FreeWave Blog Series: The Intelligent Edge
Part 1: Novice App Dev – A Q&A with Greg Corey from FreeWave The Internet of Things (IoT) has changed the consumer world in ways no one ever imagined. By placing intelligence in the IoT network, the “Thing” can do whatever we want it to do. Now Industrial companies are seeking to take advantage of this edge-deployed intelligence in order to maximize profits, improve safety and streamline operations. In addition to the challenges IoT technology had to overcome such as cybersecurity, scalability and interoperability, Industrial IoT (IIoT) must also focus on reliability, ruggedness and more. FreeWave is uniquely positioned to understand and address all of these challenges. We have delivered world class IIoT platforms for almost 25 years to thousands of industrial and unmanned systems customers. With that experience, we’re now leading the charge to deploy intelligent applications at the edge of industrial networks and unmanned systems. In the second installment of “The Intelligent Edge,” we sat down with Greg Corey, FreeWave systems engineer, to talk about his new app – ZumDash – and the future of app development of the Internet of Things. FreeWave: Can you talk about how you got involved in IoT app development and what that means from an Industrial IoT perspective? Greg: I got involved with IoT app development when we [FreeWave] started the ZumIQ project. IoT app development revolves around developing software to interconnect devices, and there’s a huge need for that in the industrial space known as the IIoT. So, I started working with some graphical JavaScript-based environments like Node-RED, and I realized that this quickly allowed me to solve problems that were facing our customers. FreeWave: Are Node-RED and JavaScript the primary languages being used right now to develop those apps? Greg: Yes, mostly you’ll see a lot of Python stuff, a lot of Java, and hence JavaScript, and then you’ll see some stuff written in C as well, but, really, the web-based languages have taken off. People write apps in Java and PHP for the most part. And then Node-RED is a graphical frontend for JavaScript. FreeWave: Can you talk a little bit about the app that you developed for FreeWave – ZumDash – and where it resides within an IIoT network? Greg: So, FreeWave has traditionally made radio products where you just put data in and out of the system and that’s all it does. It’s just a complicated replacement for a physical cable. With the new ZumIQ platform, it allows us to add a lot of intelligence at the Edge of these networks where a radio is functioning much more than just a radio. It’s actually an application development environment. It’s an application platform. So, the app that I developed, I wanted to showcase the radio’s capabilities at the Edge of the network, and specifically, there’s a few other things I wanted to show. I wanted to show data storage: so, actually, it’s recording data on the radio itself. I wanted to show the display of that data in a dashboard format. I wanted to show communication, so the radio can still act as a radio and then you can have email alerts and other alerts based on data points. And then I wanted to show logic as well: If This Then That. So, to be able to read a sensor value and if it’s within a certain range to then take action on it. So, the app that I built was really meant to showcase those four things: data storage, dashboard, communication, and logic. FreeWave: So, for the storage part, how often are people trying to actually store data on those Edge devices as opposed to having them just be conduits for the data transmission? Is that a different way of approaching it? Greg: Yeah, it’s a different way of approaching it, and what it allows you to do is free up network capacity. So, if you’re continuously sending and receiving data from the field to a central source, you’re using throughput and bandwidth on that network. With some of these Edge networks, it could be in something that’s moving on the ground and there’s not a very high antenna height; it could be a really noisy environment; there could be a lot of metal obstructions in the way. Sometimes, in the industrial realm, the networks aren’t as rock solid as you would want them to be, or there’s limited capacity for connectivity. So, by moving some data storage operation to the Edge, we can then free up our network capacity for other resources. FreeWave: So then from there are you able to run analytics on that Edge device to filter out some of the data that you don’t need? Greg: Yeah. Iin ZumDash there’s a frontend on it that I use. Using the frontend, you can remotely log into the radio, you can examine every piece of data the radio has recorded, and you can do that graphically. Then, you can build charts based upon that data, and then you can also export to Excel. So, all the data that resides on the radio in the MySQL database is available for analytics remotely, on demand. FreeWave: Does this have a dual track function where you can store data and look at it later, but you can also get the data in real-time if you need it? Greg: Yes, and also, how often the app records data to the database is configurable. You can look at configured intervals. The quickest time I can do at the moment is five seconds. So, every five seconds it’ll record data from six different sensors. FreeWave: Why was the dashboard display an important part of this app? Greg: It allows easy access to data. Let’s say there’s a problem and you want check on the status of a device. I don’t want to have to look through logs or something like that. I want that data easily displayable. So, adding the dashboard allows anybody to be able to log in and
Industrial IoT Top News: Fog and Edge Computing
