eHANDBOOK

Industrial IoT,
Part II
 www.controlglobal.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Working the (easier) network.....................................................................................................................................4

Tackling the challenge of IIoT.....................................................................................................................................9

Popular IIoT programming components........................................................................................................ 12

Want more effective IIoT and automation? Collaborate with people................................16

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Industrial IoT, Part II 2

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Working the (easier) network

To automate its process for building uranium fuel rods, Cameco is implementing
IT-based tools like Docker container images, and getting help from 4IR to create
a hybrid environment for running web-based Ignition SCADA software

By Jim Montague

J
ust as hardware is being replaced ceramic pellets, and assembles them into
by software that can perform the bundles. These manufacturing and
the same functions, some larger assembly lines were also mostly manual
process applications and facilities are also historically with limited automation, which
giving way to digitalized and IIoT-enabled they’ve slowly been trying to upgrade.
counterparts—or at least the portions that
software can handle. “Previously, fuel bundle manufacturing
relied on standalone islands of equipment
For instance, Cameco Fuel Manufacturing with only low-grade automation and manual
in Port Hope and Cobourg, Ontario, makes material handling. However, from 2010
uranium fuel bundles for Canada’s nuclear until now, we began to incorporate some
reactors. These 19-inch-long bundles each higher-level, automotive-style automation
contain 37 fuel rods, and 12 bundles are with controls, robots, pallet handlers and
placed in each of about 480 fuel channels other devices from ATS Group,” says Jean-
at a typical reactor. The company operates Paul Moniz, technical services coordinator at
20 different equipment units at each facility, Cameco. “These devices are still networked
with the Cobourg plant manufacturing via EtherNet/IP to ControlLogix PLCs and
metallic components such as seamless HMIs from Rockwell Automation, using its
tubing and other parts, while the Port Hope longtime Converged Plantwide Ethernet
plant converts uranium oxide powder into (CPwE) guidelines. This let us implement

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overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and from the IT side,” says Moniz. “One of the
downtime tracking. We enhanced these most well-known IT tools is Git, a distributed,
capabilities, also in 2010, by implementing open-source control system that tracks
Ignition web-based SCADA/HMI software and manage software file changes, and is
from Inductive Automation.” typically used for source code management
in software development. Other IT tools
FIND THE HIDDEN FACTORY include container images, popularized by
Moniz reports that IIoT gives Cameco more of Docker, which package code and runtime
the data it requires to monitor and manage dependencies together, so programs can
production and the genealogy of its products. run in different computing environments.”
“IIoT solves what’s mainly a scalability issue.
As manufacturing systems advanced and get THE HYBRID (SOFTWARE) PLANT
more complex, their need for IT-level tools More recently, Cameco sought to automate
and IIoT increases,” explains Moniz. “Initial even further by adding IT-grade tools and
process data was always available. But, as procedures with help from 4IR Solutions,
operations continue to evolve, users want to which is a managed services provider
find the “hidden factory within the factory.’ that’s enabling Cameco to add software
This is making more granular data visible, development and operations (DevOps) to
and revealing more quality defects, finding its control environment and pass its quality
root causes, identifying more waste streams, assurance (QA) tests more easily. “4IR is
or accounting more accurately for costly raw helping us create a hybrid environment
materials. IIoT can provide more detailed for running Ignition software in containers,
and accurate results, and show them on the as well as databases and PLC software,”
SCADA system.” says Moniz. “These orchestration and
management containers use source
To implement IIoT initiatives and control systems like Git, which can also
make them successful, Moniz adds automate infrastructure management in an
that its advocates must convince their operations technology (OT) environment.
management of the value of IIoT and This hybrid environment consists of onsite
digitalization, and secure their commitment servers and edge devices that crunch
to maintaining them. “We built our first some numbers locally, while a private
control architecture over 10 years, and cloud-computing service handles other
added more IT-based technology recently. calculations and analytics.”
However, many legacy controls lock users
into their systems, so we also started trying To tailor IT tools for OT users, Joseph
to separate those Layer 3 devices with help Dolivo, CTO at 4IR, reports it recommends

