Open Process Automation- Moving from Concept to Reality

?Vision

?Open Process automation (OPAS) can be described as an approach for the implementation of a new Open, flexible, and versatile automation solution architecture, different from the classical DCS or PLC architecture being used in current process automation industries since the invention of PLCs.

Vision of OPAF is to drive change, away from a close proprietary system architecture to an open eco system with inter-operability and security. End users can thus use interoperable components, portable software, and interchangeable hardware resulting no more down times and no more wait period for hardware

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Motivation - Low-Cost Implementation of Change

?Even if the classical PLC or DCS systems can ensure higher availability and real time system performance, being highly proprietary in nature, makes it difficult to maintain and update. This has been a pain area for most of the process automation end user,s when they go for any system updates or expansions

This is the reason why the drive for this technology had started from an End user and not from any OEM. This move has come from decades of experience of the end users and hence the technology is more focused, to make system maintenance too easy to save their time to focus more on their efficiency improvement.

Evolution

Thanks to the engineers and managers of ExxonMobil for thinking ‘outside the box’ to deliver a new technology to the industry. The impetus came from the pain they faced from the huge investments they must made for replacing huge quantity of older and obsolete DCS installations.

Followed by which, global industrial and chemical companies got collaborated with process automation vendors and system integrators to bring a change in automation architectures through the adoption of standards.

Concept

OPAF put forwards a flatter architecture in place of traditional hierarchical process control system architecture, which ensures the placement of control functionality closer to the control element.

Distributed Control Node (DCN): is something like a PLC which can handle Inputs, Outputs, and computing. However, here the hardware and software are decoupled- which means the necessary software functions can be in many locations in the architecture. DCN comes with an OPAS standard software interface for executing control functions and this ensures interchangeability capability so that the end users can control software and hardware from multiple suppliers.

?DCNs can act as a gateway to other legacy network or systems such as DCS, PLC, IO stations etc

OPAS Connectivity Framework (OCF): is a secure and interoperable communication framework based on OPC UA

Virtual DCN or Distributed Control Framework (DCF): is the same set of standard software interface inside a DCN and can also be used inside ACP in case more computing power and ?no hardwired IOs are required

Advanced Computing Platform (ACP): is a scalable computing platform, to run the applications or resources which need more computing power than that available in a typical DCN

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Results

???????Interchangeability: the ability of a component to be replaced by another component without modification

?eg: Interchanging IOs or DCNs

???????Interoperability: the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged?

eg: Client/Server or pub/sub kind of communications between DCN

???????Portability: the ease with which a system or component can be transferred from one hardware or software environment to another?

eg: Replacing a DCN from XYZ with a DCN from Phoenix Contact without any software or application changes

???????Modularity: the degree to which a system or computer program is composed of discrete components such that a change to one component has minimal impact on other components

?eg: modular IOs are easy to expand and maintain

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Implementation of O-PAS

PLCnext from Phoenix Contact is the most innovative technology with an open eco system. With the real time pre-empt patch of yocto linux, it attracted the attention of all the partners of OPAF. The following features make PLCnext as a perfect box for the DCN implementation

??With the real time capability over yocto linux, PLCnext ?supports the implementation of DMTF Redfish API, which is the open system management standard of O-PAS

??Being a hardware certified according to IEC 62443-4-2, SL2, PLCnext meest the ?O-PAS system management security requirements

??With OPC UA server and client functionality, PLCnext meets the interoperability requirements of O-PAS

??In combination with axioline series of IOs, PLCnext is highly modular

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Conclusion

O-PAS? provides end users with optimized operations, open systems, and comprehensive security. Phoenix Contact, PLCnext Technology control platform satisfies the type of product and business model that OPAF intends for the future of industrial automation.