WAGO NEWS

Special Issue
Focus: New Automation Technologies

2 A GOOD
COMBINATION
WAGO demonstrates
the advantages of OPC
3 THE FUTURE
WITH TSN
WAGO develops
new I/O System
7 EASY DATA
MINING
New edge devices
for optimal data use
UA PubSub over TSN Advanced in the field

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

NEW TECHNO-
LOGIES FOR THE
DIGITAL FUTURE
Networking and analytics are challenges manufacturing compa-
nies must face. WAGO offers the best solutions and forward-looking
technologies for upgrading or new construction of machines, sys-
tems and entire production facilities for modern mechanical engi-
neering.
Ready for Your

W
AGO is moving to the fore with new solutions the new benchmark for high-end industrial automa-
Digital Future
for the digital transformation in mechanical tion systems.
engineering and the manufacturing indus- We at WAGO are doing everything we can to allow
try. “The trend toward digitization poses numerous The IP67 I/O System Field for cabinet-free automa- you to meet your modern mechanical engineering
challenges that manufacturers will have to meet in tion already offers this connectivity spectrum, and in requirements quickly and easily. Take the oppor-
the near future,” says Christian Sallach, Chief Digital the future it will also offer the option of using TSN. tunity to get to know some of our newest automa-
Officer at WAGO. “We offer the crucial tools for this.” In combination with IO-Link, the Field system can tion solutions and forward-looking technologies. In
These include new, open automation solutions, cloud play the role of the I/O distributor for acquisition and this issue, we focus in particular on “Time-Sensitive
connectivity, edge computing and the right commu- distribution of data and ensure a seamless data flow Networking” (TSN). We are convinced that TSN in
nication solutions for sensor-to-cloud applications. from the cloud, through the controller level, to the combination with OPC UA will be the key technology
sensor and actuator level. for powerful, secure end-to-end networking of ma-
A successful demonstration: In developing chines and systems. That’s why we are also a driv-
OPC UA over TSN, WAGO’s experts have now met an Data mining made easy: Where real-time data is ing force within the OPC Foundation for the devel-
important technological challenge: With a technology involved, data processing is becoming more and more opment of the upcoming communication standard.
demo, they show how the deterministic real-time be- important. “More and more computing power is need- For instance, you can read about our successful
havior of OPC UA PubSub can be combined with TSN. ed, and this places corresponding demands on data- demonstration of combining the real-time behavior
This is a big step for Thomas Holm, Head of Innova- bases directly in the field,” explains WAGO systems of OPC UA PubSub with TSN. In parallel, we are also
tion, since the technology can be used on all levels of specialist Jens Sparmann. WAGO offers solutions in developing TSN-ready automation solutions, such
the automation system, from the sensor to the cloud. the form of the Edge Controller and Edge Computer. as the WAGO I/O System Advanced. In this way,
“This makes it possible to achieve continuous com- The devices process applications right on the machine, we offer you the ideal basis for finding future-proof
munication without gateways or discontinuities in the taking the pressure off the controllers so they can fo- solutions to the challenges of industrial production.
technology.” cus on low latency and a high level of determinism. We will also show you additional innovations in cloud
connectivity, edge computing and data analysis. Do
Made for TSN: To exploit this advantage, WAGO These solutions don’t exclude data use in the cloud: you want to prepare yourself for the digital future?
is preparing its new systems to use the upcoming WAGO recognized the great significance of cloud Read on to learn how you can succeed with WAGO.
communication standard. “Made for TSN” is the phi- communication early on and integrated the MQTT We hope you find the following articles insightful
losophy of the I/O System Advanced, for example, protocol, which makes it very easy to connect to the and interesting!
which WAGO is currently developing. Short reaction WAGO Cloud or other cloud platforms with the Edge
times, high signal transmission synchronicity, use of Controller as well.
fast fieldbuses – and, in the future, of TSN – these ad-
vantages make the I/O System Advanced, as the next Marco Henkel
logical step in expanding the WAGO I/O System 750, Head of AUTOMATION Business Unit
02 FOCUS WAGO NEWS
OPC UA PUBSUB OVER TSN

A PARADIGM SHIFT
IN PRODUCTION
The “Field Level Communication” Initiative of the OPC Foundation aims to establish OPC UA with
Time-Sensitive Networking as a real-time-capable communication standard. WAGO successfully
demonstrates how TSN can be combined with OPC UA PubSub.

