M2M : Machine 2 Machine

Connect One has come up with a new Serial to Wifi connectivity modules. This development bodes well for the legacy M2M connectivity market. Using this module the M2M Application development time for legacy / retrofit application can be significantly reduced  – Additional information from Connect One Press Release

Connect Oneâ„¢, the Device Networking Authorityâ„¢, today announced the release of Socket iWiFi, a secure serial-to-WiFi embedded device server that quickly and easily connects devices running machine-to-machine (M2M) applications to 802.11b/g wireless LANs.

By offloading connectivity, cryptography and security from the application processor, Socket iWiFi frees up host processing time and simplifies the wireless design process. As a coprocessor with remotely updateable firmware, new security or connectivity protocols do not require application redesign, increased memory or faster processor speed to meet future wireless demands. With Socket iWiFi, developers can take advantage of 10 simultaneous TCP/UDP sockets; two listening sockets; SMTP, MIME, POP3, FTP, Telnet, and HTTP clients; a Web server with a Web site for the application and one for configuring iChipSec; and serial-to-IP bridging. Socket iWiFi supports, 64-/128-bit WEP encryption; the SSL3/TLS1 protocol for a secure client socket session and a secure FTP session; WPA1; and it will support WPA2 during Q3. The module operates at 3.3 volts, operates over an extended temperature range of -20° to 70° C (-4° to 158° F) and is RoHS-compliant. Company Link

The 1768 CompactLogix programmable automation controllers (PLC’s) have been enhanced so that they can be access via TCP/IP which allows for a simplified way for Machine builder to access device data and provide Remote Diagnostics services. This is the classic M@M evolution in the Industrial Automation world – where the OEM’s are upgrading existing products and retrofitting it with system that allow for unified data access which opens up a host of new opportunities in M2M applications

• Securely integrate your device into existing Networks (No more need get tied down proprietary networks)
• Rapidly build and integrate new applications
• Ease of Data collection
• Remote Diagnostics
• Integrate with existing Web Based applications
• ERP
• CRM
• Billing
• Pay Per Use
• Support and Training
• Upgrades

With the EWEB module, machine builders can create custom Web pages containing control system data, and set different access levels for different groups of users to access or manipulate the data. Any user authorized to access the information can do so on any computer with Internet access and a standard Web browser — regardless of access level, all users will draw from the same data source.

About the product

“There is 2Mb of storage space on the EWEB module to store custom Web pages and documents such as drawings and user manuals. This provides users quick and easy access of system related information on the plant floor, saving valuable time when troubleshooting a problem on the line.

Additionally, the EWEB module supports the Open Socket feature which allows the 1768 CompactLogix controller to connect to any standard Ethernet device, such as RFID scanners or printers.”

There are a slew of companies out there that are hawking M2M products, Services and Applications Selecting a product or vendor to build your M2M solution can be a very challenging decision – for a technology / market that is still defining and redefining itself. How does a company select the right vendor?

The set of companies that offer M2M products fall into the following major categories

• SCADA Companies that have Internet Enabled their solutions
• Software Consulting Shops – That see a value in the M2M Vertical offer customized solutions. These companies typically integrate the disparate sensors, Communications devices and a Middle Ware together to offer a solution.
• Hardware Sensor Vendors – Extend existing sensor modules by adding a TCP/IP stack and allow the device to communicate via HTTP
• Traditional Embedded Software Companies –Repackaging their existing services as M2M. They have been doing M2M in a closed loop eco-system in the past – e.g Plant Automation – Now they take this one step further and provide the necessary tools to access this same information via secure external link.
• Pure Play M2M – These are companies that have been recently formed or morphed into a pure M2M service provided. They are typically focused on the Software side of M2M ,but there is a fair sprinkling of companies that are also working on wireless sensors and mesh networks.

Which type of company to partner with to start defining and building your M2M initiative?

