by Gary Mintchell | May 25, 2021 | Automation, Motion Control
You are probably doing a double take. Gary is writing about servo motors? My next post is on the Dunning-Kruger effect where you hit a point of your perceived knowledge far exceeds your actual knowledge and then the collapse to feeling you know nothing followed by a slow ascent to knowing there’s more to know.
Once upon a time, I had some knowledge of servo motors. I have not studied that technology for many years. Then this news release came my way with a request to help the company publicize its new product. I have nothing more to say. It looks interesting, but I no longer have market knowledge. Check it out if you’re building something that requires this form factor.
IQ Motion Control designs and delivers high performance motor modules for robotic and industrial applications. The company’s proprietary technology was born out of the University of Pennsylvania’s robotics lab and combines unique hardware designs with innovative calibration and control software to achieve high end motor performance at an affordable cost.
IQ Motion Control is excited to announce the launch of their newest line of servo motors, the Fortiq BLS42, on May 25, 2021. The Fortiq BLS42 is an ultracompact, high performance servo motor. It consists of a straight stack, straight magnet BLDC motor with an integrated motor controller, and magnetic rotary encoder for position sensing. It is built to maximize torque and speed output, while minimizing motor vibration and footprint. The modules are currently available for pre-order on Crowd Supply.
IQ’s Fortiq module offers the performance benefits of high-end industrial servos at the price of a quality stepper motor and controller. The Fortiq BLS42 motors are rated to 4,000 RPM, have ±2 encoder tick accuracy, experience a 90% reduction in cogging torque ripple with IQ’s calibration software, and have 50% less volume and are 70% less expensive compared to traditional industrial servo motors. There are also 4 size options available for users, each with a different torque rating which is dependent on stack length.
The Fortiq BLS42 is intended for industrial machinery companies, research institutions, and individual makers. It can be used in a wide variety of applications from 3D printers to conveyor belts to robotic joints. The Fortiq product line will replace traditional industrial servo motors by offering superior performance in a significantly smaller package. IQ Motion Control’s launch of the Fortiq BLS42 is the next step in bringing the most advanced motor control technology to the robotics and industrial machinery industry.
by Gary Mintchell | May 24, 2021 | Automation, Security
The first few weeks of May were Security weeks at The Manufacturing Connection. In preparation for the May 17-20 RSA Security Conference, I interviewed Ron Brash, Director of Cyber Security Insights at Verve Industrial. This was supposed to be an introduction to his talk at the security conference, so I didn’t take detailed notes. Unfortunately, 10 days later I discovered that my pass to the conference was “insecure”, and I could only view keynotes. I was blocked out of Brash’s presentation (which I’m sure was very good).
Verve Industrial
We talked about how control engineers and vendors were historically lazy about security. If anyone thought about it at all, they figured that not being connected outside was sufficient protection. (Although I might add as a side note a customer story. I sold a certain prominent brand of PLCs in the mid-90s. My top customer was a major automotive engine plant, who, unfortunately, used a rival PLC. However, I thought I might have an opening when I walked into the control engineering area of the office and saw everyone gathered around a PC. It seems that an update from my rival contained malware. It infected all the PCs. So, even in the early days there were security holes.)
Brash noted that the advent of IIoT to the Cloud punched a hole in the supposed safety gap opening up a potential security intrusion path.
He also talked about the need for a good asset inventory, as well as, a solid management of change program.
Following are some notes from his blog:
Imagine for a moment flawless code. Picture the most technologically complex system operating without issue. Conjure a single, silver-bullet solution that will save humankind from itself. Hard to imagine, right?
Thanks to the way devices are designed, engineered, developed, maintained, and sold, embedded systems, like any other enterprise computing product, will be flawed. While there have been major improvements in code analysis, fundamental software design problems continue to slip through into production. Most programmers remain woefully inept at making good security decisions in the development stage and profit-motivated vendors have little appetite to address that shortcoming.
If you’re now panicking at the scope of embedded systems insecurity, take heart. Not all devices are easily exploitable or they are exploitable only under certain conditions largely affected by how you deploy and configure them.