As more IoT devices are deployed (with billions to come in the near future) there is a substantial push towards on-device analytics, programmability, and command/control for critical applications. This is especially relevant for businesses that are driving operational transformation with remote or industrial networks. As a result of these factors, all roads point to fog and edge computing as critical practices for meeting the future demands of Industrial IoT (IIoT). Below you will find our list of top news stories that highlight the trends, research data, predictions and best practices around edge and fog computing over the past few weeks. If you want to read about an edge computing application being deployed with our customers today, read about the “Small SCADA” edge application here. Edge Computing Supports the Growing Needs of IoT Devices An article recently featured in Network World by Raj Talluri (@rajtalluri) looks at the increasing power of everyday IoT devices. This newly achieved power results in reduced data center loads and cloud-based capabilities that are leading to IoT innovation. As a result, on-device computing and analytics (i.e. edge computing) are growing in importance. “Edge computing delivers tangible value in both consumer and industrial IoT use cases. It can help reduce connectivity costs by sending only the information that matters instead of raw streams of sensor data, which is particularly valuable on devices that connect via LTE/cellular such as smart meters or asset trackers. Also, when dealing with a massive amount of data produced by sensors in an industrial facility or a mining operation for instance, having the ability to analyze and filter the data before sending it can lead to huge savings in network and computing resources.” The future of IoT Deployments Points to Fog Computing A recent TechTarget article by Alan R. Earls looks ahead at fog computing. It notes that large amounts of data required for IoT devices is leading to a future that includes fog computing and edge IT. The article reveals that IoT leverages more devices than ever was conceivable. In fact, the most recent estimates foresee more than 50 Billion IoT devices deployed in the coming years. These devices are often deployed outside the data center, far beyond the reach of IT professionals. As a result these devices are going to be increasingly software-defined to allow for remote management, revealing the need for critical fog IT strategy planning. “Tomorrow’s cloud will need to extend beyond the walls of a service provider’s data center, seeping into the business — becoming almost pervasive via edge devices and local connection hubs.” Successful Fog Implementation With Fog Computing on the horizon, an EE Times post by Chuck Byers of @OpenFog, offers tips for successful fog implementation. The post focuses on recognition of where fog techniques are needed, spanning software across fog nodes North-South and East-West, understanding the pillars of the fog as identified by OpenFog, Making fog software modular and linked by standard APIs, and tips for making each installation very easy. “Software is the key to the performance, versatility and trustworthiness of fog implementations. Make it manageable and interoperable by carefully partitioning it into functional blocks. The interfaces between these blocks should be based on well tested, standard APIs and messaging frameworks. Open source projects can be a good starting point for fog software development once you’re identified the right properties for your applications.” The Transformative Nature of IoT A post in Computer Business Review discusses the shift in IoT from optimization from transformation. According to the post, more than half of IoT projects have met or exceeded their goals even though most are sticking to improving company efficiencies rather than transforming business processes. A recent survey states that for the 47 percent of companies which failed to meet IoT goals, two reasons stood out: company culture and a shortage of skills.This further demonstrates the importance of getting the whole company behind IoT projects in order to have the greatest chance of success. The article also highlights the early, but growing importance of edge computing. “Edge computing, where computing and analysis is carried out near where data is gathered, not in a central data centre, is continuing to grow in importance but there’s still progress to be made. About 30 per cent of sensor data is currently analysed ‘at the edge’, the rest goes to a traditional data centre which creates issues of latency and bandwidth for the network. But looking forward those surveyed expected more than 70 per cent of sensor data would stay at the edge within five years.” A New Look at Data Through Edge Computing A TechTarget IoT Agenda Blog by Jason Andersen (@JasonTAndersen) examines how more engineers are placing a higher importance on data produced by their automation systems than on the tools needed to make them happen. This evolution in thinking reflects the increasing potential that data and advanced analytics offer enterprises in untapped business value, especially looking at emerging practices like edge computing. “Currently, most industrial enterprises are in the ‘informed’ stage, where they are starting to understand and realize the potential of IIoT, but have not made strides in tapping its potential. However, many are beginning to look ahead and think more tactically about progressing to the next phases.” Could Edge Computing Weaken the Cloud? An opinion piece by Bob O’Donnell (@bobodtech) in TechSpot examines the potential changes we can expect to see as we move closer to edge computing. While he doesn’t see cloud going away by any means, he does expect a shift towards edge computing in some areas. “Exactly what some of these new edge applications turn out to be remains to be seen, but it’s clear that we’re at the dawn of an exciting new age for computing and tech in general. Importantly, it’s an era that’s going to drive the growth of new types of products and services, as well as shift the nexus of power amongst tech industry leaders. For those companies that can adapt to the new realities that edge computing models will start to drive over