I OUR
mplementing modern industrial production con- cipients accessing one subscriber is to be expected.
cepts requires comprehensive availability of data Thus the PubSub extension is an important precon-
and information. Therefore, end-to-end commu-
nication is a basic requirement for efficient, modern
dition for deterministic real-time behavior of OPC UA.
EXPERTS
production systems. This in turn requires openness A Repository of Know-How in the OPC
and manufacturer-independence. Foundation: The specialists use the WAGO tech-
nology demo to show how various controllers com-
OPC UA is one of the most important communication municate in real time with OPC UA PubSub over
standards for automation technology. Besides pure TSN. The devices can be configured in the network
data transfer, it also includes semantic annotation, to ensure determinism all the way to the local bus
which is indispensable for information modeling. The level. It is also possible to demonstrate how to trans-
devices describe their own structure and functions, fer time-critical process data over OPC UA PubSub,
as it were – and the communication then not only how to reserve TSN bandwidth for this time-critical
transfers data, but also supplies its meaning. data, and how to ensure that the devices receive
the data within the specified timeframe and that
Determinism All the Way to the Local Bus Level: the local bus used by WAGO is able to address the
Deterministic real-time behavior is another import- modules in synchrony with the network environment.
ant requirement in industrial automation. Especial- The goal is to constantly validate the state of the
ly in time-critical processes on the field level, it is discussions of the FLC (Field Level Communication)
necessary to indicate the maximum latency for the Initiative of the OPC Foundation and incorporate the
guaranteed conclusion of the communication. The results.
combination of OPC UA and TSN yields this kind of
real-time-capable communication. The great advan- The FLC Initiative originated in the so-called Shaper
tage of TSN is that it can be used on all levels of an Group, which has been crucial in overseeing the de-
automation system, from the sensor to the cloud. velopment of TSN. WAGO has been a member of this
This makes continuous communication achievable group since the beginning of 2018 and also has a
without gateways or discontinuities in the technolo- seat on the current Steering Committee of the OPC »The goal is to constantly
gy. Therefore, OPC UA over TSN has the potential to Foundation. Through its involvement in the FLC Initia-
validate the state of the
supersede proprietary fieldbus systems and become tive, WAGO is pursuing a vision of real-time-capable,
the uniform IIoT communication standard. manufacturer-independent, platform-independent discussions of the FLC
communication among different devices. The point
The specialists at WAGO have now met this import- of the valuable technology demo is to build up know-
Initiative of the OPC Foun-
ant technological challenge and demonstrate how how about TSN and ensure acceptance of the new dation and incorporate the
the deterministic real-time behavior of OPC UA Pub- communication technology.
Sub can be combined with TSN. OPC UA PubSub
results.«
communication scenarios vary greatly. The Publish/
Subscribe mechanism allows one-to-many commu-
nication in which multiple subscribers can receive Dr. Thomas Holm
data from one publisher simultaneously. Especially at Head of Controller & HMI Product Line,
the interface to the field level, many information re- Head of Innovation & Technology
WAGO NEWS FOCUS 03
OPEN AUTOMATION

GREEN LIGHT FOR

TSN-BASED
INDUSTRIAL
COMMUNICATION
WAGO’s open-source automation platform is generating interest.
With the I/O System Advanced, which is currently in development,
and communication based on the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)
communication standard, the company will in future offer crucial
tools for the digital transformation in mechanical engineering and
the manufacturing industry. »Companies need support