One key to addressing the challenge is to get ahead of the embedded security problem before it gets a foothold in the organization. Owners must insist on robust security during procurement, design of solutions, and throughout cybersecurity factory acceptance and site testing. This way, OEMs and vendors will learn they cannot continue unchallenged. Trust, but always verify.
As a community, we should not let poorly secured products gain traction in the market. We must demand security as a necessary feature. Software engineers and developers take note – even if you are a cog in the machine, we are all affected; especially when embedded devices become integral to the systems responsible for our lights, our water, our health, our daily lives.
RSA Security Conference
Twice this month I have heard the famous World War II airplane analysis cited as an example. It seems that the Allies were losing a large number of bombers flying over Germany. So, the generals commissioned a study. The analysts studied the planes returning from their bombing runs plotting where all the bullet holes were. The thought was to add additional armor to those areas to protect the plane.
Then someone with a broader vision noted an obvious fact—all of these planes made it back. All the bullets had struck nonessential areas of the plane. What needed additional protection were the other areas.
The first keynote pointed out these important thoughts:
- Use a risk-based approach—Protect the areas with the greatest risk
- Zero trust
- Segment networks
- Prepare for chaos
This was followed by three points:
- Security risk feature out of focus—prioritize
- Legacy systems slowing us down, need for thought diversity
- Security is not a solo sport
Or, as Angela Weinman of VMWare summarized:
- Zoom Out
- Throw Out
- Reach Out
by Gary Mintchell | May 24, 2021 | Automation, Business, Embedded Control, Marketing
NI has always served smaller businesses—most of whom do work for big businesses or projects solving interesting engineering problems. This month I received an announcement of NI’s partner network focusing on small-to-medium businesses (SMBs). We must remember that the true engines for economic growth come from startups and smaller businesses doing innovative things.
NI announced the expansion of its global distribution channels within the NI Partner Network, a strategic move to support its omnichannel strategy dedicated to serving small-to-medium business (SMB) customers to help them do what they do best — innovate.
NI is focused on providing value and choice to its SMB customers, strategically connecting them to partners and resources on ni.com to provide a positive, efficient experience. Shifting to a multi-channel approach in this way leverages established, well-known distributors and ni.com to meet customers’ buying needs.
“We know our customers, especially those in the SMB space, need simple and efficient ways to buy so their time is spent on moving their business forward,” said Josh Mueller, GM of the Portfolio Business Unit at NI. “That’s why we’re taking important steps to serve our customers in ways that help them the most, including new avenues to purchasing NI products and solutions.”
NI is also committed to purchasing more from small and diverse businesses. As outlined in its 2030 Corporate Impact Strategy, Engineering Hope, NI has put forth a goal stating that by 2030, 16% of NI suppliers will be small or diverse businesses. Diverse and equitable procurement has a positive ripple effect throughout entire communities and NI is taking steps, such as increasing access to its global distribution program, to cultivate opportunities for small or diverse business suppliers.
To show appreciation for its SMB customers and community, NI is celebrating Small Business Month in a big way, from providing access to best-in-class test tools and technology at a discount, to sharing customer success stories.
During the month of May, members of the SMB community can look forward to:
- Customer stories and the “Secrets of Small Business” video series featuring SMB CEOs and their perspectives on overcoming some of the greatest engineering challenges of today.
- Limited-time promotions on tools, software and solutions designed to help SMB customers advance their engineering initiatives, including LabVIEW, FlexLogger™ software and CompactDAQ.
- Webinars about NI software and solutions to help SMBs address quality in validation designs and flexibility in engineering.
“Connecting our customers to the right technologies and services helps them accelerate their pace of innovation and better serve their organizations and end customers,” said Jim Ramsey, vice president of the Global Partner program at NI. “We’re excited to celebrate Small Business Month for this reason — to help equip more engineers with the tools and technologies they need to take on their next big opportunity.”
