With the IoT-Bus to a digital production

The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS uses the IoT-Bus to develop an IP-capable communication bus for applications in the Internet of Things and in digital production. With a research participation, you have the opportunity to design the properties according to your requirements.

Increasing competition and the Internet of Things (IoT) require constant improvement of products as well as manufacturing and production processes. Future Industry 4.0 applications will require a direct connection of the manufacturing components to the IoT to meet the needs of individual and custom products to maintain leadership and competitive advantage. The IP capability in the end nodes is gaining in importance in the context of increasing networking and digitization in the Internet of Energy and Internet of Things, but also in Industry 4.0. A merger of IT and production control based on IP-capable communication helps to optimize production processes and enables direct and standardized intervention in the production processes and the individualization of the products via the Internet.

The IoT-Bus is intended to bridge the gap between narrowband communication technologies (sensor networks, wireless personal area networks) and broadband technologies (e.g. Ethernet, WLAN) within production and energy management. For this purpose, demands on data rate, range, reliability, costs, flexibility, interoperability and, above all, data security must be reconciled.

Connected systems are increasingly becoming holistic systems that automatically optimize production. Networked, IP-capable production technologies enable customized production according to customer requirements at low cost. In addition, companies can react flexibly to short-term market developments, new product requirements, raw material and energy prices. In networked systems, faults, failures and production delays can be detected, identified and remedied more quickly.

This networking requires robust, secure and IP-based communication. The IoT-Bus combines the benefits of IP capability with the benefits of a fieldbus and brings IP capability to the end nodes. This capability is often required in cloud-based applications and provides benefits when accessing via IP-enabled operator devices (e.g. mobile, tablet or PC) for visualization or control. Thus, the standardized cryptological methods for authentication and encryption of Internet protocols are available, if a confidential or tamper-proof data connection is necessary.

The IoT-Bus uses the IEEE 802.15.4 radio protocol as its basis and adapts it for use on a fieldbus. He combines the two worlds of Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) and fieldbuses. Thus, in the future individual WPAN »islands« can be interconnected by means of the IoT-Bus over greater distances. By adapting the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, the network and transport protocols can then also be used on a wired basis, which makes it easy to change the medium (radio and wired).

Due to the standard compliance with the IP protocol suite, high-level protocols such as CoAP, MQTT, OPC-UA can be used at the higher protocol levels. The use of standardized encryption and security procedures in the respective protocol levels is thus possible.

As an independent research institute, Fraunhofer IIS supports the German economy in finding the best solution for your problems. The IoT-Bus is currently being developed and used for communication between different CAN connections as a range expander. The next step is to equip the IoT-Bus for Internet of Things and digital production applications with IP capability. We know how to gain future IP capability, but we only guess your needs. You now have the opportunity, from the first development phase, to determine the features and functions according to your wishes and conditions. We look forward to your feedback and a possible, good cooperation with Fraunhofer IIS.