In the age of digital transformation, automation and IT are growing at a breathtaking pace. The Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 pose new challenges for all market participants. This trend is currently also becoming apparent at SPS IPC Drives, which takes place from 28 to 30 November at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. Around 1,700 exhibitors present the complete spectrum of industrial automation at the trade fair.
Kontron is of course present again in Nuremberg. At the SPS IPC Drives we will present numerous product innovations in Hall 7, Booth 193. Our trade fair presence focuses on solutions around the IIoT, the Industrial Internet of Things. The highlights at the booth include our embedded cloud solutions. These include, for example, edge gateways and high-performance embedded servers connected via IEEE-802.1 TSN/OPC UA.
Cloud solutions start in an industrial environment
Cloud solutions are becoming increasingly important, especially in the industrial environment. The highlight of Kontron's approach is, that the Embedded Cloud keeps time-critical and sensitive machine data at the company's location, because unlike public clouds (off-premise), the Embedded Cloud processes information on-site (on-premise). It is fully integrated into the work and production environment. The Embedded Cloud supports deterministic applications and the virtualization of processes up to the completion or replacement of traditional, proprietary fieldbus systems.
The embedded cloud allows companies to retain control over their production-related data while also benefiting from lower latency. This enables fast analysis of machine data, optimizes processes and, last but not least, improves the interaction of machines with time-critical requirements. In our opinion, this makes the embedded cloud an essential component in the implementation of Industry 4.0 and IIOT solutions and thus a decisive factor in global competition. But even the industry 4.0 cannot do without public cloud when it comes to storing and analyzing large amounts of data.
Future-oriented cooperation with Microsoft
Kontron therefore cooperates with Microsoft, as announced at the Nuremberg trade fair. The interaction of Kontron solutions with the Microsoft Azure Cloud will enable our customers to access innovative analytical methods and state-of-the-art business intelligence analyses in the future. This includes solutions for machine learning and artificial intelligence. With its Azure IoT Services, Microsoft is already demonstrating that smart factories can theoretically also be controlled via edge gateways. Kontron has chosen Microsoft as its Public Cloud Partner because Microsoft Azure meets the highest German and European data security requirements. Kontron is already exhibiting a variety of Microsoft Azure Certified products at the show.
Modern Time Sensitive Networking for Industry
Solutions for data collection, virtualization and cloud-based device management are the focal points of the Kontron booth. Highlights are our innovative products for the new Time Sensitive Networking (IEEE-802.1 TSN) standard. They enable the rapid construction and transparent operation of deterministic, time-sensitive industrial Ethernet networks. These solutions are the basis for a new generation of industrial network systems with minimal latency and highest precision in coordination. This also includes, for example, OPC UA-based transmission of real-time control data and so-called control streams. This allows industrial facilities to be controlled, which synchronously combine data from different machines with each other and optimise processes sustainably. A domain that was previously reserved for traditional, manufacturer-specific fieldbus systems. With its new TSN solutions, Kontron makes industrial companies fit for future requirements in highly competitive markets.
Proven solutions and competent advice
However, Kontron's presence at the trade fair is not limited to innovations alone. Rather, we show almost the entire product range. These include Kontron embedded boards as well as modules, box PCs, the proven rack-mount systems and HMI systems, with now up to 75 "displays for use in rugged environments. Pre-integrated platform solutions and services for IIoT and Industry 4.0 can also be seen at our booth in Hall 7, Booth 193.
IIoT-Demo with Time Sensitive Networking at the booth
The demo shows OPC UA TSN Publisher/Subscriber-based communication and synchronization. An embedded industrial computer of the Kontron KBox-C series controls three independent motors via TSN, which run synchronously in time even under high network occupancy rates. The Kontron KBox C-102 industrial computer takes over the central control of the motors via the TSN card and TSN switches and communicates on the other hand with a superordinate embedded server, which takes over the management functions, via standardized OPC UA protocol. This on-premise implementation can also be moved into the cloud or developed as a hybrid solution, in which time-critical tasks are performed on-premise and data analysis runs in the cloud. In this scenario, the KBox C-102 takes over both motor control and time-critical data preprocessing as an embedded computer. In this context, it serves on the one hand as a fog computer for edge analytics and on the other hand as a gateway. With this scenario, Kontron maps the realistic use of embedded hardware and cloud components in a Time Sensitive Network.
Visit Kontron in Nuremberg
On all three days of the fair, competent Kontron experts will be on hand to answer your questions about our entire range of solutions. A visit to Kontron is worthwhile. See you in Nuremberg.
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