Changing the Game: TSN in Industrial Networks

Manufacturers are looking to automation vendors to provide systems and technologies to help them create connected industries, smart factories, and integration with Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Automation vendors want technology providers that have access to the latest technology, deliver higher performance and reliability, and reduce cost and complexity. This is where Ethernet with TSN (Time Sensitive Networking) comes in.

Let’s discuss the challenges first.

To achieve a global smart factory, the key areas to consider are:

Foster consistent quality and performance across global operations

Balance manufacturing with demand, optimize material usage and asset utilization

Meeting regulatory compliance

Implement more flexible and agile manufacturing operations

Manage on-time delivery metrics by reducing mean time to repair (MTTR) and improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)

Reduce the cost of designing, deploying, and supporting manufacturing and information technology (IT) systems across global manufacturing facilities

Improve response to events on the factory floor, regardless of their location

Eliminate islands of automation

A major obstacle that has previously hindered progress has been the limitations imposed by existing industrial network systems. They are unable to share information between different control and business systems. This has led to data "islands" that have prevented effective sharing of information. Manufacturers of industrial automation control systems and their customers understand the value of the data generated in their factories and therefore need seamless access to this data in order to make more informed decisions to run their factories in IIoT and Industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0 applications require transparency. Taking terabytes of data from the shop floor and turning it into useful information is all part of the strategy. But more importantly, it’s being able to solve customer problems with a complete solution-based architecture focused on IT/OT convergence.

The role of compatibility

Standardized protocols are improving the movement of data around IT and OT networks. However, deterministic performance requires a class of communications that forces automation and related data silos. To address this, we need to be able to support real-time and best-effort communications on the same wire. Ethernet has a new Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) that provides the benefits of a converged network. Ideally, companies implementing factory automation projects should look for the latest versions of open network technologies that meet their current needs and leave room for future growth. For Ethernet, this means meeting the needs of Industry 4.0 with gigabit bandwidth while taking advantage of new specifications and products that are compatible with TSN.

The importance of TSN technology is reflected in the rapid position taken by many standards bodies and industrial Ethernet organizations to include it in their respective portfolios. Their work provides a solid foundation for the integration of data and information between all complexes, different devices and applications that were previously disconnected.

Connecting disparate technologies and making things work from a seamless interoperable perspective is necessary for end users to successfully build complete automation systems. Standardization allows these end users to design and deploy complete systems using products from a range of vendors.

TSN can provide many opportunities for convergence and interoperability. It can enable devices and applications that were previously isolated to communicate separately to become part of a cohesive system. Different industrial Ethernet protocols can coexist on the same network.

The value of automation standards

In addition to the OPC Foundation and CLPA (CC-Link Partner Association), various open Industrial Ethernet associations have been working to add TSN compatibility to their portfolios. The IEEE 802.1 group includes more than 30 different standards, some of which may not be applicable to industrial use cases. It is clear that there needs to be a consensus on which ones should be used for automation. To address this, the IEC and IEEE are working together in order to define a set of standard profiles for TSN in automation based on a wide range of use cases. This is generally referred to as IEC/IEEE 60802. However, as we have already seen, many automation use cases are covered by the core IEEE 802.1AS and Qbv standards, which address time synchronization and prioritization.

Vendors are already shipping products that incorporate these standards. Additionally, the IEC and IEEE have a strong track record of backward compatibility. Therefore, any future standards will likely be "grandfathered" in any previous standards. The IEC/IEEE 60802 project also plans to address the issue of TSN conformance testing. An open network organization is already offering this today, and these activities will likely be combined with broader initiatives in the future that will also include other organizations. A new testing and conformance collaborative has been created to ensure that the various protocols coexist on the same network with TSN. This collaboration can be found at TIACC.net.

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)

So, what does a company that is convinced of the benefits of TSN and wants to adopt it do now? The answer is to look for a technology that currently supports TSN while providing the necessary application features, such as safety and motion control. It has been almost a few years since CLPA launched CC-Link IE TSN, which consisted of an open Industrial Ethernet solution using CC-Link IE and adding TSN compatibility to it. The result? The world's first open Industrial Ethernet technology that combines Gigabit bandwidth with TSN. CC-Link IE TSN therefore clearly provides the gateway to the future of open Industrial Ethernet. End users, machine manufacturers and suppliers can now adopt the proven technology in their respective products and projects. The ecosystem of development options available to suppliers who want to offer CC-Link IE TSN certified products is extensive and flexible.

Complete solutions from leading suppliers such as Mitsubishi Electric are already available. For device vendors, developing CC-Link IE TSN-compatible products now will shape the future of automation. CC-Link IE TSN helps deliver on the promise of Industry 4.0 in three key ways:

Performance: The only open Industrial Ethernet available today that combines Gigabit bandwidth with TSN, delivering the highest productivity through maximum bandwidth availability.

Connectivity: As an open technology, it maximizes freedom of choice for end users and machine builders while also providing implementation flexibility for vendors. TSN takes openness a step further by providing the ability to combine CC-Link IE TSN traffic with other protocol traffic.

Smart: Reduce engineering time and maximize uptime through a range of features designed to simplify system design and maintenance.

We are in a new era of interoperability

What does all this mean for end users, machine builders, or vendors who are still figuring out what to do with TSN? Great thinkers and innovators have recognized the value of this technology and continue to work with the IEEE to develop and enhance it. More importantly, vendors and standards organizations are adopting and pushing TSN technology into their own standards and product portfolios.

End users want to have choices, but at the same time, from a business value perspective, they expect that all networks and devices should coexist and be able to work together. This will allow the data from all these previously disconnected devices to be transformed into useful information, thereby leveraging TSN to provide a complete cohesive solution for industrial automation today and in the future. In summary, the risk is not in adopting TSN now, but in waiting a few more years to implement it, while potentially watching competitors move on in the meantime.

TSN is the most important technology for the future of industrial automation. It offers many opportunities, key among which is determinism and therefore complete industrial and commercial network convergence. Network convergence is a key component in solving the challenges of greater transparency identified by Industry 4.0, enabling processes and manufacturing to operate efficiently and streamlined.

Evolving to TSN-enabled systems

For current industrial automation projects, organizations need to investigate which technologies can address this challenge. Existing technologies that offer capabilities such as Gigabit Ethernet can help with this. Of course, they should also be open networks. At the same time, it is important to keep an eye on the future. This means identifying current technologies that support TSN. These are important because they provide an upgrade path for future TSN-enabled systems.

The technology landscape around TSN is constantly evolving, with new advances coming from activities at the IEEE and IEC. However, based on previous experience, there is a high degree of confidence that TSN solutions installed today will also work with future systems. Ethernet has been around for about 40 years and has continued to evolve during that time, which is why it is still in use today. Therefore, companies should not be afraid to implement TSN now. As we have already seen, adopting now will bring competitive advantages, and you will avoid the risk of delaying and potentially seeing competitors who utilize current solutions move forward. Groundbreaking technologies like TSN will continue to evolve to meet current needs while helping to shape the next industrial revolution.

Conclusion

Today’s machine builders and end users rely on TSN technology to connect their legacy systems with today’s systems while meeting the complex demands of tomorrow. TSN literally provides everlasting durability. Therefore, it is important for vendors, machine builders, and end users to invest in TSN technology now because they will be able to stay ahead of the curve as it evolves and be able to take advantage of the seamless new capabilities that TSN brings. It can benefit development roadmaps, simplify machine designs, and improve manufacturing operations.