectivity to Modicon Quantum PLCs and can communicate with PC-based HMI packages & Soft Control products with Quantum Ethernet drivers including Wonderware, Intellution (Fix), US Data (FactoryLink) & CI Technologies (Citect).

The Quantum Ethernet communications MBX provides language extensions to ORMEC's programming language. The basic communications messages are similar to Modbus, using register mapping to share program variables, which can include long, float, and string variables. The architecture allows peer-to-peer communications among all the devices on the network using a client-server model.

For the automation development engineer, remote connectivity provides powerful tools for managing the automation software after it has shipped to a plant location. The MotionDesk development system can be used to easily implement changes in motion/machine control software modules or new touchscreen panels, up-grade to new versions of software, and tune servo loops--all via the remote link. This eliminates costly trips to the plant site to make minor changes and improvements. It also fosters a closer link between plant personnel and the development team.

Solving maintenance problems is easier, in part, because of the closer link to the machine developers. One ORMEC customer oversees an installed base of multi-axis automation systems dispersed from North America to Australia. These machines are connected by phone line, and when a problem arises on-site, simultaneous voice and data communications are established. The voice communications are with a maintenance mechanic, who manages the on-site activity, and the data communications provide immediate connection and insight to the servo control system specialists. The result is less downtime, less travel, less expense, and greater profitability for everyone involved.

There are a wide number of potential benefits from using standard TCP/IP communications for production scheduling, monitoring, and reporting. Another ORION customer has a series of high-speed production machines attached to an Ethernet network in his plant. In this case, there is a Windows NT server attached to the network which serves four client machines from a VisualBASIC application. During each machine cycle, clients send a number of parameters to the server related to the product made during that machine cycle. The server consolidates the information into a product database related to the product being produced.

The emergence of TCP/IP, Ethernet, and Dial-up Networking technologies and their application to automation is clear evidence of the growing influence of the PC in industrial control. The ability to leverage cost-effective, high-volume technology to solve critical real-world problems provides customer value, which is clearly demonstrable and easily cost-justified in a broad range of applications.