A Practical Guide to Using the Industrial Internet Connectivity Framework
Connectivity Technologies Do
Not Overlap
The IICF includes the deep
insights of many experts,
including those from the top
industry consortia, many
companies and most of the
important standards. Its most
surprising conclusion: the IIoT
is so big that the technologies
don’t really overlap. The
impression that there is
overlap is mostly just
confusion.
Choose B
Your
application:
Choose B or C
Choose A
X
B
Choose A or B
A
C
Requirement 1, e.g. latency
Figure 1: Misconception. Before the IICF, people (including the authors)
assumed that competing standards meet overlapping requirements in the
IIoT connectivity space. This designer’s application (X marks the spot), fits
B or C; either should work.
Designers may think they can
choose any standard and succeed. But this
implies the IIoT connectivity solution space
overlaps, as in the Misconception figure.
The IIoT really is the technological future of
the entire world.
The connectivity technologies and standards
that target these applications are very
The reality is very different. The IIoT covers
different. In fact, the IIoT space is so big that
many industries with very different use
the technology options barely overlap.
cases. The range is breathtaking. There are
Today’s architecture challenge in the IIoT
thousands of companies and uncountable
space is therefore not one of choosing
thousands of applications in the IIoT space.
among overlapping standards that may each
be able to reasonably solve a problem. The
challenge is understanding
Choose B
the technologies, comparing
Your application:
the intended use to the
Choose B; it’s the
best you’ll get
application and choosing the
Choose A
one that best addresses the
B
X
particular challenge. Sure,
stretching a technology all out
of proportion may make
anything work. But, that will
A
Nothing fits
C
result in a lot of extra work
well
and an awkward design. If you
Requirement 1, e.g. latency
look at a more realistic map of
the situation, it looks more
Figure 2: Reality. The connectivity standards turn out to not overlap.
like the sparse Venn diagram
Most applications will not be a perfect fit, and must adapt. Your challenge
in the Reality figure (Figure 2)
is sometimes choosing something imperfect and making it work.
IIC Journal of Innovation
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