Hilscher Connects OT/IT with NetFIELD Solution Kit
Operate devices with the cloud netFIELD edge portal
Developing TSN technology with LNI 4.0, IIC, AVNU, etc.


On the 22nd, Hilscher held a press conference and announced the launch of netFIELD, an integrated solution that can seamlessly connect OT and IT from sensors to the cloud.

netFIELD provides a variety of netX-based device and software solutions that accelerate factory digitalization, ranging from data generation and aggregation to device and data management through a cloud-based management portal.

IO-Link edge gateways can connect to various Real-Time Ethernet protocols by adding communication functions such as PROFINET and EtherNet/IP to existing IP67 type IO-Link products.

It also includes features related to edge connectivity and edge computing that can implement Industry 4.0 scenarios. The software architecture is based on Linux, and container-based applications utilize the Docker Framework.

It also includes Bluetooth functionality that supports device configuration using an OPC-UA server and a mobile app. Using the cloud-based netFIELD Edge Portal (netFIELD.io), new applications can be easily deployed to devices, and they can be remotely configured, monitored, managed, and updated.

The netFIELD hardware is implemented based on Hilscher's netX technology, a multi-protocol supported network controller product. The netIOL ASIC is based on a 100MHz CPU and supports 4-port IO-Link communication, enabling high-speed data transmission with a 400us cycle simultaneously on all ports.

The netX90 enables switching between real-time Ethernet and IO-Link and features two built-in ARM Cortex-M4 processors, allowing custom applications to be implemented on separate cores. Edge communication and computing can be supported by adding other netX-based SoCs.

On this day, Hilscher announced that it is also developing Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) solutions. Currently, we are collaborating with many companies in various TSN-related fields, such as LNI 4.0, IIC, AVNU, and the OPC-UA@TSN Working Group, and are also participating in the configuration of testbeds for TSN development.

TSN technology is a standard specification being developed by the TSN Task Group, one of the IEEE 802.1 working groups. The TSN Task Group was renamed to its current name in November 2012 as the scope of standardization work expanded from the existing AVB (Audio/Video Bridging) Task Group.

Today, the IEEE 802.3 standard Ethernet has achieved great success worldwide by adhering to IEEE standards to control interoperability. As a result, all computers, switches, hubs, and other devices can be interconnected and communicate without issues. However, this standard does not support real-time functionality. This means that it cannot guarantee that relevant information will reach a specific device at a specific time.

Due to these limitations, industrial protocols such as PROFINET and EtherCAT provide their own specialized features by adding them to standard Ethernet, each with its own barrier to entry. However, TSN enables real-time Ethernet communication without these restrictions.

Industrial networks require deterministic communication. Because Real-time Ethernet possesses a deterministic transmission mechanism, it enables time synchronization to control data transmission and reception and to assign events to the network. A new IEEE standard is required to control data in real time and support precise time synchronization and video streaming.

TSN technology is not a single standard but can be completed by combining various standards. Currently, specifications related to TSN are being released, and various concepts based on different approaches are being discussed. The IEEE/IEC 60802 TSN profile for industrial automation is scheduled to be completed in mid-2021.

"Hilscher's Vice President of International Sales, Olaf Kratge, said, 'Hilscher is actively participating in the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance as well as the development of Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) technology to meet future industrial communication needs and enable perfect interoperability between networks.'"

"Hilscher has already conducted technical demonstrations for various standards related to TSN and is focusing on implementing future-oriented technologies using xMAC and xPEC architectures," the company stated. "Hilscher will actively respond to the relevant market based on the Gigabit TSN solution currently under development."