Remote - M2M 2015 - (Page 14)

Feature Article M2M with HMI Richard Clark, InduSoft Web Studio Application Developer at Wonderware Schneider Electric Machine-to-machine (M2M) networking and communications have been around for decades, but what's new is the ease with which data can be shared among machine control and monitoring system Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), and from machine HMIs to remote monitoring devices such as PCs, smartphones and tablets. The relevant parts of machine control and monitoring systems for M2M are the controller and the HMI. Although many early M2M implementations used controller-to-controller communications, this approach has lost favor because it's only practical when all of the controllers are from the same supplier, preferably of the same make and model. By contrast, HMI-to-HMI communications allow more universal communications because most HMI hardware has Table 1: Requirements for HMI Communications an Ethernet port, and the majority of HMIs have at least one * Ethernet port common Ethernet-based protocol. Add in widely supported * Common Ethernet protocol, such as Ethernet IP or Modopen communication standards like OPC and PackML, and bus TCP/IP most HMIs are ready for communication configuration right * Common schema, such as OPC or PackML out of the box, regardless of the supplier. All that's needed is a * Ability to easily configure communications within HMI way for the end user to easily configure and set up communicasoftware tions among HMIs, a feature supported by most modern HMI software (Table 1). Typically, each machine will have its own HMI, and these machine HMIs will connect to a supervisory HMI, which monitors the operation of an entire production line. One or more supervisory HMIs often then connect to one or plant-wide HMIs, which give visibility of an entire plant. Once HMI-to-HMI communications are set up, M2M technology allows networked devices to share data and perform actions automatically, with little or no manual intervention required. This article will briefly review M2M benefits, and then discuss M2M implementation using off-the-shelf HMI technology. M2M Benefits Table 2: Benefits of M2M There are many benefits of M2M communications, and of * Collect, integrate and organize machine sensor data communications among machines and remote monitoring de* Improve integration among machines vices (Table 2). Without the ability to collect, analyze and under* Improve performance and efficiency of entire line or stand sensor and production data from each machine - it may be plant extremely difficult to understand how much production capabil* Provide real-time information for business intelligence ity is potentially being lost, or how much additional maintenance * Enable predictive and preventative maintenance is being performed due to machine operational inefficiencies. * Provide input to big data systems for analysis and Often, a slight decrease in efficiency at a single machine improvements can cascade through a production line resulting in an overall * Enable remote monitoring and control efficiency loss of 5 to 10 percent or more. This is because one machines output is another machine's input, causing a production line to run at the speed of the slowest machine. M2M integration creates process and manufacturing benefits and efficiencies because process and machine data is shared and distributed, which allows for several independent machines in a production line to operate as though they were a single integrated unit. In these situations, the use of an intelligent HMI or intermediate SCADA system therefore becomes imperative as the mechanism to link and coordinate machines and their control systems. With the machines linked and coordinated, these intelligent HMIs can also connect to business intelligence systems. Dashboards showing real-time process information - and predictive and preventative maintenance data - are valuable to operators, engineers and management. As the amount of data collected by each HMI grows, M2M provides an important connection to big data systems. Without big data system's analysis tools that can take all the integrated data of each machine and or process, it becomes extremely difficult to understand what is happening across the entire manufacturing line. But with big data gathering and analyzing powered by machine HMIs, comprehensive analysis becomes possible, revealing issues that often can't be spotted by simple observation. Additionally, modern HMI software packages have the ability to communicate and view data on portable or mobile devices. This aids process troubleshooting, maintenance, alarm/event acknowledgement, and remote operation of individual machines, production lines and entire plants. Machines utilizing flexible HMI software that can be modified and communicate to other machines is a requirement for M2M 14 www.RemoteMagazine.com http://www.RemoteMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote - M2M 2015

Editor's Choice
Safeguarding the IoT: Putting Security Front and Center
Remote Device Management for the Internet of Things
Not So Remote Any More: Incorporating Wireless Connectivity into Remote Site Equipment for Anytime Access and Greater Control
M2M with HMI
OMG Standards in the Oil & Gas Industry
Internet of Things West Preview
Modern IT Solutions Turn Worry into Confidence
IoT Products and Services
Industry News

Remote - M2M 2015