A Superior Communication Solution for Process Automation – How Analog Devices’ fido5000 Helps Prepare JUMO for Industry 4.0

Driven by Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things, industrial automation technology is shifting towards digitalization. Production sites are constantly changing. Production sites are being networked; they can communicate with each other, between different parts of the company, and even across the company. Overall production efficiency can be significantly increased through condition monitoring, optimization of machinery and technical systems. However, this requires all actors in the enterprise, whether human or machine, to be in constant communication to exchange massive amounts of data and various parameters.

Figure 1. Examples of applications for various actors in a connected factory.

Figure 2. Moving from simple analog sensors to smart sensors. Smart analog sensors include the entire signal chain and processing unit.

In the past, the connection was relatively simple, and the analog sensor signals from various systems were transmitted to a central controller for digital processing. However, in the era of Industry 4.0, sensors also began to use digital technology. With so-called smart sensors that can be integrated anywhere in a complex network, the amount of recorded data can be transferred digitally over the network. As shown in Figure 2, in addition to the actual measurement parameter detection, these smart sensors integrate the main signal conditioning and processing parts in a single package structure.

In addition, smart sensors are usually already equipped with a bus interface. By digitizing measurement parameters, more data can be transmitted at a faster rate. Another advantage is that the signal transmission is more reliable. With digital signal transmission, signal variations and interference can be reduced or even completely eliminated. Also, ideally, bus-enabled sensors can be plug-and-play connected to the network, meaning that the control unit automatically detects these sensors. If one sensor fails, the other sensors continue to operate normally.

However, all of these require general-purpose, highly reliable, real-time available networks to scale from individual sensors and actuators to machines and ultimately to entire systems. Ethernet, especially Industrial Ethernet, has become an important set of communication standards. Compared with previous fieldbuses, Industrial Ethernet offers decisive advantages, such as the efficient and synchronous transmission of larger data volumes over a shared transmission medium. Furthermore, Industrial Ethernet offers the possibility to build the entire communication on a unified basis, complementing traditional Ethernet with real-time scaling for determinism.

Last year, ADI introduced the real-time Ethernet multiprotocol (REM) switch gateway chip family fido5000 for such applications. The family uses two TSN-enabled Ethernet ports to implement, for example, line, ring, star and redundant star network topologies. In addition, any host processor can interface with the switch chip through its configurable memory bus interface. While standards are constantly changing, the fido5000 REM switch flexibly supports every current Industrial Ethernet protocol, helping developers design new products for the future.

These advantages are achieved through the JUMO Group, a German family-owned SMB operating globally in the Fulda region. JUMO develops and manufactures a wide range of products and system solutions for the measurement, control and analysis of physical and chemical quantities for a wide range of industries including food, air conditioning, mechanical engineering, chemical and pharmaceutical, packaging, and water and wastewater. In these industry sectors, various process data needs to be transmitted over large networks anytime, anywhere. For the fido5000, this is the ideal application scenario and why it is used in the latest JUMO design DICON touch.

JUMO DICON Touch

DICON touch is a 2-channel process and programming controller that can be viewed via a TFT color Display and supports intuitive touch operation. In addition to offering the previously available RS-422/RS-485 MODBUS® RTU, Ethernet and PROFIBUS® DP interfaces, the latest DICON touch can interface with and communicate with PROFINET controllers. The above functions are achieved through the integrated fido5000 2-port switch, which enables the construction of simple network topologies. The web application has several integrated features, including registration data evaluation, setup configuration, and web server functionality for online visualization; in addition, PROFINET real-time data exchange is supported. Certification guarantees compliance with the PROFINET standard and compatibility with applications from different manufacturers.

Figure 3. DICON touch 2-channel process and programming controller – the first JUMO product with a PROFINET interface.

ADI and JUMO have established a long-term partnership. In 2016, ADI expanded its industrial Ethernet product line with the acquisition of Innovasic. This enables ADI to help customers implement a range of Industrial Ethernet applications, as demonstrated by the partnership with JUMO, which in turn has a positive impact on the partnership. By partnering with JUMO, Analog Devices has gone from a single component supplier to a true design partner. Klaus Otto, Product Manager at JUMO GmbH: “ADI was a very good partner and provided us with great professional support during the development of the PROFINET interface for the multi-channel process and programming controller JUMO DICON touch.”

