Manufacturers are now gearing up to ride the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) wave. Although the progress has been slow, manufacturers at different stages of their IIoT transformation are already beginning to experience the benefits of digitisation, says Matthew Lee, product manager at Moxa.

John Browett explains why open industrial networks are fundamental components of a smart factory.

Industrial organisations are now able to bring systems, applications and devices together in a unified architecture to exchange information throughout the enterprise thanks to the integration of FDT and OPC UA standards.

Markus Weinländer provides examples of cloud-based quality control to demonstrate the possibilities of Time Sensitive Networking (TSN).

Ross Yu explains the importance of data reliability and network security in IIoT applications, examines real-life case studies, and discusses key considerations when selecting an IIoT wireless solution.

The latest developments to the Advanced Physical Layer project to enable Ethernet to the Field were reported at ACHEMA by three leading standards-based organisations for suppliers of process automation. Suzanne Gill reports.

Toyota upgraded its communication networks to an open, gigabit Ethernet technology to help it increase the availability of its production lines and improve the transparency of data.

Find out more about how Field Device Integration (FDI) technology looks set to provide automation stakeholders with a better user experience and an open, future-proofed standard for integration of field devices with process and enterprise systems.

Control Engineering Europe reports on the latest developments from the FDT Group, which is advancing its open standard for enterprise-wide network and asset integration.

Scott Keller, founder and CEO at SignalFire Wireless Telemetry, offers some advice on determining the best wireless frequency for remote monitoring and control systems.

Marco Reichenbächer explains how AGVs can be freed from their traditional guidance system limitations through the use of wireless communication technology.

Suzanne Gill reports on the issues surrounding industrial digitalisation, and finds out why it is vital to put in the groundwork now to ensure a smarter factory in the future.

A whitepaper written by Edward Lin, product manager at Moxa, discusses challenges faced by systems integrators today with OT-to-OT, OT-to-IT, and OT-to-IIoT interoperability. It also looks at the solutions available to ensure non-stop connectivity throughout converged networks. Control Engineering Europe reports.

Ethernet plays a major role in today’s automation systems to pass data through the system at high rates. The digital performance of a network is subject to the active devices within it, such as the switches and controllers. However, it is the passive devices such as cable and connectors which can ultimately determine the performance of a network.

Rob Hulsebos argues that Modbus/TCP users should think carefully before migrating to a more modern, Ethernet-based protocol, purely to increase speed.

Suzanne Gill finds out what role the now ubiquitous HART protocol might have to play in factories and processing plants of the future, as more enterprises look to reap the benefits promised by Industry 4.0.

Haruyuki Otani discusses the current IT system trends in manufacturing industry and explains how CC-Link IE can help alleviate issues at the field level.

Reducing downtime and increasing productivity is an important topic for all engineers today. To help system users prevent issues occurring in their network, PROCENTEC has introduced Atlas as its solution to Industrial Ethernet diagnostics.

Scott Keller offers advice on what needs to be considered when moving from a wired remote monitoring solution to a wireless one.

Control Engineering Europe reports on how the Ethernet interface can be reduced in size, power, and cost to allow it to be incorporated into edge devices such as sensors and actuators.