T
for their various applications.
he digital transformation poses challenges for paradigm shift within industrial communication,” ex-
users and manufacturers in the production in- plains WAGO’s Head of Innovation, Dr. Thomas Holm, This is best accomplished
dustry: Networking, analytics, increasing pro- because it provides a single technology that can be
by using completely open
ductivity and new business models are topics that used at every level in an automation system – from
companies need to face. Flexibility is also in demand: the sensor to the cloud. Holm sees a major advan- automation systems, which
Product cycles are becoming shorter because cus- tage in this expansion of the ETHERNET standard, as
tomer demands are changing more and more quickly. it provides continuous communication without gate-
can quickly adjust to new
“Companies need support for their applications. This ways or discontinuities. requirements.«
is best achieved through a completely open automa-
tion system that can quickly adapt to new demands,” Open automation technology as a bridge to
says Christian Sallach, Chief Digital Officer at WAGO information technology: WAGO will also introduce Christian Sallach
Kontakttechnik GmbH & Co. KG. In contrast, propri- a suitable controller, the PFC200 ADV, along with the Chief Marketing Officer & Chief Digital Officer
etary, manufacturer-specific systems cannot handle I/O System Advanced. It is the brain of the system and
these new challenges. makes it easy for users to get started with the new
system, thanks to its open-source design. Along with
Therefore, this company from Minden was one of the the open-source Linux® operating system and Dock-
first vendors to focus on the Linux® operating sys- er® technology, the controller forms a bridge between
tem. This allowed WAGO to quickly address needs hard real-time applications in the microsecond range
like cloud connectivity and security. In addition, the and the various IT technologies. Cloud connectivity
large Linux® community has developed many ad- is also easy with the WAGO controller – it can be im-
ditional solutions that can be easily used in WAGO plemented directly from the PLC program using the
controllers, the control solution for automation. MQTT protocol, so users can continue to use their
These include Docker® technology, which simplifies preferred software tools. The cloud solutions and ser-
the provision of applications. However, even the best vices are supported by various providers, for exam-
automation solution has little value if it lacks reliable ple, Amazon Web Services, IBM and Microsoft Azure.
connection technology, as the Digital Officer em- In combination with proven security mechanisms, like
phasizes: “What good is a networking strategy with firewalls and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that en-
real-time processors if there’s no contact with the able encrypted transmission of data via the Internet,
cable during operation?” Fortunately, WAGO provides users can also secure the “last yard” to the controller.
both. Its maintenance-free modules are based on the The WAGO I/O System Advanced has already gar-
established spring connection technology that the nered extensive interest within the industrial sector,
company created in the 1950s. And its automation according to Holm. What is needed are systems that
technologies are crucial to meeting the challenges support the latest communication technologies and
placed on modern machine and system design – from transmit data within industrial production in real-time
modular software, to fieldbus-independent I/O sys- and a manufacturer-independent manner. The trend
tems. “We reconcile the real-world demands with the toward decentralized intelligence is also increas-
requirements on virtual processes,” explains Sallach. ing. “Fortunately, this matches our product portfolio:
many small, open systems can exchange information
Communication without gateways or discon- with one another, while larger computing tasks mi-
tinuities: The manufacturer underscores this with, grate to the cloud. Monolithic systems that are hard »TSN has what it takes,
other things, the WAGO I/O System Advanced, which to adapt will gradually become redundant.”
is being developed specifically for mechanical engi- particularly when combined
neering and the manufacturing industry. Due to ex- with the OPC UA protocol,
tremely low latency of the system and the associated
high level of synchronicity between input and output to trigger a real paradigm
signals, a variety of fast fieldbuses can be used – an shift within industrial
essential requirement for effective industrial commu-
nication. To make sure this remains possible in the fu- communication.”
ture, the I/O System Advanced is prepared for the new
communication standard, Time-Sensitive Network- Dr. Thomas Holm
ing (TSN). “TSN has what it takes, particularly when Head of Controller & HMI Product Line,
combined with the OPC UA protocol, to trigger a real Head of Innovation & Technology
04 INNOVATION WAGO NEWS
WAGO I/O SYSTEM ADVANCED

MADE FOR TSN

PROVEN TECHNOLOGY WITH TOP PERFORMANCE:
WAGO IS DEVELOPING THE I/O SYSTEM ADVANCED
FOR MODERN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

