Computer platform
Open source in the industry
The open source concept is very popular in the developer community. Does this approach also have a chance of scoring points in the conservative automation environment? Kunbus takes the plunge with an open source computer based on the Raspberry Pi.
At the 'Franco-German Digital Conference' in December 2016, high-ranking politicians decided to promote open source in industry. The conference at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) aimed to further expand cooperation between the two countries in the field of digitalization. Even in the final declaration, open source is highlighted as a key driver of innovation, which shows how topical this issue is.
In industry, companies use patents to protect themselves from their competitors and invest a lot of money in legal departments to enforce them. But companies are also drawing hard boundaries with their customers. Who can repair a car or washing machine or open a cell phone themselves these days? Often you can't even get proper operating or repair documentation and circuit diagrams - and without special tools you are often at a loss.
A clear alternative to such scenarios is the open source concept. However, market leaders in high-yield industries in particular have no interest in this alternative. They want to protect their margins and markets and are often structurally unable to adapt to this new world. But how long can these companies afford this? At the latest when the first open source products appear in their market segment, the cost pressure will increase and they will be forced to react.
Open source products are already common in the private sector. There are several reasons for this: Firstly, most products are free of charge or at least significantly cheaper than others. Secondly, users have the opportunity to get involved and make changes and adaptations themselves. The user also becomes a developer.
The new generation of engineers and developers are taking a more relaxed approach to this topic and are helping to ensure that the open source concept also reaches the industry, because the high degree of freedom is more important to them than the disadvantages of a closed system. Almost unnoticed, the use of open source software has grown enormously. Despite this, it is currently still very much confined to the private or university environment.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are countless examples that prove that open source software - such as Linux, Firefox and OpenOffice - can master even complex challenges. Another advantage is the collaboration of many innovators on a product. As a rule, there is also a strong community behind open source products. The innovative power of these communities is an invaluable asset for companies so that they do not miss out on future developments - without having to pay salaries. As a rule, these communities are fast and effective. However, companies should actively participate in the community and use its know-how to maintain an overview and control.
In summary, open source means for companies
- Feedback of their own development into the community;
- Evaluation of suggestions for improvement from and by users;
- the ability to criticize;
- Acceptance of the non-hierarchical structures of a community;
- unconditional openness (even when mistakes are made).
Communities are also valuable as a network. They create global links across political and cultural boundaries and have also become a recruiting tool for qualified employees.
In addition to all these positive aspects, however, it should not be forgotten that the use of open source solutions in the industrial and commercial sector also has its disadvantages:
- License models that are sometimes difficult to understand;
- uncontrollable communities/users;
- Differences in the direction of further development;
- unresolved legal issues or pending legal rulings;
- Fragmentation of software in different directions (derivatives);
- patent law issues relating to own products when using open source products.
If you look at the use of open source in industry today, it is mostly developer tools or products for your own IT world that are truly open. This is because these sub-areas do not yet affect the company's own product. The fear of losing control plays a major role here.
For example, what will happen to the open source product in ten years' time (minimum delivery capability)? But are the ten years often demanded still appropriate in all areas of industry? The high rate of innovation and rapid technical development often make such long minimum delivery times obsolete. Or do you still want to deliver the same processors in ten years' time as you do today, for example? Doesn't it make more sense to use a compatible successor model and increase performance?
Industry 4.0 and open source
The RevPi Core base module can be supplemented with a wide range of expansion modules such as I/O modules or fieldbus gateways.
© KunbusThe fourth industrial revolution is opening up new opportunities for open source solutions. Different industries and control levels are merging in terms of data technology, actuators and sensors are talking to each other and everything is gradually being connected and evaluated - and this is precisely where the open source concept is particularly effective. This is because open source products have the advantage of open standards and open interfaces over proprietary solutions. The rule is: everything must be interoperable with everything else. An open source code can be easily adapted to your own requirements and you do not end up in an expensive dependency on a single manufacturer. In addition, technical openness opens up new ways of thinking and marketing approaches for data (big data, cloud), products and services - for example, pay-per-use billing.
