Industrial Networks (Global Market) Industrial Networks

2022

Why TSN networks will not replace industrial Ethernet in industries

Given the constant development of TSN networks, thanks to the numerous offers of new products and its ability to bring determinism to standard Ethernet, the question arises in 2022 - when industrial Ethernet protocols such as Profinet, CC-Link IE, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT will be replaced by TSN networks. When considering this issue from the point of view of building TSNs and industrial Ethernet networks, an explanation appears as to why such a replacement will not occur. Read more here.

How Industrial Ethernet in the IoT Age is Transforming the Enterprise Fieldbus Approach

Is it worth using 4-20mA tires in 2022

What is the fate of the 4-20 mA fieldbus and network communications in the face of the growing use of Ethernet in industrial networks in 2022? In discrete manufacturing industries, the transition from fieldbus to industrial Ethernet, as of mid-2022, is in full swing.

"Classic" field buses were built on the basis of the 4-20 mA "current loop" standard or the HART protocol

This has been happening quickly over the past decade and does not seem to be slowing down, said Michael Bowne, chief executive of PI North America (an organization that supports Profibus and Profinet)

PI annually examines statistics on the number of installed Profibus and Profinet nodes.

In 2021, 8.5 million Profinet (industrial Ethernet) devices were installed - this is the largest annual figure. In contrast, 1.5 million Profibus devices (field devices) were installed. This amounts to almost six Profinet devices installed on each Profibus device.

Previously, the opposite situation was observed. 2016 was the first year that more Profinet devices were installed than Profibus. In 2007, one Profinet device was sold for every 15 Profibus devices. Despite such successes in discrete production, the transition to Ethernet in the processing industries was much slower. By 2021, the transition from a fieldbus and 4-20 mA to industrial Ethernet is just beginning. A major reason for the slow start was the security restrictions lifted with the development of Ethernet-APL, a version of Ethernet designed for dangerous environments.

Thanks to Ethernet-APL, there is now an intrinsically safe physical layer for Ethernet that allows you to directly connect to devices in explosive areas. Ethernet-APL is ready to be a significant step forward in the capabilities of process automation networks - a change that is long overdue - explained Bone

How Ethernet-APL allowed the use of digital buses in hazardous industries

Ethernet-APL is an extension of the 10BASET-1L-based single pair Ethernet (SPE) specification. It not only supports all Ethernet-based protocols, but also provides power and communication over IEC 61158-2 type A cables, which can be up to 1000 meters long. For intrinsically safe ignition protection, Ethernet-APL devices comply with the electrical parameters defined in IEC TS 60079-47, technical specification for two-wire intrinsically safe Ethernet (2-WISE). Thus, users in both the discrete and processing industries can benefit from the higher speed and bandwidth offered by industrial Ethernet. This higher speed and capacity can optimize both connectivity and the flow of an increasing amount of diagnostic and prognostic data.

Ethernet APL makes Ethernet possible in hazardous areas

If used correctly, this additional information can lead to significant increases in bandwidth, quality, and lower costs, said Steve Fales, chief marketing officer at ODVA (an EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, and Common Industrial Protocol support group).

For these reasons, Fales and other developers of automation systems believe that in most installations produced after 2021, the field bus and 4-20 mA communication give way to industrial Ethernet.

The scales usually tilt toward industrial Ethernet for a new discrete production line or automation island in a technology facility - says Steve Fales

In response, fieldbus standardization organizations switched to Ethernet.

The consistent topologies of many organizations have become Ethernet-based, says Arnold Offner, Strategic Marketing Manager for Automation Infrastructure at Phoenix Contact

He points out that FieldComm Group has added HART-IP, PI, and Profinet protocols (mentioned above), and ODVA is focusing on EtherNet/IP.

Will 4-20 mA tires remain at enterprises

Does this mean that Ethernet devices will eventually replace the 4-20 mA field buses and networks?

Yes, but it will take some time for suppliers and end users to replace existing technology, because the installed base is very large. There has been a lot of investment [in these legacy technologies], so there needs to be a significant return on investment to justify replacing them - predicts Tom Burke, director of global standards at the CC-Link Partner Association

While the cost difference between legacy and new technologies is nominal, it is difficult to justify copying and replacing existing industrial automation devices, "adds Fales

Buying new devices to replace existing ones that do their job, and then stopping production for enough time to transition, makes little economic sense, especially when investment is limited. In manufacturing, in 2022, another limiting factor is the novelty of Ethernet-APL. It will take some time before enough device manufacturers incorporate the new Ethernet-APL physical layer into their products.