W
ith the WAGO I/O System Advanced, WAGO er to use WAGO Cloud or an external solution. Users
is developing the leading solution for fu- can benefit from these advantages without investing a
ture-proof automation in mechanical en- significant amount of time or money in this transition.
gineering. As the gateway to WAGO’s universal I/O The I/O System Advanced continues to support well-
System 750, the new IP20 system will combine the known PFC functionalities and CODESYS-based pro-
proven benefits and functionality of the 750 Series gramming via e!COCKPIT. The familiar configurators
with a fresh and ergonomic design, mechanical fea- and options of the engineering tool are also available.
tures that prevent errors and outstanding perfor- Alternatively, the PFC can also be programmed using
mance. The results: Short reaction times, high signal an open-source approach, and its software can be
transmission synchronicity, use of fast fieldbuses – supplemented or replaced thanks to the Linux® OS. In
and, in future, TSN. These advantages make the I/O addition, the Docker® interface offers a simple solution
System Advanced the new benchmark for high-end for the integration of open-source software. It will also
industrial automation systems. A new design of the be possible to integrate independently executable
PFC200 Controller, based on proven PFC technology, software components into the upcoming PFC200 Ad-
will also be launched along with the system. It forms a vanced via containers. In addition, this gateway to the
bridge to various IT technologies, via the Linux® op- universal 750 Series system allows all of the around
erating system and Docker® virtualization, as well as 500 modules to be directly connected, maximizing the
to OT technologies thanks to the IEC 61131 runtime return on investment.
system. Sending data to the cloud and leveraging all
the benefits of cloud computing are simple thanks to
a large number of interfaces and the highest cyber-
security standards. The customer can decide wheth-

WAGO I/O SYSTEM FIELD

HIGH FIELD-LEVEL
CONNECTIVITY
WAGO’s IP67 I/O System Field opens up a wide range of applications with
TSN
different housing styles and new EtherCAT® and EtherNet/IP modules.

T
he WAGO I/O System Field provides uncompro- ible, powerful, secure networking. The IO-Link com-
mising protection with either its encapsulated munication standard allows a seamless data flow
metal housings for the harshest environments from the control level to the sensor level. The new
or robust, non-encapsulated and lightweight plastic WAGO IO-Link Configurator allows comprehensive
housings for mobile applications. The system works and fast IO-Link configuration of the I/O System Field
safely and reliably at temperatures from −25 °C to while providing convenient access to all module data.
+70 °C. Customizable mounting options for front and Innovative load management allows the system’s
side module installation provide extra flexibility. The power to be fully utilized by an integrated power sup-
modules can be fitted with either WMB Inline mark- ply load management system.
ers or marking strips; they also feature unique seri-
al number identification and a Data Matrix code for
machine readability. WAGO has also expanded the
connectivity capabilities offered by I/O System Field:
The I/O modules can be connected to fast, ETHER-
NET-based fieldbus systems such as PROFINET, and
now also to EtherCAT® and EtherNet/IP. This expan-
sion allows the system to be used in other industries
and applications. It also integrates a Webserver and
OPC UA server. Going forward, the fieldbus modules
will also support MQTT as a communication protocol,
enabling cloud connectivity. Additionally, the system
is ready for TSN, which is crucial for end-to-end, flex-
WAGO NEWS FOCUS 05
TIME-SENSITIVE NETWORKING (TSN)

»WE PUT A FACE ON TOPICS

LIKE OPC UA AND TSN«
WAGO product manager Jürgen
Gorka explains the technology
and solutions customers can use
to achieve future-proof automa-
tion for mechanical engineering.
WAGO: For WAGO, TSN is one of the essential
tools for the digital transformation in mechanical
engineering. What is special about it?

Jürgen Gorka: TSN can form the basis for the field-
bus systems of today and tomorrow and can boast a
very positive development. As soon as the hardware is
available at marketable prices and the specifications
for modeling the bus systems on TSN have been fi-
nalized, we will see a successful launch of TSN. It is an
ETHERNET transfer medium that provides enabling

TSN
technology based on standards. It offers advantag-
es like reserved bandwidths, simultaneous transfer of
multiple protocols, including real-time-capable ones,
and quality-of-service (QoS) mechanisms.

WAGO: What are the preconditions for using TSN

in automation?