IIoT Edge Applications: Small SCADA
In a small SCADA environment, remote monitoring and automation are important tools for creating operational efficiency and ensuring cost-effective solution deployment. Real-time data in small SCADA environments enable programmable radios to act upon data at physical locations of the sensor or device. As such, processes can be remotely monitored and controlled without the Cloud. You still can send data to the Cloud, but only the data you need, when you need it. This frees up network bandwidth and minimizes latency significantly. In industries where even milliseconds count, this kind of Edge intelligence can mean the difference between ops in the red or ops in the black. We recently announced the release of our ZumDash application, which is hosted on our ZumIQ App Server, and can function agnostically across different I/O systems and networks. In a small SCADA environment, the ZumDash is ideal for real-time data aggregation and transmission. It is capable of running both at the Edge on hardware, as well as the Cloud, ensuring uninterrupted functionality. In an oil and gas setting, ZumDash can empower field operations managers via the intuitive dashboard display that can be customized to fit individual needs. Additionally, the app itself is powered by Node-RED programming, making it easy to configure on the fly, along with the ability receive real-time alerts for any operational needs like inspection, parts replacement, or troubleshooting. Essentially, having a remote monitoring and automation system powered by programmable Edge radios that can host proprietary third-party apps like ZumDash enable companies to more effectively deploy resources, saving time and money across the board. For any companies in the Industrial IoT space – or companies that rely on dispersed assets and asset management – intelligence at the Edge can be the true difference maker for your organization. For more information about the ZumDash Small SCADA application, please visit: https://www.freewave.com/zumiq-remote-access-control/ To learn more about the full ZumIQ solution, read case studies or download solutions briefs, please visit: https://www.freewave.com/zumiq/
FreeWave Blog Series: The Intelligent Edge
A Blog Series Dedicated to IIoT, Application Development, and Intelligence at the Edge The Internet of Things (IoT) has changed the consumer world in ways no one ever imagined. By placing intelligence in the IoT network, the “Thing” can do whatever we want it to do. Now Industrial companies are seeking to take advantage of this edge-deployed intelligence in order to maximize profits, improve safety and streamline operations. In addition to the challenges IoT technology had to overcome such as cybersecurity, scalability and interoperability, Industrial IoT (IIoT) must also focus on reliability, ruggedness and more. FreeWave is uniquely positioned to understand and address all of these challenges. We have delivered world class IIoT platforms for almost 25 years to thousands of industrial and unmanned systems customers. With that experience, we’re now leading the charge to deploy intelligent applications at the edge of industrial networks and unmanned systems. In the first edition of “The Intelligent Edge,” we’re sitting down with Jesse Steiner, FreeWave systems engineer, to discuss how he is helping industrial customers understand the power of deploying intelligent applications in an industrial network. FreeWave: We’re starting this blog series to interview people who are contributing new applications and ideas for IIoT environments. You have an interesting story to tell around that — can you share that with us? Steiner: Sure — so I started getting involved with IoT apps once we released ZumIQ, the App Server Software platform that is deployed on our ZumLink 900 Series radios. I don’t have a whole lot of programming experience — I’ve used a handful of different languages at a pretty novice level over the years. The first thing I used it for was to write a simple app to monitor the level in the water tank out at a remote ranch location that wasn’t often manned. It was the second property for the ranch owner. He had this big water tank, 22,000 gallons, that he needed to keep an eye on the level because it provided irrigation water, drinking water, bathing water, all that. He’d had issues in the past where the circuit breaker on the pump tripped, or had a leak, and he went out to his second property to find he had no water to use. So we took a ZumLink 900 Series radio with ZumIQ, wrote an application for it that would pull a sensor for the level in the tank, it would format that data, and then send it over the radio network to the internet and to the cloud, and then to the ranch owner so he could look at his water tank anywhere. It was really done as proof of concept, and as a learning exercise for me, but it’s been deployed for a month, month and half maybe, and it’s already proven very useful on multiple occasions FreeWave: So how did you write the app? Steiner: I don’t want to call it a programming language, but I used a programming environment called Node-RED. It’s basically a graphical interface to Node.js. It’s a graphical thing where you lay these function blocks down and connect lines but you’ve also got the ability to write your own Javascript code that gets inserted and run in that environment. From there, it got sent to a cloud hosting service called dweet.io, which is really good for very beginner use — it doesn’t require any advanced IT knowledge