Another Fieldbus WAR? & Rockwell Exits OPC Foundation

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      Curator 1 for Blogs
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        [ A provactaive post from Author ]

        IoT & Computer Sets Industrial Standards?

        In the dynamic new IT/OT integration environment this open the door for the enterprise computer and IoT industry to set standards for the industrial automation community. Enterprise software is taking over a variety of production functions, stopping just short of the real-time controllers in this dynamic new environment.

        The industrial automation industry does not yet have any standard open source industrial and process automation fieldbus networks.  The norm today is in two categories:

        • Closed Networks – Major DCS suppliers have Ethernet networks running proprietary closed protocols.
        • Gated Ecosystems – Membership based organizations that license and promote their unique industrial Ethernet protocols including unique configuration data formats. These are not open source.

        The Red Flags for TSN at HANNOVER MESSE 2018

        One of the red flags for this danger presented itself at the Hannover Messe 2018. There, multiple groups were independently working on the applications of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). Sensitive Networking (TSN). These efforts included the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) namely the “Shapers”, and Huawei inspired Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) + OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA)” Smart Manufacturing. I had an opportunity to look at each effort in depth.

         

        Inside “The Shapers” – A Non-Organization Coalition of Competitors

        The self-named, “Shapers” are a non-organization coalition of competitors, who are discussing standardization around OPC UA. Yet they are doing so without being part of a formal legal industry association for this effort, which is very strange.  It would seem that rather than creating some other group, this effort could logically be part of the existing organizations, including OPC Foundation TSN SIG and IEEE Time-Sensitive Networking Task Group.

        It is also significant that Rockwell Automation is no longer a member of the OPC Foundation at time this article was written.   In the past Rockwell Automation was an active participant in OPC Foundation working groups.

        “The Shapers” – A Non-Organization Coalition of Competitors

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