Jürgen Gorka: TSN is an ETHERNET enabling tech-

nology specified by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical Jürgen Gorka: The new system is the next logical
and Electronics Engineers). Using it in automation re- step in advancing our I/O 750 family. With it, we put
quires protocols like OPC UA or PROFINET. A solution
first emerges when TSN is combined with an applica-
a face on topics like OPC UA and TSN. The structure,
which includes a head station and linked I/O modules,
OUR
tion layer. TSN and TCP/IP are then available for the
different application emphases. Both transfer media
is very similar in the two systems. However, the gate-
way plays a central role in seamlessly combining the
EXPERTS
use OPC UA as the protocol. The advantage: Stan- two product families. And thanks to this integration, it
dard ETHERNET is used everywhere proprietary ap- will be possible to start using the new Advanced sys-
proaches used to be necessary. tem and still have access to the broad, established
750 Series.
WAGO: The result is an end-to-end system, from
the cloud to the sensor, without discontinuities? WAGO: So the new system is not conceived as a
replacement for the 750 Series?
Jürgen Gorka: Yes, and that’s real added value. The
performance requirements in the field can be met Jürgen Gorka: No, absolutely not! The 750 System
with TSN on the basis of standard, open technology. will remain on the market and will continue to benefit
from continuous development. After all, it is already
WAGO: Will TSN replace all other fieldbus? the system of choice within many industrial sectors.
Mechanical engineers will be able to easily augment
Jürgen Gorka: At the moment, it is not yet possible existing I/O applications with components from the
to equipment systems on a TSN basis. That requires new system, allowing their firms to react swiftly to
a minimum infrastructure with a certain diversity of changing market demands.
devices. The diversity of fieldbuses will not disappear
in the short term. There will always be requirements WAGO: What demands?
for which the existing technologies continue to be
necessary. There is also a lot of valuable know-how Jürgen Gorka: In mechanical engineering, these are
out there. Even if we focus on TSN, we will continue primarily demands for increased performance. In the
»The new system is the next
to support other protocols like BACnet/IP and ETH- long term, this increase can only be achieved with logical step in advancing
ERNET-based telecontrol protocols like IEC 60870- new system technology. This also includes support
5-104, which have not been affected by TSN at all so for all current communication standards, as well as
our I/O 750 family.«
far. EtherCAT® is also very widespread. EtherCAT® is upcoming ones, like TSN and its protocols. WAGO
optimized for one specific domain of use, namely as has already taken this step with the new I/O System Jürgen Gorka
a fieldbus in machine and plant optimization. Ether- Advanced as a component of an automation system WAGO Product Manager
CAT® represents a combination of an application pro- that will offer long-term sustainability.
tocol and special ETHERNET use.

WAGO: With the WAGO I/O System Advanced,

WAGO is developing a solution that is ready to
use TSN. What exactly is meant by its promising
name?
06 INNOVATION WAGO NEWS
WAGO CLOUD

GREATER TRANSPARENCY
AND USER-FRIENDLINESS
The latest WAGO Cloud release
includes many new functions.

W
AGO Cloud is a complete IoT system that,
together with WAGO’s PFC Controllers and
Touch Panels, allows easy connection of
machines and systems. In this most recent update,
WAGO has substantially revised the dashboard to
dramatically improve usability. Chief among the im-
provements are interactive dashboards that now of-
fer a zoom-in function and support both visualization
and display functions. Additionally, data from differ-
ent sources can be combined to identify correlations
more easily. A comparison with historical data is also
possible. Calculations can now also be performed in
a few steps. This convenience simplifies trend anal-
yses, regressions and correlations, providing the
foundation for data-driven decision making. Finally,
the release now offers more billing options: WAGO
has added an automated monthly billing option using
cloud license points. This allows users to individually
set upper-limit thresholds to control costs. Addition-
ally, a flat rate for WAGO Energy Data Management
(EDM) with fixed costs for each WAGO Cloud-con-
nected controller is possible.

