Mr Hilscher, what individual components make up your system solution?

Hans-Jürgen Hilscher: Essentially, our netField platform consists of a chip set for the IO-Link master and the edge gateway, OPC UA from the server with IO-Link companion profile to the REST API for cloud access to the information model and, finally, the edge portal for device management. The whole thing is encompassed by an end-to-end security concept and everything in combination with the real-time Ethernet communication for which we are known.

What is special about the gateway?

Hans-Jürgen Hilscher: The special thing is that our gateway is no longer actually a gateway. To put it more clearly, we have integrated the gateway into the IP67 IO-Link network unit. The chip set of the device therefore consists of the netX 90 network controller, the intelligent 4-channel IO-Link transceiver netIOL and the netX 4000 with its Linux kernel. This reduces the complexity and quantity of components to such an extent that everything fits into the standard IP67 housing size of 60 mm x 200 mm. The only visible part of the gateway is the additional M12 Gigabit connector for the cloud connection. For communication with the controller, there is no difference whether the IP67 unit has a gateway function or not.

What advantages does this bring?

Hans-Jürgen Hilscher: Imagine the maintenance technician replaces the IP67 IO-Link unit, which has the same dimensions and connection, with one with a gateway function and has IT create the connection to the edge portal. When the system is restarted, the IP67 unit is reconfigured by the control system in the same way as a spare part replacement, production starts up and the I4.0 experts take care of everything else remotely via the edge portal. - Perhaps the idea still seems a little too visionary. But what I want to say is that you no longer need experts on site, because we adhere to the principle of "never touch a running system".

What is the purpose of the portal and how does it differ from other common portals?

Hans-Jürgen Hilscher: The portal primarily takes care of device management and network diagnostics. This includes 'on boarding' and identifying the devices and sensors in the automation network, loading software, diagnostics and configuring the rights and roles of data and operators.

With regard to network diagnostics, we have also provided some hardware functions in the gateway, which are optionally available via an app. I should also mention that the applications on the netX 4000 are brought in as Docker containers via the edge portal, so that this will also have an app store functionality in the further development.

Why does it make sense for Hilscher to establish his own portal?

Hans-Jürgen Hilscher: I'll answer the question with a counter question: does it make sense for every field device manufacturer to set up their own portal? As a technology provider, we have been active in the automation market for over thirty years and are not in competition with any sensor or automation device manufacturer. So it makes sense for us to provide a portal for device management and for the manufacturer to adapt the front end to its design or add its functionalities. This creates interesting business models if the device manufacturer has a view of its devices, while the system operator sees all the devices in its system across all manufacturers.

In addition, the more than one million netX controllers that we bring onto the market each year represent a potential customer base. We would also be delighted if netField were perceived in the market as an open technology. Anyone can build devices and edge gateways for use in the edge portal if they have the know-how and rely on Microsoft's open-source technology for cloud connectivity.

How was the response to your new presentation at SPS IPC Drives?

Hans-Jürgen Hilscher: We were very satisfied with the feedback! We had several technical WebEx presentations with interested companies immediately after the trade fair. - One company has already opted for our solution and technology!

How are you pursuing the topic further?

Hans-Jürgen Hilscher: At LNI 4.0, we will be installing a testbed entitled 'Testbed Edge Connectivity Crosstechnology'. We already have an informal commitment from the association and are currently preparing the formalities. The aim is to examine device management from the cloud, across manufacturers and devices, and to develop best practice. This will help us to present our solution to various companies in practical operation on neutral ground, so to speak.