Analog Devices takes this partnership very seriously and will continue to expand it further in the future. The way ADI works together and leverages each other’s strengths to achieve a win-win situation sets it apart from these partners. For example, Analog Devices provides its partners with comprehensive Industry 4.0 expertise by adopting the latest technologies and solving major challenges at an early stage.

Ultimately, ADI has continued to evolve beyond the confines of a traditional semiconductor company, breaking the boundaries of silicon chip technology, and investing heavily in software, systems expertise, and specialized technology development. This accumulation of knowledge is combined with a variety of curated capabilities covering the entire signal chain from sensor to cloud. Address various challenges at the system level. This speeds up the development process and reduces time to market. Therefore, competitiveness is enhanced by developing next-generation products earlier. Whether ADI provides assistance as a passive partner or as an active partner, actively provides technical, experience and other support, we try our best to meet all the needs of our partners.

Especially during the development of DICON touch, ADI provided a solution that meets the needs of designing all devices based on the Ethernet protocol PROFINET. The challenge is to develop a general-purpose device that offers customers countless possibilities. DICON touch is designed with a powerful modular concept: available as a simple plug-in card and integrated PHY for standard Ethernet, or as an external plug-in card with PROFINET functionality. Klaus Otto: “During development, we paid particular attention to individual PROFINET solutions, as there is no comparable solution on the market with these functions.”

In addition to the fido5000 REM switch chip, the integrated RapID platform was also used in the development of DICON touch. This platform shows a complete solution with fido5000 as an embedded design. It integrates the fido5000 switch chip, communication processor, JTAG interface, PHY, and memories such as Flash®, SDRAM and EEPROM on the same circuit board. The next-generation RapID platform will feature a more powerful and energy-efficient ARM® Cortex®-M4 processor as the communications processor, on which more processing functions can be performed as needed. During the development of DICON touch, JUMO was very interested in the features of the existing RapID platform, for example, the common pre-certified Industrial Ethernet protocols provided by the platform. The RapID platform supports downloading of all relevant information, such as circuit diagrams and layout data, which greatly reduces development time. The RapID platform also offers a dynamically integrated web server, which provides an easy way to read or change network parameters, as well as input and output data; this feature is also available in DICON touch. The platform can also configure the PHY via RMII and I²C interfaces. In addition, PROFINET modules can be updated at startup, since the firmware is already mirrored on the DICON touch.

Figure 4. The fido5000-based RapID platform is available as an evaluation kit.

Therefore, the flexible configuration of the RapID platform for DICON touch also supports firmware updates and network access. For DICON touch development, there are infinite possibilities for innovation. For example, standard blinking LEDs are not available on electronics, which is an important feature of PROFINET. Instead, the entire LED Display of the DICON touch flashes.

Network security was also an important factor during the development of DICON touch. Cybersecurity of industrial controllers cannot be achieved with a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, it requires a long-term approach based on a systemic risk assessment. As part of its security strategy, Analog Devices strives to improve the security of its Ethernet components. Therefore, current Industrial Ethernet and TSN solutions are the focus of the company’s security development efforts. The fido5000-based RapID platform is complemented by several security features that provide key management, secure boot, secure update and secure memory access to defend against cyber attacks.

in conclusion

ADI leverages the fido5000 series and the RapID platform to provide partners with outstanding application solutions to help customers meet future needs such as real-time functionality, reliability and security. Therefore, ADI can not only provide customers with high-quality products, but also provide development cooperation or development support. This cooperative advantage is confirmed by the new JUMO DICON touch process controller. Through the joint efforts of both parties, the project was completed on schedule and a safe and reliable forward-looking solution was successfully obtained.

About the Author

Thomas Brand joined Analog Devices in Munich, Germany, in 2015 while he was still studying for a master’s degree. After graduation, he participated in ADI’s trainee program. In 2017, he became a Field Applications Engineer. Thomas supports large industrial customers in Central Europe with a focus on Industrial Ethernet. He graduated in electrical engineering from the Union University of Education in Mosbach, Germany, and then obtained a master’s degree in international sales from the University of Applied Sciences Konstanz, Germany.