or programming knowledge and you can get data in there and store it really quickly. And for actually viewing it, I used a service that’s owned by the same company as dweet called freeboard.io. You basically build a dashboard and point it towards the data you have stored in dweet, and it will pull that out and display it in a graphical way. FreeWave: What other applications could the tank level monitoring be used for? Steiner: That application caught the eye of the company who installed the pump and tank system out at that property in the first place, and they’ve since reached out us and said, “Hey, we’re interested in this. We’d like to see if we could develop it further.” As FreeWave, we’re not selling the software or any of the service. But we did provided the radios and pretty much the same code that we had used before to this company, so they can develop something that would be more than proof of concept — really, a marketable software product where you could choose the number of tanks, monitor multiple tanks of different sizes, keep an eye on pump status, potentially control the status of pumps and valves — really for a whole monitoring and control system when it comes to remote irrigation. What that comes down to is intelligence, monitoring and control in remote locations, where is kind of where FreeWave has been used for 20 years out in the oilfields. FreeWave: Any sort of learnings you took away from going through the process of writing the application? Steiner: For a non-developer, the Node-RED environment is a very useful, powerful tool. It’s great for getting simple projects up and running very quickly without vast programming knowledge. The projects I’ve worked on since then have become a bit more complicated, so more and more I wasn’t just using pre-made blocks in these applications, it was just more code in the traditional since. So Node-RED is a great platform for getting going — and I still use it, I just rely less and less on its built-in features and I’m kind of adding my own. Once we got in a situation where we needed to make things truly available anywhere, basically once I grew out of the freeboard.io dashboard, I started making things from scratch in Javascript and HTML, but it was really a good springboard to get me introduced. In terms of tips for somebody that would be just starting, really the biggest tip is don’t be intimidated. Don’t think you need to be an expert coder to put together
Where is SCADA Headed?
With all the chatter around Industrial IoT (IIoT) and the disruption it brings to business operations, where does Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology for industrial organizations stand? Is it still relevant or will it be phased out? As businesses begin to recognize the benefits of modern technologies and deploy them across industrial networks to increase connectivity between the field and business office, this is a legitimate question. However, while organizations are working to modernize their operations, we are finding that SCADA is in no way becoming obsolete – at least for the foreseeable future. Instead, we are starting to see more modern approaches to SCADA. For example, there are now app-based small SCADA systems that are designed to fit modern network needs while putting less of a strain on technology budgets. Research also indicates that the SCADA industry will continue to drive forward. According to a recent report, the global Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition market was valued at $7.5 billion in 2014. It is expected to reach $11 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.40 percent between 2016 and 2021. In the Oil & Gas Market alone it is estimated that SCADA will be Worth $4.52 Billion by 2022. We Still Need SCADA Clearly, SCADA will remain an essential network component; however, we will likely begin to see modern technology have a transformative impact on SCADA. As industries increasingly adopt automation technologies to streamline monitoring and process control, technology providers are working on ways to better integrate SCADA and IIoT technologies into the network. With new programmable app server software platforms now available that combine 900 MHz RF-based technology with the ability to program and host third-party applications, there are clear signs that the SCADA systems of tomorrow will be designed to meet modern data and production demands. The newly available, app-based small SCADA systems that run on app server software platforms are already an indicator of a much more cost effective option than traditional SCADA. This gives smaller businesses an affordable way to manage data and control their network. Reducing Hardware to Drive ROI App Based Small SCADA solutions achieve the same critical SCADA functions of larger systems, including data management, logic execution and visualization – without the use of PLC-type hardware. The ZumDash Small SCADA App, for example, is programmed into FreeWave’s ZumLink radios to achieve collection, monitoring and control functionality. Furthermore, it provides a “dashboard” with status and trend visualization from any web-based device. Using Node-RED for simple, easy programming, the app-based small SCADA system was designed with minimal CAPEX and OPEX. The result is a system that increases production, optimizes operations and mitigates the risk of a catastrophic event. And the beautiful thing about a programmable app-based SCADA system is that it is customizable to individual network needs at a fraction of the cost of a traditional SCADA setup. As technology and automation demands continue to drive innovation, we expect to see an increase in advanced approaches to SCADA. As we look towards the future of SCADA, we see IIoT enabling better operations and control of the network, faster ROI, safer operations and reduced downtime.
