Must-have tools for the IIoT
- Intelligent sensors, instruments, I/O modules and other device-level components, which are smarter than traditional counterparts because they have microprocessors, Ethernet ports, Internet-protocol addresses and internal webpages
- Wired, fiber, wireless, fieldbus, Ethernet or a mixed physical network infrastructure
- Network communication protocols, such as Ethernet TCP/IP, HART, Modbus or Modbus TCP, Profibus or Profinet, Foundation fieldbus, DeviceNet or EtherNet/IP and others
- Power, local 24 V, battery or energy harvesting
- Inventory of all devices, network, connections, processes, applications, facilities
- Software factory acceptance tests (SFATs) for evaluating software before it’s deployed
- Network monitoring, evaluation and packet inspection software
- Cybersecurity, including managed Ethernet switches serving as gateways and firewalls, password protection, encrypted communications, software patching policy,
- Virtualized computing on servers
- Cloud computing service
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Must know skills for the IIoT
- Willing to learn and teach
- Can serve as IIoT champion in organization
- Able to recruit IIoT team members
- Ready to get outside silos and cross organizational barriers
- Learn other technical languages and lingo
- Interface with IT colleagues to bridge OT/IT gaps
- Develop business and performance goals
- Determine how IIoT can serve those goals
- Inventory existing devices, networks, connections and applications
- Develop plan for migration from old network to IIoT
- Secure management and co-worker buy-in
- Support and sustain cultural shift
- Training and re-training on new and emerging IIoT solutions
For more, read Control's August cover story.