But what does an open source product that meets the requirements of the industry look like? The answer is provided by the Revolution Pi from Kunbus, which meets industrial challenges. The Revolution Pi is an open source IPC based on the Raspberry Pi. The 'Revolution Pi Core' is equipped with the 'Raspberry Pi Compute Module'. The 'Compute Module' contains the processor and a 4 GByte flash memory. The module is supplied with 5 V, 3.3 V and 1.8 V voltage via the socket. All IO connection signals also run via the socket.
The standard operating system of the Revolution Pi is Raspbian (a Debian variant) in the Wheezy version with RT patch of kernel 4.1.13. It has 2 × USB 2.0 A (each with a load capacity of 500 mA), 1 × micro USB, HDMI and an Ethernet RJ45 10/100 Mbit/s connection as communication ports.
The Revolution Pi has been made suitable for industrial use: Kunbus has built robust 24 V industrial hardware into the top-hat rail housing of the Revolution Pi, which complies with the EN61131-2 standard. In combination with the analog and digital I/O expansion modules, the Revolution Pi can be expanded into a fully-fledged, industrial-grade small controller, as the following features illustrate:
- Power supply: minimum 10.7 V, maximum 28.8 V, maximum 10 watts;
- Permissible ambient temperature: -40 to +55 °C;
- ESD protection: 4 kV / 8 kV in accordance with EN 61131-2 and IEC 61000-6-2;
- Surge/burst tests: in accordance with EN 61131-2 and IEC 61000-6-2 coupled to supply voltage, Ethernet and I/O lines;
- EMI tests: in accordance with EN 61131-2 and IEC 61000-6-2.
In addition to the analog and digital I/Os, it is possible to connect gateways that connect the Revolution Pi to almost all industrial buses (e.g. Ethernet IP, Profinet, Profibus, field buses, Modbus, serial or DMX). The Pi-Bridge is the data highway that connects the individual modules of the Revolution Pi platform. This allows the Revolution Pi IPC to be expanded with suitable I/O modules or gateways as required. Two neighboring modules are connected to each other via a system connector on the top of the housing.
The implemented industrial suitability of Revolution Pi in combination with open source opens up undreamt-of possibilities for the user that have not previously existed in the world of control systems. For example, the Revolution Pi computers enable the combination of proven control technology with the latest IoT and Industry 4.0 technologies, such as cloud communication via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. The Revolution Pi also meets all the necessary security requirements for open system communication thanks to the integrated cryptochip.
The central element of the Revolution Pi is the open source concept - in several areas:
Hardware - Kunbus discloses all circuit diagrams, including for the internal bus Pi bridge. Maker sets are available for connecting your own applications. This ensures that every user can connect their own hardware.
Software - The Revolution Pi has Raspbian/Debian Wheezy with RTPatch (Linux) as its standard operating system. It can be programmed with C+ or Phyton; everything that runs on a Raspberry Pi also runs on the Revolution Pi. This means that thousands of open source applications are available, some of which are free of charge. The automation company Kunbus itself publishes the source codes of its software and drivers.
Community - On the Kunbus homepage, the company has integrated a community in which the company's developers answer questions promptly and discuss them with users. Users can also actively exchange new ideas and fix bugs here. This eliminates the need for an expensive support hotline and everything is shared with everyone.
Collaborations - Talks are currently underway with over 60 companies who want to integrate their software on the Revolution Pi. These include many open source software products, but also renowned industrial software PLC manufacturers. The aim is to be open to anyone who wants to use the Revolution Pi. The Revolution Pi is therefore an 'open carrier' for the variety of applications.
Kunbus also participates in hackthons with its products and works together with universities to utilize their innovative power for further development. On top of this, developers of applications and programs are given the opportunity to market them via the platform.
Author:
Andreas Müller is Marketing and Sales Director at Kunbus.
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