Results,InsightsandBestPracticesfromIICTestbeds:Time-SensitiveNetworkingTestbed
1.INTRODUCTION
ThisarticlepresentsinformationgatheredabouttheIndustrialInternetConsortium’s(IIC)TimeSensitiveNetworking–FlexibleManufacturingTestbed,commonlyknownastheTSNTestbed.TheinformationandinsightsdescribedbelowwerecapturedinaninterviewofTSNTestbedleadPaulDidier,ManufacturingSolutionsArchitectintheIoTSWGroupatCisco,conductedbyJosephFontaine,VPofTestbedProgramsattheIIC.
2.TIMESENSITIVENETWORKING–FLEXIBLEMANUFACTURINGTESTBED
TimeSensitiveNetworkingisanewtechnologythatenhancesEthernet,afoundationalpieceoftheInternetofThings(IoT).TheIIC’sTSNTestbedendeavorstoapplynewTSNtechnologyinamanufacturingsystemwithawiderangeofautomationandcontrolvendors,todisplaythenewcapabilitiesandvalueofTSN.Manufacturersaredealingwithautomationandcontrolsystemsthatmakeupalargepartofthe50billionthingswearetryingtoconnect,andtheyusuallyrequirethepiecesandpartsandtheoverallsystemtobeverydeterministicinnature.
Thisdeterministiccharacteristicisimportanttomanyindustrialautomationandcontrolapplicationsformanufacturinginoilandgas,utilitiesandtransportation.TSNisanenhancementofEthernet(standardsIEEE802.1and802.3comprisewhatisgenerallyconsideredEthernet)tobringmoredeterministiccapabilitiestothenetwork.Itisenablingmoreandmoredevices,applicationsandsystemstouseastandard,open,inter-connectednetworkthatisthebasicconceptanddriveroftheIoT.Ifmanufacturersdonotconnectthingsbecausetheyareworriedabouthowthenetworkisgoingtoperform,theycannotimplementIoTapplications.ThistechnologyisviewedasaveryimportantenhancementandupgradetothestandardnetworkstoenabletheoverallIndustrialIoT.
ThegoalsoftheTSNTestbedareto:1)ShowTSN’sreadinesstoacceleratethemarketplaceand2)Showthebusinessvalueofacceleratingtheadoptionofthistechnology.
3.TESTBEDSTATUS
TheTSNTestbedpartnersarecurrentlyfocusedonthetechnicalaspects.Theyhavebroughtinvendorswithinfrastructure,devices,switchesandtestequipment,toconductrigoroustesting.Theyhavealsodevelopedsuccessfuldemonstrations.Significantly,muchoftheefforthasbeengettingvariouspartsoftheTSN-enhancedEthernettostandardinteroperateandworktogether.Theend-devicesandapplicationsdevelopedbyparticipatingvendorswillbebuiltintothetestbedassoonasthetechnicalinteroperabilityissuccessful.Theresultingmanufacturingapplicationswillshowthebusinessvalue.
-20-January2017