Learn more about NI’s expanded global distribution network and how it’s celebrating the SMB community this month.
by Gary Mintchell | May 21, 2021 | Embedded Control, Internet of Things, Operations Management
Important news about IoT enabling technologies development. Europe and China are first targeted markets. Seemingly US engineers just don’t jump on new technologies and initiatives as quickly as the rest of the world. Management problem? Note that the supporting quotes are from Germany and France.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. helps lead the IoT ecosystem forward by introducing the company’s first, purpose-built Internet of Things (IoT) modem solution equipped with 5G connectivity and optimized for Industrial IoT (IIoT) applications.
The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem-RF System is a comprehensive modem-to-antenna solution designed to support the IoT ecosystem in building upgradeable LTE and 5G devices for IoT verticals, accelerate the adoption of 5G connectivity for IoT, and expand the overall opportunity for 5G in the IoT industry. 5G was conceived as a broad connectivity fabric and today the momentum is beginning to exemplify the promised impact and growth of 5G for emerging applications including IoT. Acting as a catalyst for digital transformation, Qualcomm Technologies is at the forefront enabling the ecosystem with the solutions to update existing IoT systems and make 5G for IoT a reality.
The needs of modern IoT include seamlessly transitioning wired factories to wireless with solutions capable of supporting both LTE and 5G connectivity. The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem was designed with industrial and enterprise applications in mind, built with premium gigabit class performance, low-power, and thermal-efficient capabilities to enable a new generation of fast, powerful and high-performing IoT solutions. The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem is intended to meet the needs of industry segments including: retail, energy, automation and manufacturing, precision agricultural, construction, mining, public venues, and more.
With the global expansion of 5G, the Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem is a new solution serving the high end of IoT broadband modems, complementing Qualcomm Technologies’ existing portfolio of LTE IoT modems with a path towards 5G proliferation. Additionally, due to its reduced footprint and highly integrated RF front-end, this solution expands the portfolio, purposely designed to provide a pin-to-pin compatible solution for current LTE legacy modules. This provides legacy modules with ability to upgrade their solutions with no changes needed to existing hardware, minimizing development efforts, costs and providing a seamless transition from LTE to 5G.
“Qualcomm Technologies is continuously optimizing and developing industry-leading technologies and modems ranging from the most power efficient NB-IoT solutions to new products like the Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem, purpose-built to bring 5G connectivity capabilities to IoT,” said Jeffery Torrance, senior vice president, product management, Qualcomm. “We are pleased to unveil our new 5G IoT solution which will help stimulate and scale the 5G IoT industry and enable the transitions needed for Industry 4.0. This solution will help create long-lasting devices and promote growth and expansion in the 5G IoT industry, allowing seamless integration for customers utilizing previous generations of connectivity.”
The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem supports global 5G NR sub-6GHz bands and operates in stand-alone (SA) only mode, with the capability to switch to LTE as needed, and can be deployed over private or public 5G networks, leveraging network slicing or in isolation. This solution is optimal for IoT applications that can be seamlessly integrated with existing ethernet and wired technologies. The new modem comes with extended life software and hardware maintenance and support, prolonging IoT devices for the duration of their life span. This new solution will help accelerate the digital transformation of the 5G IIoT industry, proliferating 5G for IoT.
The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem is expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2021.
The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem is a significant step for the IoT ecosystem:
Bosch:
“5G is an important standard for the factory of the future. We are therefore working intensively on integrating 5G into our products. The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem enables interesting new functions specifically for industrial IoT applications and helps usto open up new applications with 5G,” summarizes Dr. Steffen Haack, Member of the Executive Board of Bosch Rexroth AG and responsible for development.
HMS:
“We recently released the first commercially available 5G router for industrial automation – _a solution that utilizes Qualcomm Technologies’ _5_G_ _solutions. The interest for 5G in industrial applications is steadily growing and we see many advantages with the announcement of the Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem, as it will enable a smaller formfactor for industrial devices and open up new use cases,” said Jens Jakobsen, Development Manager at HMS Labs, HMS Networks’ initiative for new innovation and technology.
Schneider Electric:
“We are excited by the launch of Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem which addresses the specific needs for massive bandwidth, reliability, and performance across industries. This technology has the potential to become a catalyst of digitization, helping unlock unprecedented opportunities and efficiencies in innovative 5G industrial applications,” said Benoit Jacquemin, Innovation director Industry business, Schneider Electric.