CLOUD CONNECTIVITY

USE TWO CLOUD SYSTEMS

IN PARALLEL
WAGO’S PFC200 CONTROLLERS AND TOUCH PANELS,
NOW WITH MULTI-CLOUD CONNECTIVITY
WAGO now offers multi-cloud connectivity for
PFC200 Controllers and Touch Panels, allowing these
devices to be connected in parallel to two different
cloud systems, IoT platforms or MQTT brokers. Ad- Cloud A Cloud B
ditionally, multi-cloud connectivity enables different
tasks to be implemented in a cloud application. For
example, device management can be performed with-
in WAGO Cloud, while specific tasks are implemented
in another cloud-based solution, e.g., IBM Watson, MQTT
Amazon Web Services (AWS) or another specialized
ETHERNET
IoT platform. Data can also be split up, allowing, for
example, critical data to go to a local MQTT broker
and all other data to a cloud. Configuration is per-
formed via the Web-Based Management (WBM) of the
PFC200 or Touch Panel, and programming is done in
the usual way in e!COCKPIT.

M
WAGO NEWS INNOVATION 07
EDGE COMPUTING

OPTIMAL DATA USE

IN THE FIELD
Engineering Software

Edge Computer (left) and Edge Controller

In many cases, transferring data from machines and systems directly to a cloud solution is resource-
intensive and infeasible due to the low latency required in industrial environments. Edge computing has
established itself as a concept that combines the advantages of decentralized cloud architectures with
those of a local network architecture.

T
he OT and IT levels within components are With a comprehensive selection of interfaces: The Edge Controller can be provided with addition-
converging more and more. “Not least, this lets “Both new devices are based on cabinet-compatible al licenses for connecting to BACnet or EtherCAT®.
employees involved in production know what hardware, can be powered with 24 V and fit perfect- Data can be transferred to the cloud via MQTT. This
beneficial processes exist in the IT domain,” empha- ly into the automation environment,” reports Spar- makes it very easy to connect to WAGO Cloud or
sizes Jens Sparmann. He gives the example of Dock- mann. The Edge Controller is equipped with an ARM other cloud platforms. “It is easy to set up a multi-
er® technology. “Since all the processes are becoming Cortex-A9 quad-core processor and an extensive cloud landscape,” says Kleine. “WAGO recognized the
more and more intelligent, more and more data is also selection of interfaces, including two ETHERNET great significance of cloud communication very early
being collected,” explains Dr. André Kleine. Instead ports, one CANopen port and two USB ports. The on and integrated the MQTT protocol into e!COCK-
of enormous data volumes being sent to the cloud, a visualization can be displayed locally via the HDMI PIT. Our own high-performance OPC UA stack is the
portion of the processing takes place at the network’s interface. next step now.” However, OPC UA communication is
edge. “So data processing is becoming more and more already possible now too via the CODESYS stack.
important where real-time data is involved,” he adds. It Alternatively, the visualization can also be provided
is also possible to implement low latency applications. to other Web clients via the integrated Webserver. It Process high data volumes: Where demands on
“More and more computing power is needed, and this also has a serial RS-232-/RS-485 interface and four computing power and memory are high, WAGO also
places corresponding demands on databases direct- digital inputs/outputs for connecting local devices offers the perfect solution with the Edge Computer.
ly in the field,” emphasizes Sparmann. “That can’t be or sensors. “The device can also be connected with It features a 1.91 GHz quad-core Atom processor
covered by a conventional PLC. But servers are usually Modbus®,” adds Kleine. “The diversity of interfaces and is equipped with standard Debian Linux. “Users
overengineered for such applications.” allows the device to be integrated easily into exist- can draw on abundant resources and model entire
ing systems.” automation processes on them,” says Sparmann
Therefore, WAGO is introducing two new edge devic- with satisfaction. Display devices can be connected
es that meet these needs: the Edge Controller and the The ability to DIN-rail mount the Edge Controller – ei- directly via HDMI or DisplayPort. Several USB ports
Edge Computer. “They benefit high-level language pro- ther horizontally or vertically – saves space. Project and 2-Gbit ETHERNET ports are available for commu-
grammers, since they get closer to the sensor as the design can be performed in the familiar e!COCKPIT nication. A choice between 4 GB and 8 GB of RAM,
data supplier,” emphasizes Kleine. “The last mile ceas- engineering environment, so it fits seamlessly within as well as 64 GB of flash memory, makes even more
es to be a hurdle; the IT and OT environments merge.” WAGO’s automation solution ecosystem. “The firm- resource-intensive projects feasible.
Cloud services can also run on the edge devices, for ware is also very similar to that of our HMI devices,”
instance to ensure that only critical data is transferred emphasizes Kleine. “This also ensures a high degree When very large data volumes need to be processed,
to WAGO Cloud. Edge devices have additional advan- of reusability on the software side.” For instance, ex- such as large-scale database applications, the Edge
tages when data needs to be buffered temporarily, for isting WAGO Docker® containers can be used. Computer can be expanded with an SSD. The hous-
instance in mobile applications. ing conveniently provides a mounting space for a
08 INNOVATION WAGO NEWS