A significant number of suppliers should do this to create an ecosystem of products that will allow end users to build factories and networks - explained Bone

Another lifeline for the exchange of data over the field bus and 4-20 mA was the development of gateways and translators capable of sending data on Ethernet networks. These devices allow you to extract data from legacy networks, as well as send this data to the periphery or to the cloud for monitoring and analysis. They help maintain the integration of existing installations into a broader management network and thus allow these legacy networks to remain in service until suppliers stop producing device spares.

Gateways are used to convert interfaces to industrial Ethernet standard

How to release data from 4-20mA devices

The evolution of automation technologies can help extend the life of field buses and 4-20 mA technologies. Legacy networks continue to find application in 2022 as new digital devices using Ethernet enable their capabilities to be supported. For these reasons, Ted Masters, president and CEO of FieldComm Group, believes that the traditional field bus and 4-20 mA will always take place in industrial networks.

Even in the age of digitalization, end users do not remove field devices. Instead, they protect their investments by finding ways to uncover valuable data stuck in these devices, Ted Masters reported.

For engineering personnel, the task is to preserve the existing equipment, but also support digitalization. In addition to using gateways and translators, another method involves updating 4-20 mA signals using the HART protocol. High-speed digital approaches to 4-20 mA data acquisition can use technologies such as HART-IP and WirelessHART.

Since HART can be superimposed on existing 4-20 mA wiring, no changes to the connectivity infrastructure are required. Moreover, many devices and host systems already initially support HART, and those that do not can add HART functionality using adapters and other devices. This simplifies and cheapens the transfer of this data to local or cloud applications for value creation.

Another way to help the field bus and 4-20 mA technology support digitalization is to simplify the integration of field devices. As industrial networks still include many physical layers associated with Ethernet as well as 4-20 mA fieldbus and wiring, FieldComm Group is partnering with FDT Group, PI and OPC Foundation to develop Field Device Integration Technology (FDI).

FDI provides a common approach to integrating information from intelligent field devices into higher-level asset management and automation/control systems for configuration, commissioning, diagnostics, calibration, and other tasks. To be open for use with different protocols and network types, it also includes part of the NAMUR open architecture model and supports new and existing automation protocols.

FDI technology has become an important milestone in simplifying access to field device data in a standard way, regardless of communication protocol - noted the Master

How to choose the optimal solution at the field level

Another reason why the 4-20 mA field bus and link will still be relevant for a long time is that they are sufficient for some tasks. One example is simple scales that only report weight through a field bus. In such cases, the ability of Ethernet to communicate from several devices on one wire is not needed. Simple point-to-point connections are more than enough. They provide sufficient bandwidth for the operation of devices. Typically, users wishing to extract more information from factory devices send data to the PLC and store it in memory. Thus, the PLC serves as a kind of device for combining data, since it combines data from all these different devices.

Open standards have also helped with the transfer of field-level data to higher-level network applications.

In 1995, OPC actually solved the problem of being able to capture data from all these different devices and send it to client applications such as typical small-scale HMI systems or even Microsoft Excel - explained Burke

Since then, user companies and industry consortia have developed data models and naming conventions to access data from disparate devices on the network.

Such point-to-point architectures provide many manufacturing facilities with the necessary connectivity. Therefore, as long as PLCs can aggregate data and connect to anything to transmit data, enterprises see no significant value in replacing the existing network.

Many of the businesses, especially smaller ones, are cautious about the technologies driving digital transformation. One reason is that they don't know how to assess the usefulness of converting data into information to justify retrofitting existing installations. Another reason is that they often lack technical knowledge and understanding within the company.

Over time, however, people will begin to understand the benefits of using [large amounts of] information and attracting historical data in many of these small production plants, "Burke said

In 2022, there are some other scenarios where 4-20mA buses are still used.

