Together with 5G and OPC UA, this technology will have a major impact on the communication technology of tomorrow in the industrial, automotive and audio-video-consumer application areas. In particular, the members of the OPC Foundation's Field Level Communication working group are working on using TSN to develop an open IIoT communication solution between sensors, actuators, controllers and the cloud.

In our interview series, we hear from leading figures in automation about their views on TSN, assessments of the development and their own plans.

Our questions were asked by:

Thomas Lantermann, Senior Business Development Manager at Mitsubishi Electric

Wolfgang Leindecker, Member of the Management Board, TTTech Industrial Automation

Nils Bücker, Product Management Network Infrastructure at Pilz

Bernd Fiebiger, Principal Developer System Analysis/Systems Engineering at Kuka

Mitsubishi Electric: "One cable and everything works"

Thomas Lantermann is Senior Business Development Manager at Mitsubishi Electric.

© Mitsubishi Electric

In his 30-year career at Mitsubishi Electric, Thomas Lantermann is now responsible for the expansion of strategic partnerships for the Mitsubushi Electric e-F@actory Alliance and is also involved in the implementation of smart factory solutions. What does his roadmap for TSN look like?

What is your company's position on the future communication standard Time Sensitive Networking (TSN)?

Lantermann: With the CC-Link IE TSN industrial Ethernet network, Mitsubishi Electric was able to present its first TSN-based solution at the Hannover Messe in 2019. This is based on relevant international standards for TSN and was combined with the CC-Link network. This shows how important these international standards are for Mitsubishi Electric. They enable consistency between the IT and OT (Operational Technology) levels in industrial production. It therefore fulfils an important requirement for the digitalization of industrial production in the sense of Industry 4.0.

In the meantime, Mitsubishi Electric has greatly expanded its product portfolio with CC-Link IE TSN-capable components and now offers a well-rounded portfolio. This means that only one network is required: from the PLC with decentralized I/Os, robots and inverters to fast servo/motion connections. The advantage for our customers is the principle of simplicity, which means they don't have to worry about the various cabling and protocols. All they need is this one TSN network, one cable and everything works together.

What do you currently consider to be the most important and urgent points when it comes to the development and introduction of the standard?

Lantermann: This simplicity! One cable and everything works, even for the integration of components from other manufacturers that support CC-Link-IE-TSN. The configuration of a mixed TSN network requires precise coordination of the components. This is why the approach of centralized and decentralized configuration of the network is being discussed. Mitsubishi Electric is therefore working with the organizations LNI 4.0 Testbed in Augsburg and IIC (Industrial Internet Consortium) in Stuttgart. The interoperability and configuration of the network are being discussed and tested here. The aim is to achieve plug and work, as with USB devices in the IT sector.

What specifically are you working on in your company with regard to TSN; what does your roadmap look like in this respect?

Lantermann: All new automation devices from Mitsubishi Electric have CC-Link IE TSN on board. Existing devices will be retrofitted with CC-Link IE TSN step by step. We want to make the advantages of TSN available to our customers as quickly as possible. One network for all applications, from the cloud and PLCs to servo motion and robots.

Another aspect is the combination of OPC UA and TSN. This opens up new possibilities for digitalization and the path to Industry 4.0. The transparent exchange of data, without the hindrance of proprietary manufacturer networks, makes it easier for customers to implement preventive maintenance, data analysis and the resulting optimizations.

TTTech: "OPC UA over TSN as an essential foundation for successful digitalization in the factory"

Wolfgang Leindecker, Member of the Management Board, TTTech Industrial Automation AG

© TTTech

Together with a wealth of experience in automation and IT, Wolfgang Leindecker, member of the Management Board of TTTech Industrial Automation, has extensive expertise in the field of IIoT. In this interview, he explains how he assesses the influence of TSN technology on the future Internet of Things.

What is your company's position on the future communication standard Time Sensitive Networking (TSN)?

Leindecker: TSN products have been an integral part of TTTech Industrial's portfolio for years. Together with leading companies in the automation and IT industry, we have driven forward the establishment of OPC UA over TSN as a standardized communication protocol for Industry 4.0 applications. We see an open, cross-industry and manufacturer-independent standard as an essential basis for successful digitalization in the factory. The compatibility of solutions from different manufacturers gives customers great freedom of choice and flexibility, enabling them to exploit the benefits of industrial automation.

What do you currently consider to be the most important and urgent points in terms of the development and introduction of the standard?

Leindecker: The OPC Foundation initiative, in which we participated, is now being continued as the Field Level Communications Initiative. The majority of the global market has now recognized OPC UA over TSN. However, it is not only important that the major manufacturers use OPC UA over TSN for their products. There are still many companies whose machine parks are not yet equipped with digitalization technologies. On the one hand, this may be because there is currently no need for it, but on the other hand, digitalization is also associated with investment and high costs. As a provider of TSN solutions, we have to convince these customers of the benefits of OPC UA over TSN and make it easier for them to take their first steps towards digitalization.

What specifically are you working on in your company with regard to TSN; what does your roadmap look like in this respect?

Leindecker: We offer a TSN product line that includes firmware and software for industrial Ethernet switches, switch chips and Ethernet interfaces. Manufacturers of electronic components for industrial automation use our TSN products to make their own devices TSN-capable. We also have network planning software in our portfolio that makes it easy to set up TSN networks. This means that we are already part of a supply chain of TSN products that will be needed in automation in the coming years.

For anyone interested in TSN technology, we offer a TSN starter package that allows you to set up, configure and test TSN networks quickly and easily. Our focus is on reducing the effort involved in integrating and using TSN and supporting the development of TSN systems.