Industrial IoT, Part II 5

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a hybrid plant strategy that can store is especially important in nuclear-related

and forward data, maintain local fallback industries that must be secure,” says Moniz.
control when network connections are “This hybrid setting also gives us a parallel
broken, and support disaster recovery (DR) testing environment that’s similar to a
of OT systems using secure, cloud-based model, simulation or digital twin because it
backups. This method also enables MES lets users test OT technologies like SCADA
and other services to send analytics results and MES features before deploying them.
up to the cloud, while sending instructions Overall, we believe a hybrid environment will
back down to on-premise systems. 4IR reduce our onsite requirements, improve
often runs SCADA software like Ignition cybersecurity, and give us IT-grade tools
in the cloud, using data transmitted via and standardized processes. This will let us
MQTT from onboard, device-level sensors concentrate more on our processes, which
or MQTT-powered edge devices. helps because we only have so many people.
If we have to focus on patching software
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many users and server maintenance, that means less
started using routers from Best Buy to access time to add value to our end products. If we
previously isolated, proprietary networks, so can automate dealing with software code
they could look at plant data from their home and other IT tasks, we can concentrate on
offices,” says Dolivo. “However, this created improving value.”
a lot more vulnerabilities and potential
cyber-attack vectors, and exposed existing SOFTWARE (CARE) PACKAGES
ones that had been physically inaccessible Dolivo reports it’s crucial for manufacturers to
before but could now be exploited. A hybrid be aware of the ongoing revolution in IT-level
environment can backup an OT system in the software and quickly emerging solutions
cloud, and it’s a better solution than taking a that can serve on the plant-floor. “We can do
tape drive to a bank vault.” cloud-based backups of OT systems. Modern
IIoT platforms are improving their integration
Because a hybrid environment via IIoT with version control systems,” says Dolivo.
allows computing anywhere, Moniz adds its “Docker containers provide a standard way to
flexibility brings digital transformation much package and run applications, but they also
closer to OT and the plant-floor. “Running give us new ways to think about and use soft-
SCADA in a container lets many OT ware. In the past, software would run in PLCs,
functions run in a parallel environment, and PCs and virtual machines (VM), but it would
also gives users improved security because need to be cared for like a pet. Containers run
they’re no longer running on a regular software in a disposable environment that’s
operating system with its vulnerabilities. This sometimes compared to cattle because, if

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something goes wrong, users can simply spin

• Once the PoC is a success,
up a new container in its place.” expand its scope, and scale it up
and outward. This can be done
horizontally by adding parallel
Dolivo adds that users can even employ the processes or production lines, or
same processes as a public cloud, but still vertically by expanding further into
production, materials sourcing or
run their software with their own hardware even supply chain stages, or into
in their facility. In fact, even though far enterprise and management areas.
• Establish a roadmap for each project
less hardware is needed lately, what’s still or portfolio of projects, which shows
required can be rented from hardware as where the organization wants to be
compared to where it is now.
a service (HaaS) providers. For example, • Initiate the first IIoT production
Microsoft rents, maintains and updates 2U project by verifying existing physical
links or connecting to other required
rack servers for $450 per month each, and data sources. New links can be made
4IR has an option for including them as by installing MQTT-enabled sensors
and Ignition software, and connecting
part of its service. “Users can run real-time to a cloud broker. A data concentrator
control on a server like this, and use software may also be added, so PLCs can talk
to OEM equipment and other legacy
containers, backups and monitoring,” adds devices, aggregate their data, and
Dolivo. “What hybrid cloud computing bring it into the SCADA system.
• Use a cohesive data model to give
does best is centralize data historizing and context to mismatched information.
governance, while workloads themselves This structure should update at close
to real-time, be contextualized close
remain onsite. This arrangement also to data sources like SCADA systems
meets cybersecurity requirements for data and software, secure information
from many kinds of devices, filter and
residency and sovereignty.” cleanse data, and provide results that
can drive better decisions..
• Once IIoT network plumbing
is in place and consistent data
Steps to IIoT success is available, identify significant
performance results, and do further
analytics with Seeq, Canary’s Axiom,
Just like any regular upgrade or other
or other software to draft reports
automation project, Joseph Dolivo, CTO
or answer new questions. Strive to
at 4IR Solutions, adds that even the latest
standardize calculations for overall
IIoT and hybrid computing efforts need to equipment effectiveness (OEE)
follow some basic steps: or other parameters, so they can
• Identify production problems, product quickly provide the visibility that will
quality concerns or other issues, be the most useful.
and draft a clear business case that • Iterate on the roadmap by taking
justifies solving them. retrospective looks at projects and
• Develop a proof of concept (PoC) with reevaluating them. Adjust existing
specific success criteria by identifying projects as needed, or introduce new
stakeholders, and involving them to ones based on previous successes
define a clear scope and clear wins and changing conditions.
for the demonstration.