2.5 inch SSD for this purpose. Despite its extended WAGO ANALYTICS
temperature range from −20 °C to 60 °C, the Edge
Computer does without a fan and is compact, mak-

MAXIMUM
ing it easy to mount on a DIN-rail in a control cabinet
without taking up much space. “That also makes it

OPTIMIZATION
low-maintenance,” adds Kleine.

OF MACHINES
Standard software and WAGO Docker® containers,
such as Node-RED, can be used on the Edge Com-

AND SYSTEMS
puter. For example, the open-source Grafana applica-
tion is an excellent choice for graphical data display.

Security also plays an important role in the new de-

vices. A TPM 2.0 chip allows an encryption mecha- When it comes to optimizing your own machines
nism to be used to ensure data security. “The devices or systems, the challenge is to increase and quan-
are also equipped with the best software technology tify process knowledge, and then to integrate it
for high security,” says Sparmann. “A large proportion into the process. WAGO Analytics supports users
of the software on the devices is open-source, so se- in data acquisition and analysis and provides in-
curity is always part of the pictures, since the large tuitive visualizations of the dependencies in their
open-source community is continually reviewing the systems. The connections this reveals can then
source code and providing bugfixes.” be integrated into the process so potential opti-
mizations can be exploited. WAGO Analytics is im-
Besides the standard VPN applications, the devices plemented in three steps. The first step involves
»The last mile ceases to be are open for special security solutions such as Tosi- recording current machine and sensor data. This
a hurdle; the IT and OT box and Hooc. Thus, in addition to WAGO’s own VPN requires various hardware products that supply the
solution, users can also access other remote mainte- corresponding data. WAGO offers a wide product
environments merge.« nance solutions with a high degree of security, in line portfolio with various components that support
with the #openandeasy principle. all common interfaces and most industrial proto-
Dr. André Kleine cols. In addition to the WAGO I/O System 750, the
HMI & Edge Controller Product Manager The right hardware for every edge applica- PFC family of controllers and modules for current
tion: The two new edge devices offer a hardware measurement, WAGO IoT Boxes are also avail-
platform that supports users in easily implementing able for measurement and sensor data acquisition.
their own edge applications at the interface between
WAGO’s automation architecture and WAGO Cloud. In the second step, WAGO Cloud offers users the
“Both devices are excellent additions to our portfo- option of aggregating data from various machines
lio,” says Sparmann with confidence. “While the Edge and systems in a central location.
Controller brings the OT level closer to the IT level,
our Edge Computer works the other way around.” The machine and system data that has been collect-
ed can then be used either centrally or decentrally
[This article is a lightly edited excerpt from: open automation, for analysis – the third step in the process. Central-
4/2020.] ized analysis then merely requires transfer of the
data to a cloud environment. Unlike in the decentral-
ized approach, data in the cloud can be accessed at
any time from anywhere in the world. The decentral-
ized solution offers the advantage that data can be
analyzed directly in the system.

Users can employ WAGO’s Docker® technology, for

example, to run analysis applications on the control-
ler. WAGO’s PFC200 Series Controllers are already
Docker®-ready, so modern software and numerous
other applications can be run quickly and easily on

0888-0201/0120-0101 WAGO NEWS FACTORY 1/20 DE – 04/2020 – MM-14119 – Printed in Germany – subject to changes
the PFC200.

»Both new devices fit

perfectly into the
automation environment.«
Jens Sparmann
System Specialist

IMPRINT
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