NFL Advances In-Stadium Wireless Connectivity
(Image courtesy of www.sportsauthorityfieldatmilehigh.com) With the NFL season kicking off, we decided to investigate one of the more overlooked aspects of the game: in-stadium wireless communication. Surprisingly, several aspects of the game experience rely heavily on wireless communication: coaches headsets on the field and in the booth, concession stand payment processing, and, of course, fans with smartphones. Anyone who has attempted to connect to publicly available wireless internet in a stadium, concert venue or otherwise generally crowded area knows that connectivity is finicky at best and nonexistent at worst. In the era of instant score updates, fantasy leagues, Twitter and other social media applications, fans expect to be able to use their smartphones during a live-game experience. Additionally, even just a few years ago coaches themselves dealt with connectivity problems: … The tablet computer in his left hand — a high-tech replacement for the black-and-white printed pictures coaches have used for decades to review plays — kept losing its Internet connection, leaving Belichick unable to exchange images he and his coaches rely on to make in-game adjustments. The fault is apparently in a new private Wi-Fi network the NFL installed in stadiums this year to great fanfare. Internet service is erratic, making a system financed by one of the world’s richest sports leagues little better than the one at your local coffee shop. … Of course, since then, the NFL has gone out of its way to better incorporate wireless communication technology into the stadium experience for fans and personnel alike. This year, the Denver Broncos 3,000 5 GHz wireless antennas in Mile High Stadium (we should note, the claim of ‘most of any NFL venue’ is unverified): To increase fan connectivity, Broncos announce install of 3,000 5GHz wireless antennas at stadium, believed to be the most of any NFL venue. pic.twitter.com/ES2CWZhJ0z — Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) September 5, 2017 For the NFL, and other large events, the question of connectivity has more to do with bandwidth capacity than access to a wireless network. Most cellular carriers provide access to LTE networks in the populated areas where stadiums and event centers are located, but the sheer amount of data being used during an event like the Super Bowl has grown exponentially over the years. In 2014, data usage at Super Bowl XLVIII totaled around 2.5 terabytes. Super Bowl LI, played in February 2017, saw nearly 12 TBs transferred throughout the game over WiFI alone, with Facebook and Snapchat accounting for almost 10 percent of the total bandwidth. Verizon and AT&T customers combined to use another 20 TB of data over those networks. With those numbers in mind, it makes far more sense to utilize high-bandwidth technology like WiFi, rather than relying on the LTE networks to support those big data figures. When IIoT and the NFL Collide The average consumer thinks of WiFi as a broadband service facilitated by a router in one’s home or office. When scaled to the usage size of a football stadium-worth of bandwidth consumption, however, a regular router will not suffice. Instead, these stadiums use wireless communication technology that has been deployed with regularity in the Industrial IoT for years: signal repeaters and access points peppered strategically throughout the necessary coverage areas. Just like companies in the utilities, oil and gas, precision agriculture and smart city industries, these stadiums are relying on industrial-strength WiFi platforms to handle the data demands of teams, vendors and fans. An additional consideration for stadiums and critical industries is the security of these networks, so tech vendors must be able to supply built-in security measures within the access points. These networks must be secure, flexible and reliable in order to support the massive demand being made for hours on end. The New Generation of Stadium Experiences We tend to take internet access for granted these days. Connectivity is already nearly ubiquitous and only growing each year, so it makes sense that stadiums would eventually start to catch on to the technology being used to propagate these industrial-strength networks. At this point, it is not just the NFL that is working on pushing the stadium experience into the next generation, other professional sports leagues, music venues, and festival sites are catching up to the IIoT technology that is proving to be a literal game changer.