Industrial IoT, Part II 7

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Tackling the challenge of IIoT

When available, cellular has coverage, particularly for IIoT devices that tend
to be stationary, but come with the costs of services and associated support-
ing infrastructure that cellular players provide.

By Ian Verhappen

O
ne challenge associated with collect/store the data. However, the
the Industrial Internet of Things challenge continues to be in the middle,
(IIoT) is a clear agreement on getting data from points A to B.
its definition. Some claim an IoT device is
any one that can connect to another using As previously stated here, without a
Internet protocol (IP), which explains the common language (protocol), one set
enormous number of IoT-enabled devices of packets can’t be differentiated from
claimed in most market forecasts. They another in a useful way. The leading
agree that compound annual growth rates technology in this space is quickly
(CAGR) for IoT approach 20% per year. becoming message queuing telemetry
However, as with many sectors relying on transport (MQTT) due to its light technical
semiconductors, supply chain issues reveal requirements and low overhead. MQTT
constraints on adoption of IoT and IIoT. has become the de facto standard for
the cloud-based SCADA market when
Some constraints include disagreements bandwidth is a serious constraint.
about how to aggregate and gather
signals, so they can be used. No official Sparkplug B, a specification that defines
international standard exists. Currently, how data is sent and received, is frequently
we have both ends of a connection, where paired with MQTT. Both standards are
sensors send IP packets and cloud services being developed and maintained by the

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Eclipse Foundation (eclipse.org), which players provide. LPWAN costs less but
aims to provide a scalable and business- relies more on the organization using
friendly environment for open-source the network for support. LPWAN also has
software collaboration and innovation. The several competing standards, particularly
organization is also working to have its LoRaWAN and Sigfox. LEO systems are
documents adopted as ISO standards. a blend of cellular and LPWAN with a
combination of support such as cellular.
Meanwhile, the most common method
for getting from points A to B via IoT is One issue that could become a factor in
Wi-Fi. However, Wi-Fi is generally only the IoT/IIoT space that also compounds
good for relatively short distances to either the supply chain issue is the pending “chip
access point(s). From there, messages source dispute” between China and the
are aggregated onto an alternate “five eyes” countries (U.S., U.K., Canada,
carrier, perhaps with some intelligence Australia and New Zealand), which
to reduce required bandwidth. maintain a signals intelligence alliance
and monitor electronic communications.
Several surveys about IoT connectivity that Based on my experience with international
include other short distance carriers such as standards, China, as documented in its
Bluetooth report they aren’t feasible for the five-year plan, wants to be a leader in
longer distances typically required of IIoT. IIoT, which includes providing of many
Even though IoT surveys indicate that Wi- of the chipsets used in IoT devices.
Fi and Bluetooth make up about half the Both sides in this discussion don’t want
connectivity market for IIoT, the real players to use the other’s chipsets for fear of
are cellular—including 5G permutations— backdoors and cybersecurity risks.
and low power wide area networks
(LPWAN). Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites Maybe we’re making this more difficult than
are a potential dark horse in the race. necessary. There are a lot of automation
professionals familiar with SCADA
Key factors to consider when selecting technology, including selecting network
an IIoT long-distance solution are price technology, protocols and cybersecurity. Of
and reliability. When available, cellular course, they’re also familiar with integrating
has coverage, particularly for IIoT devices potential IIoT signal types, while also
that tend to be stationary, but come supporting geographically distributed
with the costs of services and associated signals across large areas, which sure sounds
supporting infrastructure that cellular a lot like SCADA to me.

