Smart sensors are a vital component of Edge systems, providing a range of skills that improve productivity in the factory. These are some of the ways in which these sensors are helping to carry out IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) today.

 Compaction of intelligent sensors

Production systems increasingly require smaller and more autonomous (i.e. intelligent) peripheral devices that can operate for extended periods of continuous use at the network perimeter, where diagnostic and monitoring resources are scarce. From a hardware standpoint only, compact smart sensors increase the ease of system integration and the use of devices, both of which are beneficial for Edge system deployment.

Network connectivity ready for fast communication with the cloud

Además de ser compactos y de construcción robusta, los dispositivos periféricos deben ser compatibles con la red. Los sensores inteligentes resuelven esta necesidad al tener una dirección IP y soportan protocolos de comunicación de red que permiten la comunicación directa con otros equipos de fábrica como robots y PLCs, o para la transferencia de datos de medición a bases de datos de fábrica.

En un sensor inteligente habilitado para la red que digitaliza y mide un objeto de destino, los paquetes más pequeños de datos de alto nivel se comunican con la nube a intervalos seleccionados, en lugar de transferir continuamente los datos de escaneo en bruto para su procesamiento en otro lugar. Esta capacidad alivia la presión sobre la conectividad de red y minimiza la latencia y el cuello de botella, todo para proporcionar procesamiento distribuido en el sistema Edge de la red de la fábrica.

Software de la Edge Computing

The configuration and maintenance of many production systems that take advantage of intelligent sensor technologies can lead to challenges in network management. This challenge is why Edge Computing requires that all devices on the network be managed uniformly, ideally as a fully automated process controlled by built-in software.

In an intelligent paradigm, the Edge device (in this case a sensor) can not only acquire data, but also process data and communicate control decisions to factory equipment, directly from the Edge, without having to send the data to a centralized location or to local computer racks. The software allows intelligent sensors to perform on-board computation and storage so that selected applications can be run locally at very high speeds.

Arquitectura de red distribuida y escalable en los sistemas Edge

Edge Computing is based on the perfect interaction of different devices. Instead of a centralized controller, it is now a collection of devices that act independently but communicate cooperatively.

Intelligent sensor networks are based on a distributed network architecture (Figure 1). In this way, a network facilitates scalability and allows process engineers to develop specific measurement and control solutions for each production cell. Applications are deployed using code snippets that allow edge devices to run securely and require minimal interaction with coordination elements. This avoids unnecessary or unwanted burdens on servers in central data centers.

Security and privacy on the distributed network

In today’s production environment, there is a risk that protected information can be easily distributed over any connected device or network. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly concerned about the risk of exposure to their protected data.

In addition to the technical challenges posed by a large number of devices in production, there is also an increased demand for intelligent sensors that minimize these safety risks. This demand can be met by various measures, such as user profiles (e.g. technical or administrator), firmware and encrypted settings, as well as secure protocols for data exchange with cloud storage.

Conclusion

Edge Computing mejora el tiempo de respuesta y reduce la latencia a milisegundos al tiempo que minimiza el ancho de banda de la red.

Combinados con el cloud computing y soportados por sensores inteligentes, estos sistemas Edge pueden afectar significativamente el rendimiento del sistema industrial y aumentar la productividad y rentabilidad para los fabricantes.

Fuente de la noticia: www.lmi3d.com

Edge Computing improves response time and reduces latency to milliseconds while minimizing network bandwidth.

Combined with cloud computing and supported by intelligent sensors, these edge systems can significantly affect industrial system performance and increase productivity and profitability for manufacturers.

Source of the news: www.lmi3d.com