Round Solutions a value added M2M reseller in Europe has a M2M starter kit that includes a GSM modem and access to a web portal to track and view all your data. From the company Web Site -

The latest positioning package from Round Solutions is based on customers’ access to the www.track4free.com website. The track4free server relies on Google Maps and offers free global GPS positioning and, to use the online platform, a function-enabled GPS device is needed that can transmit geographical data via HDCSD, GPRS, EDGE or UMTS. Following registration with track4free, the user is shown examples of a map that illustrates his or her positional data along with a range of other information. This is enhanced by extensive documentation about the movements made by the user’s device. Users can register up to two applications per account.

System integrators also have the option of using the Round Solutions starter kit when developing their tracking application. The Basic Board S3 is based on what is currently the ‘world’s smallest’ combined GPRS-GPS module, equipped with extremely small embedded antennas. The starter kit’s core component is a licence-free Phython interpreter with a free-of-charge Phython code. This transmits the device’s GPS position to the track4free server. The HTTP protocol is provided free of charge.

The starter kit has been developed completely as a BGA design. It assists developers in their mission to create very small and inexpensive positioning devices for various fields of application.

Round Solutions supports system integrators with design-in services and bespoke adaptations for integrated antennas. If developers have any queries, they can access 24-hour support from the world’s biggest GSM / GPRS / UMTS / GPS user community, which has more than 3,000 members from all over the globe.

Premium customers can also have their designs and devices checked and tested free of charge by Round Solutions. The package is supplemented by a free marketing service, which establishes contact with several thousand companies. “Our services make it significantly easier for our customers to sell their products,” explains Ben Hoelke, CEO of Round Solutions.

Industrial Device Networking in Action: Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation is one of the leading global providers of industrial automation power, control, and information solutions that help customers meet their manufacturing objectives. One of the company’s leading brands is Allen-Bradley®, a manufacturer of automation controls and a provider of engineering services. Allen-Bradley control solutions have set a high standard in industrial automation, helping the industry apply programmable logic controller (PLC) technology for the past 30 years.

Rockwell’s customers needed to remotely access and manage their PLCs where only a serial interface was available. To meet their needs, Rockwell designed an industrial device networking server to provide Ethernet/IP connectivity. Their device server provided a gateway from their controllers serial port to an Ethernet network. This allowed their customers to upload/download programs, communicate between controllers, and generate email messages via SMTP (simple mail transport protocol). The result: Rockwell Automation enhanced the capabilities of their PLCs and allowed their customers to remotely access their controllers from anywhere in the world.

Industrial Device Networking in Action: Texas Instruments
In the case of Texas Instruments, the world leader in digital signal processing and analog technologies that drive semiconductor engines, the company needed secure remote access to all its process control equipment at the company’s Support Center, while keeping costs and wiring at a minimum. The company needed to measure and read the concentration of contaminants in water samples. Before deploying industrial device networking, the process used by the company was complicated, involving the transfer of a signal from a water analyser to a PLC to an HMI where reading of the measurement was often flawed. While the company’s Facility Control Centre operated process control equipment on a legacy network, independent of their LAN, they needed to network-enable all of the process control equipment at the Support Centre which would have required 1,500 feet of wiring and conduit spanning multiple buildings for added expense and time.

By implementing an industrial device networking solution on multiple key pieces of equipment such as airflow, water and gas detectors at its fabrication facility, its Support Centre can now remotely monitor and control critical elements of the fabrication factory (airflow, water treatment and gas detection) in an adjacent facility. By integrating the industrial device networking solution, all of its equipment in the Support Centre is Ethernet-enabled, allowing more than 500 PCs in the centre to have access in real-time to information as it is generated by the process control equipment. As a result, it was no longer necessary for a technician to patrol the floor of the fabrication to monitor each device individually and response time was significantly improved whenever a failure was detected.

These are just two examples of how industrial device networking can revolutionise the world of industrial manufacturing. By quickly and reliably connecting virtually any piece of factory equipment to a network or the Internet, industrial manufacturers gain the ability to interactively access, manage, control, evaluate and utilise data transmitted from the devices. This powerful, yet simple to implement technology allows manufacturers to perform real-time diagnostics and repair, automate data capture and gain immediate notification of problems, virtually from anywhere over an Internet connection.

M2M, Automation, Telemetry, Remote Monitoring, LBS