Industrial IoT, Part II 10

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 www.controlglobal.com

Popular IIoT programming

components
A quick reexamination of the most well-known and widely used software
tools for implementing IIoT applications

By Jim Montague

T
he connections and networks used by • Docker is open-source software and
the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform as a service (PaaS) products
are steadily becoming ubiquitous and that use OS-level virtualization to
always-on, which means the primary task deliver software in packages called
for getting IIoT applications up and running containers, which are runnable
is programming. Here are some of the most instance of an image. These images
well-known and widely used software tools: are lightweight, standalone,
• Containers are uniform software executable software packages
units that serve as isolated runtime that include what's needed to run
environments. They encapsulate code applications, such as code, runtime,
and related accessories, and include system tools, system libraries and
all the programming needed to run settings. The software that hosts the
in any setting or situation. This allows containers is called Docker Engine.
programs assigned to a container to Container images become containers
operate fast and dependably, even if at runtime, and in the case of Docker
they’re moved or copied from one data containers, images become containers
processing platform to another. Available when they run on Docker Engine.
for Linux and Windows applications, • JavaScript object notation (JSON)
containerized software always runs the is a language-independent, open-
same, regardless of infrastructure standard, data-interchange file format

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that employs human-readable text skilled users participate. LCDPs and

to relay data objects, which consist of NCDPs can reduce deployment, setup,
attribute-value pairs and array data training and maintenance costs.
types or other content that can be • Node-RED is a free, low-code, visual
serialized. It's a common data format programming tool for tying together
used for asynchronous browser/server physical components, application
communications. Many programming program interfaces (API) and online
languages include code that can services. Its web browser-based editor
produce, sort through and organize creates JavaScript functions, and
JSON-format data. Some of the eases combining flows with a variety
languages that support JSON’s data of nodes in its palette, which can be
interchange format include C++, C#, deployed to its runtime with one click.
Java, PHP and Python. Application elements can be saved
• Kubernetes is a portable, extensible, or shared for reuse. Flows created in
open-source, container-orchestration Node-RED are stored using JSON,
tool that bundles, automates, deploys while MQTT nodes can make properly
and scales data processing by groups configured TLS connections.
of software-based hosts and contain- • Python is a simple, general-
erized devices. It manages container- purpose, object-oriented, high-
ized workloads and services, which level programming language for
facilitates declarative configuration developing software and websites,
and automation. Several cloud ser- and automating tasks such as data
vices provide infrastructures where analytics. Combined with dynamic
Kubernetes can be implemented as typing and binding, Python’s
a platform service, and many sup- integrated data structures enable
pliers also provide branded Kuber- quick application development
netes versions and deployments. and scripting for linking devices.
• Low-code/no-code typically includes It also supports modules and
software created using a low-code packages, which enables program
development platform (LCDP) or a no- modularity and code reuse. Python
code development platform (NCDP). interpreter and standard library are
These are visual development settings available free-of-charge in source
that allow users to program with a GUI or binary form for major platforms,
instead of traditional, manually coded and can be distributed freely.
software. Using a GUI accelerates • Representational state transfer
application development and lets less- (REST) is a software architecture for

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distributed hypermedia systems • Unified namespace (UNS) software

that defines strict constraints for separates content from computing,
creating web-based services. When and provides centrally located storage
these services conform to REST's six for information and context, where
guiding constraints, they're called other users can consume or publish
RESTful web services (RWS), and data needed to perform functions. UNS
enable interoperability between allows users to collect information from
Internet computing systems. RWSs sources, add context and meaning, and
allow inquiring systems to access and turn it into a format that other systems
manipulate textual representations of can understand. It's often combined
web resources by using a uniform and with MQTT Sparkplug to provide a base
predefined set of stateless operations. for digitalized, scalable processes.

Industrial IoT, Part II 14

 10 1 00 1 0 1 1 1 011010101010010101 010111011010101010
1011 0 10 1 1 0 1 1
1 0 10 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0110101101010 0101101001011010110
0101010 1 01 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
0001 0 10 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 00 11 00 1 1 1 0 1 1010101001
1010110101 0 11 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0101000101 101 1 0 1 1 1 01010011
00 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 10101010001010 010 1 1 0 1 0 110101010
0 1
0 0 1 1 01 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 111 0 1 0 1 0 0110111010
1001010 0
0 0 1 1 00 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 010111101 010 1 1 1 0 10101010
0101101 1
1 1 1 0 11 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 010
1110101001 1
0 0 1 1 00 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 00 11 00 1101 01011010110
0 1 01 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 010100010101101 111 0
10110111101011 0 10 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
1011 0 11 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 11 10 11 01 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1
01 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1
0101010 10 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 01110101001101010 1110101001101110

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Want more effective

IIoT and automation?
Collaborate with people
System integrator Patti Engineering regularly consults with clients to optimize
data gathering, aided by IIoT and Ignition Edge web-based SCADA software.