Rugged Wireless Radios for International OEM Applications
For original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and military applications around the world, operational success requires reliable data delivery. This 100 percent achievable with rugged wireless radio solutions. As Industrial IoT pushes for more connectivity, coupled with the surge in commercial use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the pressure for around the clock command and control (C2) links is higher than ever – and it’s happening on a global scale. To support these growing needs, FreeWave has announced the general availability of the MM2-5 Watt 1.3 GHz (13X5W) integrated radio. Offered in a small package for ease of integration, the MM2-13X5W features an external 5 Watt output, making it ideal for UAS, OEM and military applications where reliability is paramount and space is at a premium. These solutions can be leveraged to deliver important data in the U.S. and abroad for a wide variety of mission critical applications. The MM2-13X5W has a lot to offer starting with it’s built in versatility and the ability to function as a gateway, endpoint, repeater or endpoint/repeater. Security is a priority – each MM2 13X5W is equipped with proprietary frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technology. It also features a line-of-sight range of up to 90 miles, and can be deployed in international settings where lifesaving communications and security are paramount. A number of these use cases include UAS applications, soldier training, environmental monitoring and other government and defense needs. Next Generation UAS Applications As the commercial drone market rapidly expands, the number of use cases is filtering into new markets. Beyond the military scope, commercial UAS applications have the potential to completely transform the monitoring, control and data analysis processes for many industries. The MM2-13X5W is equipped to support this next wave of these UAS applications, including: Pipeline monitoring as a service – drones can help maintain safe and consistent visibility of the pipeline and deliver that critical data to the network. The small form factor and proven reliability means uninterrupted data transmission in remote settings. Homeland security apps – recently, in the U.S., there have been many heated conversations around border protection. Many drone supporters believe that UAS can offer a cost effective way to monitor the nations borders. The U.S. border patrol even recently solicited contractors to build facial recognition drones. Drone delivery service – As we look at the future use of commercial UAS, drone delivery is a popular topic of conversation. We’re also seeing use cases where drones can deliver food and medicals supplies to high risk areas in third world countries. Precision Agriculture: Drones can enhance crop visibility, enabling smarter decisions and more food output. The potential impact of drones in precision agriculture is becoming recognized throughout the world. As the possibilities for commercial UAS continue to multiply, so does the need for secure C2 links for successful operations – and this is where the MM2-13X5W is an ideal solution. Additional Product Features The MM2-13x5W also features the following: 115.2 and 153.6 kbps selectable RF data rates TDMA, Super Epoch TDMA, and AES Encryption Performance tests from -40 degrees Celsius to +85 degrees Celsius Data link range up to 90 miles For more information about the MM2-13X5W, please visit: https://www.freewave.com/mm2-m13-series/
The Importance of Frequency Hopping
(Original blog can be found on the Texas Instruments website) Are you a fan of those 1940s black-and-white movies where a damsel in distress gets rescued by a rough-and-ready private eye? If so, then you’ve probably seen actress Hedy Lamarr. In real life, Hedy was no damsel in distress. She was one of the primary inventors of frequency hopping technology now seen in Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® and code-division multiple access (CDMA). The technology Hedy Lamarr helped invent is frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) radio technology. FHSS is a wireless technology that spreads signals over rapidly changing frequencies. Each available frequency band is divided into subfrequencies. Signals rapidly change, or “hop,” among these subfrequency bands in a pre-determined order. Used in global industrial applications for over 60 years, 900MHz FHSS radios equipped with TI’s chipsets like the SimpleLink™ Sub-1 GHz CC1310 wireless microcontroller (MCU) now have the ability to host process-automation apps for the intelligent command and control of remote sensors and devices. Without having to leverage expensive Wi-Fi bandwidth, lay fiber or employ cost-prohibitive cellular, companies can now take advantage of proven low-power FHSS technology to automate processes at the network edge. The proliferation of smart sensors and high-bandwidth devices makes low-power FHSS technology a viable and cybersecure wireless data option for oil and gas, unmanned systems (like unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] and robots) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) wireless integration. Because innovators like TI have developed such powerful chips, FHSS is no longer restricted to pure telemetry or input/output (I/O). Indeed, FHSS increasingly supports voice and video, and can scale to form self-healing mesh networks. Moreover, FHSS transmits data over much longer distances than Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa or zigbee – up to 60 miles in some cases. Because FHSS is a wireless technology that spreads its signal over rapidly hopping radio frequencies, it is highly resistant to interference and is difficult to intercept. Interference at a specific frequency only affects the transmission during that extremely short interval, making FHSS inherently cybersecure. By employing intelligent TI-based FHSS technology, organizations can take advantage of real-world fog computing and intelligent edge communication devices that are cybersecure and resilient. When deployed as process-automation nodes, these devices (pictured in Figure 1) can make decisions and take action at the access level (or at the sensor or device). Indeed, not only is FHSS a reliable and robust option for Internet of Things (IoT) networks, it is also a low capex and opex solution that can work for years without maintenance. Contact FreeWave to learn more about FHSS technology and order a couple of TI-powered radios that you can program (in Python, Node-RED and Node.js) for real-world fog and edge applications. Also, find out more information about the CC1310 wireless MCU and other products within the SimpleLink MCU platform.
Manufacturing in the Age of IIoT
Few industries can claim such a foundational impact on the United States as the manufacturing industry. Modern manufacturing began with the birth of the assembly line and the transformational effect it had on the automobile industry. Companies then adopted that approach to product manufacturing and logistics. The early phases of the next generation of manufacturing appeared as machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, a forbearer of the concept behind the Internet of Things (IoT). Eventually, IoT became so broad that specific designations were needed to differentiate between the consumer and industrial side of things, thus paving the way for the Industrial IoT (IIoT). Today, manufacturing companies, while often on the leading edge of automation technology, are still scrambling to adapt to the explosion of sensors, communication platforms, big data and high-speed analytics to maximize efficiency and future-proof their products or designs. Some companies are touting the idea of retrofitting – a concept that has existed for some time – but some plant engineers may be wary of the need for continual updating to a system that is bound to become irrelevant at some point. Still, the process can be relatively painless, and is quickly becoming necessary, as Plant Magazine notes: … Most food manufacturing and processing plants have motors powering essential equipment such as mixers, conveyors and packaging machines. But they’re just motors. They don’t play in the same league as other intelligent devices. With years of service to go, it’s difficult for plant managers to justify replacing motors that work just to make an upgrade with smart features. But motors can connect to the IIoT without a complete overhaul. Instead of investing in new, more intelligent/smart equipment, consider investing in sensors that provide similar functionality to connected devices. Smart sensors attach to almost any standard low-voltage induction motor. Sensor technology is sophisticated enough to be small, functional and energy efficient. For certain kinds of manufacturing plants, a complete overhaul may not be necessary, and a ‘simple’ retrofitting process might easily solve the first part of the problem. The second part of the problem, or challenge, is that along with smart hardware, plants also need the software and data processing capabilities to keep pace. Some plant engineers are solving these challenges by deploying programmable radios capable of hosting third-party applications so that the data can be transmitted in smaller, highly specific packets, making the transport both fast and easier to push into predictive analytics platforms. From there, software companies are building in the ability to process data in the cloud, essentially running all critical data and software operations through either a fog or cloud computing process. Cloud software services have the potential to be highly customizable based on the needs of the manufacturing plant. These technologies are good examples of the ongoing convergence between traditional information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) needs in industrial markets. Currently, the manufacturing industry is sitting in an interesting spot: leaders in the M2M world, but still adapting to the IoT world. Where the industry ends up in the next 10 years could be a strong indicator of the economic and financial temperature of the domestic and international marketplaces.
