Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
Keywords: Software-Defined Automation, PLC, IPC, Future Automation Architectures
Overview
The concept of software-defined automation has received a lot of press in recent years. Classic hardware-based computing functions are now realized in software in an ever-increasing range of applications, including software-defined vehicles, software-defined defense, and software-defined networking.
Now, with the launch of virtual PLCs, software-defined automation is presenting its first challenge to the established world of hardware-based automation. Traditional suppliers now must navigate the transition from selling high-margin proprietary hardware to selling low-margin PC-based hardware. This ARC Insight takes a close look at aspects of software-defined automation and discusses its main drivers and implications.
What Is ISdA?
ARC uses the term Industrial Software-Defined Automation (ISdA) to describe the use of software-based solutions to automate industrial machinery or process automation rather than traditional hardware-based controllers such as PLC, CNC, motion control (MC) or robot control (RC). These applications are typically executed on a standard hardware platform, such as an industrial PC (IPC) or server. The hardware and the operating system may be extended by the automation supplier to guarantee a certain performance level of the Ethernet fieldbus and/or hard real-time motion control applications with the lowest acceptable jitter.
Virtual Automation Controllers
Virtual PLCs were introduced recently by several suppliers to the industrial machinery and process automation market. The vPLC falls under ISdA, but these software-based, virtualized controllers run in a virtual machine (VM) on a software platform, typically on an IPC or server. The VM contains not only the automation application, but also its own operating system. This feature makes it independent of the operating system of the host, which could be a PC with a standard operating system. Nevertheless, VM must offer a real-time-capable fieldbus interface and communication driver to allow real-time motion control, as well as to connect to the sensors, actuators and operating panels of the machine or process.
ISdA Applications
Currently, the common perception is that ISdA is related to PLC applications, but this is a very narrow view. For motion control, hard real-time control that guarantees a jitter less than 400 µsec for synchronized servo axes is still not available in a software-defined automation solution. However, ARC expects that the CPU performance of controllers hosting ISdA applications will continue to improve and will enable hard real-time motion control applications in the future. For this reason, ARC includes CNC, RC and GMC next to PLC functionality in the definition of ISdA.
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