By Jim Montague

A
t its most basic, automation is sup- which signed up to share data from video
posed to reduce manual tasks, and cameras and license plate readers. “Data
the Industrial Internet of Things scientists are using this information to help
(IIoT) has been turbocharging many of the police solve crimes. Police departments
those efforts. Ironically, this doesn’t mean are doing more with less, so how can we
eliminating human labor, and is more do the same in manufacturing?” asks Hoff.
about refocusing people’s efforts on solving “Many manufacturers are just beginning
problems and adding value. to bridge these islands and collect more
data closer to real-time, which can improve
“IIoT is maturing. It’s solidly in the early- overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), first-
adopter phase, and starting to get into time capability, throughput and quality.”
the majority-use phase,” says Sam Hoff,
president and CEO at Patti Engineering, a TAKE A MEETING—OR TWO
CSIA-certified system integrator in Auburn To optimize these data-gathering efforts by a
Hills, Mich. “IIoT is all about connecting to couple of automotive manufacturing clients,
the Internet, but that’s just the beginning.” Hoff reports that Patti’s staff meets with them
weekly or monthly to evaluate what they’re
For instance, Hoff recently toured the observing in their plants. These processes
Detroit Police Dept.’s real-time, crime-pre- have all kinds of evolving data sources
vention center, which has 30 HMI screens from vision systems to PLC programs, so
handling input from 850 local businesses, it’s important to turn them on when data is

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likely to be needed, and turn them off when to address in their processes and facilities.
it isn’t likely to be needed. To help clients This will help them build the requirements
deal with intermittent errors from PLCs and to guide them toward IIoT solutions that
mechanical devices, Patti developed an will be the most useful for them.
Ignition Edge web-based SCADA application
from Inductive Automation, which can “In the past five years, we’ve become
automatically collect more data about alerts more consultative. As system integrators,
and where they’re coming from, and identify much of what we and others do is still in
root causes more with less manual labor. that old business model, whether we’re
programming PLCs, designing electronic and
“With Ignition, we can go back and see what hardware, or laying out panels,” explains Hoff.
the components and PLC were asking for, “However, we’re also doing more industrial
and identify culprits like stuck valves or other engineering that focuses on throughput,
mechanical issues more easily,” explains quality, processes and removing bottlenecks.
Hoff. “This is different from regular modeling We’re looking at mechanical systems, but
and simulation because digital twins can we’re also determining the best ways to get
take real-time data, feed it into a real-time information off of plant-floors, and what to
model, and see how adjustments will impact do with it afterwards. It’s ideal to process
operations before any changes are made. some data at the edge, while more historical
For example, when a complex, powertrain information can be stored in the cloud, Data
line was running slow, we created digital in clouds should be kept in an open database
twins of its six CNC machines and two format where analysts can use Power BI or
robots. We then ran what-if scenarios to similar software can do periodic analyses.”
determine which change would deliver the
most bang for their buck. We found that If edge computing or an on-premises cloud
modifying part of the carrier to handle four is employed, Hoff adds that an edge-man-
engine blocks instead of two was more cost- agement system should also be used, such
effective than other ideas, such as adding as Siemens Industrial Edge or software from
more axes to the robots, which were also Zededa that can manage and monitor the
way more costly and time-consuming.” health and performance of all plant-floor PCs
running edge software. “Edge management
HEADACHES POINT THE WAY also lets users create apps they can deliver to
Because IIoT and its related tools can edge PCs without physically visiting them,”
provide new ways of solving old problems, says Hoff. “To maintain security, we’re also
Hoff adds that potential users should be- using Tosibox software and mGuard compo-
gin with the biggest headaches they’d like nents from Phoenix Contact.”

Industrial IoT, Part II 17