Siemens:“Siemens and Qualcomm Technologies have a longstanding collaboration focused on technological cooperation in wireless communication technologies. With the release of products such as the Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem, Qualcomm Technologies shows its strong commitment to drive the digital transformation of industry and enables us to develop state-of-the-art Industrial 5G products,” said Sander Rotmensen, Director Industrial Wireless Communication, Siemens AG, Digital Industries.
by Gary Mintchell | May 20, 2021 | Automation, Manufacturing IT, Networking, Security, Technology
I received few news releases from Rockwell Automation for several years. Suddenly I gained a new friend, Jack, who sends something almost every week. It’s good to know that one of the largest control and automation suppliers in North America is still churning out updated products.
I’ve been saving these up for a bit. Included in this post:
- CIP Security Proxy Device
- Plant floor asset management
- Stack light
- Medium voltage drives
- Connected Components Software Workbench
- Managed Ethernet switch
- Network security threat detection
CIP Security Proxy Device
Industrial companies can now implement CIP Security expansively in their systems with the Allen-Bradley CIP Security Proxy. The CIP Security Proxy allows users to implement CIP Security on most devices on their network.
The CIP Security Proxy works with EtherNet/IP-compliant devices. CIP Security is part of the defense in depth strategy, which can help defend against attacks where threat actors can remotely access a network and act maliciously. With the ability to provide CIP Security for a single device, a layer of security is added that can help protect the system.
Configuration for the proxy device can be achieved through FactoryTalk Policy Manager software and FactoryTalk system services. In addition, this device supports motion for Kinetix drives and offers a web server for viewing diagnostics. It allows for secure event generation syslog support and includes rotary switches for 192.168.1.xyz IP addressing. The proxy device also contains three one-gigabit EtherNet/IP ports and can operate in temperatures from -25° to +70° Celsius adding to the ease of use.
Plant-Floor Asset Management with Enhanced Software
Industrial workers can now more easily manage their hundreds or thousands of automation assets using the enhanced FactoryTalk AssetCentre software from Rockwell Automation. The latest release provides firmware and software lifecycle information for all assets in one place. This saves time because workers no longer need to connect to control cabinets and manually record information for each device.
With the software’s enhanced asset inventory functionality, workers can quickly scan a network and see which devices are in a specific lifecycle state. Examples include devices running retired firmware or forecasted to be discontinued in the next six months. This helps identify products in the same lifecycle state and workers can better plan for replacements and upgrades.
The FactoryTalk AssetCentre software also has a new security feature called archive management of change, which automates the process of authorizing who can change files and what they can change. It requires workers to explain why files need to be changed and verifies that only necessary files are being checked out. It also locks a file until changes are approved and escalates approval requests when needed.
This helps enhance system security, which is particularly useful for some industries such as oil and gas, that require added levels of control over when changes are permitted. For example, one major food company reduced its downtime events from unknown or unauthorized changes by 7% using FactoryTalk AssetCentre software. It can also reduce downtime due to change management.
These updates add to the software’s existing ability to report discontinuation dates and the availability of replacement products. The enhanced software now also provides disaster-recovery support for more Rockwell Automation devices as well as third-party devices.
Stack Light
The new Allen-Bradley 856T Control Tower Stack Light system uses a modular design that incorporates brighter LED illumination and a broad offering of sound technologies. All signals in the system are 24V AC/DC powered, which means that just three power modules can cover the entire system. The latest additions to the 856T Control Tower Stack Light family are IO-Link enabled versions that provide diagnostic information and ease integration into a Connected Enterprise.
IO-Link enabled versions of Bulletin 856T Control Tower Stack Lights enable users to monitor tower light and machine status in real-time, while allowing for simple remote set-up and troubleshooting.
Medium Voltage Drives
Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 6000T medium voltage drives now include TotalFORCE technology from Rockwell Automation, which provides precise control of speed and torque, diagnostic information for tracking system health and automatic adjustments to keep operations running smoothly.