7 Tips for OEMs to Improve SCADA Networking Communications
From remote field sensors to Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and I/O modules, industrial wireless radios connect your device and sensor ecosystems with robust and reliable links. Furthermore, wireless data radio networking technology connected to I/O modules for SCADA applications have become faster, smarter and their firmware now easier to upgrade. More options and frequencies, including 2.4 GHz for short range I/O and 900MHz for long range data networking, continue to improve SCADA-based network communications for robotics, industrial automation, unmanned systems and heavy machinery. So what do Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) need to know when deciding upon which technology to use? Below are seven tips for OEMs to consider when reviewing industrial wireless communication options. 1) Assess Technology Options for the SCADA Network Start first by identifying your needs, goals, and limitations. When it’s time to research technology options, observe what’s available today and what’s going to be available in the future, heeding the “buyer beware” saying. Communication products vary in many ways, and each manufacturer and/or technology has advantages and disadvantages. No single product—and likely not a single manufacturer—can meet all application needs. 2) Reduce Costs While some companies seek to continue to preserve existing investments of wired and wireless technologies, wireless options have clear advantages for SCADA systems. Most obviously, wireless installations reduce labor and material costs by avoiding hard-wiring remote assets. Speed of deployment adds savings. Wired systems can take days or weeks to be properly installed. Wireless networks generally require only the end points to be installed, saving substantial time and costs. Networks need to scale gracefully as the number of end points increases. After installation savings, scalability is the biggest advantage of wireless over hard-wiring, including slow integration into wired systems as it’s implemented. 3) Consider Hybrid Benefits Toss out any old perceptions. If you need mobile SCADA network access, find somebody that offers it. If you have a microwave tower place, use it. Piggyback slower licensed radio networks with faster 902-928 MHz frequency hopping, AES encrypted networks. Know that you can install I/O capable radios (analog and digital signal, 4 to 20 and 1 to 5) to relay contact closures or other data without adding a new Progammable Logic Controllder (PLC) or Remote Terminal Unit (RTU). 4) Maximize SCADA System Value With telemetry technologies, such as spread spectrum radios, the same radio used in RTUs can act as a slave device sending data back to the SCADA host, and as a repeater to other field devices or other RTUs. This allows almost limitless network expansion by using remote sites as a series of repeaters, and by using radios in the RTUs to poll the instrumentation. Polling the instrumentation creates a second network reporting wirelessly back to the RTU. This shorthaul network is the equivalent of a local area network (LAN). 5) Don’t Use a Proprietary SCADA System By using a non-proprietary SCADA system, users gain real-time access, control, and monitoring of their network (including all the devices and functions of their network). They can manage requirements of an ever-growing system allowing them to manage their network in real-time with fewer bodies and hours invested. Security and safety improves with better monitoring. For instance, some industrial systems don’t contain a process for monitoring the cathodic integrity for corrosion (like in water/wastewater and oil and gas) to avoid disaster. But with deployment of a wireless system, they can. They can begin by monitoring simple things, such as pump stations at wells, using I/O radios communicating back to the central SCADA system to get up-to-date information on the tanks’ or pipelines’ status. End users can more quickly resolve an emergency wirelessly, instead of manually. 6) Seek SCADA System Flexibility Advanced flexibility of radio communications offers benefits to new SCADA system deployments and upgrades performance of existing SCADA systems. For example, in water/wastewater industrial applications, there need to be generation/distribution, lift stations, system monitoring, and treatment facility systems in place (or planned) to meet the expanding growth of a community’s population and/or service areas to meet future requirements. Each year, many industries deploy more frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) SCADA solutions to help monitor and manage critical infrastructure. Several manufacturers (including FreeWave Technologies) offer FHSS radios capable of retrieving data from remote locations. And although wireless IO (input/output) has been available, only recently have both capabilities been offered in one communication solution. 7) Seek Easy-to-Use SCADA Software OEMs implementing and using a SCADA network systems for data communications want a simplified, rapid setup and easy management of a network. That includes ability to manage multiple frequencies and multiple networks within one system. A centralized storage and management center provides easy access to system configuration and diagnostics data. Technicians in remote or harsh weather environments need robust reporting capabilities. Software like FreeWave’s ToolSuite can manage data communication diagnostics and configuration.