First, when a certain device is required for operation, which is not yet available with an industrial Ethernet interface. While almost all device suppliers will offer devices in 2022 with both a fieldbus interface and an industrial Ethernet interface, some will still have only fieldbus or analog connectivity. Here, users who want to connect these devices to Ethernet networks will need to deploy gateways to convert data. To solve such problems, a proxy concept has been developed.

Proxies are similar to gateways in that they connect disparate networks. But unlike gateways, data mapping is defined in the specification, "Bone explained.

Since the data is converted according to the proxy specification, it always looks the same even if it comes to Profinet from Profibus or some other legacy fieldbus. This concept allows both a phased transition to Profinet and the installation of a new Profinet network without losing access to data from legacy systems.

The second scenario, in which the use of field buses or 4-20 mA devices continues, arises in the process automation market, when the application requires intrinsic safety. Here, the field bus usually remains the preferred solution. However, as Ethernet-APL becomes more accessible, it is expected to replace such buses with Ethernet-APL devices.

2021: Industrial networks continue to grow: Year-end

HMS Industrial Networks in April 2021 shared the results of a study of the industrial network market, which is conducted annually in order to analyze the distribution of newly connected industrial automation nodes. The 2021 survey includes an estimate of the market share occupied by field buses, industrial Ethernet and wireless networks, as well as their growth rates.

The study concluded that the industrial networks market is showing signs of restoring stability and HMS expects overall market growth of 6% in 2021.

2021 Industrial Network Market Breakdown According to HMS Industrial Networks - Field Buses, Industrial Ethernet, and Wireless Networks

Industrial Ethernet continues to grow, increasing its share by 8%. It now accounts for up to 65% of newly installed industrial automation nodes in the world (compared to 64% in 2020). EtherNet/IP and Profinet networks are fighting for the first place, but in 2021 Profinet with 18% of the market is ahead at the top of the EtherNet/IP rating with 17%. The EtherCAT field bus continues to occupy a confident position in the world market and has caught up with the leader - Profibus with its 8%. They are followed by Modbus TCP with 5%, which together with its "sister" using Modbus technology - Modbus RTU - occupies 10% of the market, which confirms their constant importance for industrial automation systems in the world.

The continued decline in the proportion of field tyres reported by HMS in recent years has almost stopped. In 2021, it amounted to only 1%, since enterprises in uncertain times, for example, during a pandemic, are more inclined to adhere to existing technologies. Field tires account for 28% of the total number of newly installed nodes as of April 2021 (30% in 2020). Profibus, at 8%, is still the clear leader; this is followed by Modbus-RTU with 5% and CC-Link with 4%.

The share of wireless networks continues to grow, increasing by 24%. For April 2021, they occupy 7% of the market, which still expects the powerful impact of 5G adoption in enterprises. Given the current state of affairs in the world with wireless cellular technologies as the next level of smart manufacturing tools, HMS expects the market to increase demand for wireless devices and machines due to the fact that they will be included in future more flexible automation architectures.

Connecting devices and machines to the industrial network is key to creating intelligent sustainable production. This is the main engine of growth that we are seeing in the industrial networks market. Enterprises are constantly working to optimize performance, sustainability, quality, flexibility and security. The key to achieving these goals is reliable industrial networks, says Anders Hansson, marketing director for HMS Networks.

EtherNet/IP and Profinet lead in Europe and the Middle East, with Profibus and EtherCAT in second place. Other networks include Modbus (RTU/TCP) and Ethernet Powerlink. The US market is dominated by EtherNet/IP, with EtherCAT gaining some market share. The Asian market is partly led by Profinet and EtherNet/IP, followed by strong rivals CC-Link/CC-Link IE Field, Profibus, EtherCAT and Modbus (RTU/TCP).

The study includes the forecast of HMS Industrial Networks specialists for 2021, based on the number of newly installed industrial automation nodes. A unit means a machine or device connected to an industrial network. These figures reflect HMS's consolidated view of the market situation, taking into account the opinions of industry colleagues and company sales statistics.

See also

• Industrial Automation (Global Market)

• Ethernet
• Power-over-Ethernet
• Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)

• GPON Gigabit-capable passive optical network technology
• Passive Optical LAN (POL)
• Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) - 802.11 wireless standard

• Wireless Networking Equipment (WLAN) - Global Market
• Ethernet LAN Switches (Global Market)

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