The PowerFlex 6000T drives follow speed or torque commands closely in both open- and closed-loop vector control modes to deliver the precise control required for high performance and large loads.
The drives also continuously monitor operations to track the health of electrical components in the drive and motor and provide real-time diagnostic information to the control system.
Additionally, adaptive control features within the PowerFlex 6000T drives help isolate potentially harmful vibration and resonances, and automatically compensate for variances to help keep applications running. With load-observer technology, they also effectively reject disturbances when loads change suddenly, helping to keep operations running smoothly and increasing output.
Connected Components Software Workbench
Industrial engineers can more efficiently design and configure stand-alone machines using the latest release of Connected Components Workbench software from Rockwell Automation. With several new and enhanced features, the software improves download and build performance to create more efficient, user-friendly design processes.
Highlights of what’s new in version 13 of Connected Components Workbench software include:
- A new Global and Local variable data grid that delivers capabilities to help engineers develop projects faster. For example, a quick declaration feature allows users to create multiple variables with the same prefix, suffix and data type in one click. An intuitive filter bar allows users to find tags quickly.
- An enhanced Run Mode Change (RMC) capability that enables users to make edits without downloading project source code. This can speed up online edits and create smoother, more seamless design experiences.
- A new Controller Organizer view that gives engineers the option to switch to a Logix Theme programming experience. This allows them to work in a more familiar environment and use copy-and-paste ladder logic from the Studio 5000 Logix Designer application.
- An enhanced Global Connection capability on existing system tags in the PanelView 800 DesignStation that gives users greater flexibility to configure remote system connections.
The Connected Components Workbench software helps simplify the development of stand-alone machines that are built with the Rockwell Automation Micro Control system. Engineers can configure, program and visualize the major control components of their stand-alone machines in a single software environment. They can also use tools like the Micro800 Simulator to validate their application code without the need for hardware.
Managed Ethernet Switch
Allen-Bradley Stratix 5800 managed industrial Ethernet switch supports layer 2 access switching and layer 3 routing for use in multiple layers of the architecture. Robust security capabilities and ISA/IEC 62443-4-2 certification help enhance network security.
The Stratix 5800 switch has fixed and modular designs, giving users flexibility to configure it based on application needs. It offers combinations of copper, fiber and Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports to support a wide range of architectures.
The switch helps ease integration by addressing the needs of both operations (OT) and IT teams. Studio 5000 Add-on Profiles enable premier integration into the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture. And the Cisco IOS-XE operating system helps ease integration to the enterprise.
“Reducing the complexity of IT/OT convergence is a priority today as companies need to connect their operations while managing challenges like skills shortages and security threats,” said Mark Devonshire, product manager, Rockwell Automation. “The Stratix 5800 managed switch helps simplify the jobs of IT and OT teams, and helps improve security and high performance for industrial environments.”
Certification to ISA/IEC 62443-4-2 verifies that the switch meets the standard’s technical requirements to security level 2 for industrial automation and control systems. This continues the efforts of Rockwell Automation to help secure industrial operations through certifications, expertise, products and services.
Rockwell Automation Expands Threat Detection Services with Cisco Cyber Vision
The longstanding alliance between Rockwell Automation and Cisco continues to find new ways to provide customer value with the announcement that Rockwell Automation is adding Cisco’s Cyber Vision solution to its existing LifecycleIQ Services portfolio of cybersecurity threat detection offerings.
While convergence is essential to a digital transformation, it also presents challenges such as siloed networks, cybersecurity threats, skills shortages, and an abundance of production data and solutions. The leaders in their respective industries have worked together to offer jointly developed architectures, services and products to help companies address these challenges as they work toward building a Connected Enterprise.
As this deeper integration between IT, cloud and industrial networks creates security issues that become digitization obstacles, Cyber Vision provides full visibility into industrial control systems to build secure infrastructures and enforce security policies – achieving the continuity, resilience, and safety of industrial operations. The addition of Cyber Vision to the LifecycleIQ Services threat detection offerings provides a unique switch-based architecture for customers with existing Cisco solutions, greenfield networks or those updating their Cisco network infrastructure.
