TSN plus OPC UA
The ODVA follows suit
The ODVA is now setting up an internal 'special interest group' to develop a new network stack. This stack is intended to harmonize a native OPC UA information model and security features with CIP profiles and services.
The ODVA recently formed an ad hoc committee to analyze the technical requirements for use cases in IIOT and real-time automation applications and to evaluate the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) device profiles and services in conjunction with OPC UA. The ODVA has completed this study and has now approved the formation of a new Special Interest Group (SIG).
This SIG will define a new, open, unified, standards-based IIoT communication solution for sensors, actuators, controllers, software and cloud to meet the needs of industrial automation combined with information exchange between OT and IT systems. Until a brand name is chosen for the new ODVA technology and the new standard, the name 'NewTEC' will be used for the new network.
A multi-year project
NewTEC integrates the native OPC UA information model and security features with CIP profiles and services. For high-performance real-time applications and the convergence of real-time and non-real-time applications, it is to be optimized for the integration of optional mechanisms for TSN (Time Sensitive Networking).
The development of the first version of the ODVA specification for NewTEC is planned as a large, multi-year project. In order to support the resources required for this development and to promote the esprit de corps among the NewTEC players in the initial phase of the work, the ODVA has founded a 'NewTEC Start-up Community'.
Influence of shaper activities?
The extent to which these activities are related to Rockwell Automation's decision on April 24 of this year remains to be seen. At that time, Rockwell - the main player in the ODVA - announced that it would be joining ABB, Belden, Bosch Rexroth, B&R, Cisco, Hilscher, KUKA, National Instruments, Phoenix Contact, Pilz, Schneider Electric, TTTech and WAGO - collectively known as 'Shapers' - to develop a communication solution for real-time and sensor-to-cloud applications in the industrial environment. The solution favored by the Shapers, which is based on OPC UA, enables simple and secure use of information across different manufacturer systems. In addition, TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) improves latency and robustness in converged industrial networks.
"Connecting multi-vendor systems end-to-end requires a harmonized, interoperable solution that provides both consistent information models and consistent communication and application behavior, collectively known as application profiles," said Paul Brooks, Business Development Manager at Rockwell Automation. At that time, it was said that the companies would announce the exact procedure for harmonizing the application profiles in the middle of the year. This should then take the final hurdle to complete interoperability. Part of the goal is to certify the entire solution from a single source - right down to the application profile level.
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