Bedrock’s Universal Control System Features a Patented Architecture That Frees Users from the Constraints of Traditional Automation

Bedrock Automation has announced the availability of Bedrock, a revolutionary industrial control system that frees users from the constraints of traditional automation. Featuring a patented architecture with a pin-less, electromagnetic backplane and embedded cyber security, Bedrock addresses virtually all control applications with fewer than a dozen part numbers, reportedly reducing cyber-attack vectors, cutting lifecycle costs, and simplifying engineering, commissioning and maintenance.

Reinventing control systems
Commitment to simple, elegant design is a core tenet of the system. Bedrock delivers I/O, power, and communications across the pin-less electromagnetic backplane with a parallel architecture that supports ultra fast scan times regardless of I/O count. The removal of I/O pins improves reliability and increases cyber security while forming a galvanic isolation barrier for every I/O channel. This massively innovative backplane also allows installation of I/O modules in any orientation and location for unprecedented flexibility in I/O and cable management.

Secure I/O modules use layers of advanced technology to deliver software-defined I/O for universal analog, discrete, Ethernet, and Fieldbus signal types. A secure power module is functionally and physically coupled to the backplane to deliver single and dual redundant cyber secure power for the control system. A secure universal controller reportedly is so powerful it can run virtually every conceivable application independent of size or control task: discrete, batch, continuous, or multivariable control from one device that supports as few as ten, to as many as thousands of I/O points. No longer are separate programmable logic controllers (PLC) and distributed control systems (DCS) required.

Layers of protection
Replacing pins with an electromagnetic backplane is one of many layers of cyber security protection that Bedrock Automation has implemented. Additional cyber security layers include:

• A real-time operating system with the highest safety (SIL 4) and security (EAL6+) rating of any RTOS available today
• Cyber secure microcontrollers with encrypted keys and TRNG embedded in all system modules, including the controller, power supply, and I/O
• All modules encased in anti-tamper metal that is impenetrable without metal cutting tools
• Authentication extending throughout the supply chain, including third party software and applications

Adding so many layers of protection to a conventional DCS, SCADA RTU, PAC, or PLC would add cost and complexity and degrade performance. With Bedrock, they were built in from the start.

Open, flexible engineering
Bedrock delivers an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) based on an open IEC 61131 software toolset that supports embedded OPC UA. The IDE enables users to develop, operate, and authenticate control for a vast array of PLC, SCADA, and DCS applications. Fewer components means fewer panel layouts and wiring diagrams to contend with. Software configurable I/O can be changed in the field with the click of a mouse. Ninety percent fewer I/O module types means fewer spare parts to keep and manage. Such innovations contribute to reducing overall engineering design costs by up to 33 percent.

Pricing and availability
The Bedrock control system is available now in baseline configuration starting at $20,000 MSRP. A growing network of world-class system integrators and automation solution providers is available to provide local sales and support.

Keywords: Industrial Control System, Automation, Cyber Security, Electromagnetic Backplane, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), ARC Advisory Group.