Iot Computing with SMARC
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boards & solutions + Combined Print Magazine for the European Embedded Market April 02/18 Cover Story: From Edge to Fog to Cloud – IoT Computing with SMARC SPECIAL FEATURES: INDUSTRIAL IOT - EMBEDDED COMPUTING - SENSORS VIEWPOINT Dear Readers, Punctual with the publishing date of this issue of B&S/ECE, Hanover Industry Fair takes place, the largest and most important exhibition for the industry in general, held at the Fair- grounds in Hannover – and again the connected industry including Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrie 4.0 is the main topic this year but in a broader context. The combination of CeMAT with Hannover Fair according to the motto “Logistics 4.0 meets Industrie 4.0” is just one proof. Machine learn- ing and artificial intelligence are influ- encing the embedded world and vice versa. Machine learning best demonstrates its opportunities in any situation where companies are looking to derive new knowledge from past experience. The technology enables digital systems to identify recurring patterns in data and apply the resulting findings to new data streams e.g. for maintenance. In this way, trends and anomalies can be detected – in real time and within the running system. This allows manufacturing companies to use their petabytes of data in a way that benefits their business. But Artificial intelligence is a growth factor for various other busi- nesses. There is no master plan for using it – but some basic rules apply in every case. Intelligent robots and self-learning computers will have a huge impact on German industry in the coming years: Artificial intelligence (AI) could increase the gross domestic product by ten billion euros a year by 2030, according to McKinsey. They cre- ated five rules to build an AI-centric environment. First: Defining a business case is no easy task when it comes to artificial intelligence, the management consultancy wans, because information about AI remains incomplete and doubts can be widespread among employees. Second: Connect internal and external skill bases because AI experts are still fare too scarce. In Germany there is a gap of some 5.000 workers. Third: Store granular data. Data forms the foundation for every artificial intelligence. Companies must therefore store as much granular (i.e. sufficiently detailed) data as possible and make this information available in a relational, table-based database. Fourth: Combine existing knowledge with AI. AI will not lead to successful outcomes without careful attention to context. McKinsey recom- mends codifying your company‘s own knowledge, i.e. recording and storing it, and integrating it into the AI algorithm, to best support machines‘ self-learning. Fifth: Introducing AI should be an agile process. Simulations and tests in subsections of the company serve to continuously optimize results. And consequent this issue is full of corresponding content. It starts with our cover story which describes the data transfer of IoT com- puting from Edge to Fog to Cloud with boards in the new SMARC form factor. Another two examples are the articles about the QorIQ processor which integrates four technologies needed for Industrie 4.0. and the protection of intellectual property for sensors in the IIoT. The remaining content round up this IoT issue. I hope you´ll enjoy this issue! Yours Sincerely Wolfgang Patelay Editor 3 April 18 CONTENTS Viewpoint 3 From Edge to Fog to Cloud – Cover Story IoT Computing with SMARC 6 Cloud, Edge and Fog computing is From Edge to Fog to Cloud – everywhere and everybody is talking IoT Computing with SMARC 6 about it. In industrial surroundings tradi- tional server approaches cannot provide Embedded Computing the required robustness for operation in harsh industrial environments, but Development of a cooling how can modular systems based on the tested SMARC Computer-on-Modules system for a COM carrier system 10 provide an efficient solution. PCAP Touch displays - what does the future hold? 12 Development of a cooling Implementation possibilities system for a COM carrier system 10 for efficient cooling of 19” cabinets 16 During the development process of the Pentair Schroff COM carrier Getting the right Linux distribution system, thermal simulations were used to optimize passive cooling for your embedded application 18 through the cooling element. The result is a modular system that can be modified to meet various customer requirements through Cloud for flat-panel controllers selection from a series of available cooling elements. and RFID readers 20 Industrial IoT PCAP Touch displays - what does the future hold? 12 QorIQ processor integrates four technologies needed for Industry 4.0 22 Enabling future oriented functionalities In this article the author compares three for motor control solutions 25 different touch technologies and examines their suitability for industrial applications. Sensors Intellectual Property protection Cloud for flat-panel controllers for sensors in the IIoT 28 and RFID readers 20 Mutual capacitance touch sensors The first cloud for flat-panel controllers improve vehicle user interfaces 30 offers full connectivity to enable central parameterization and constant monitor- Product News 32-39 ing of the operational status of displays. This brings two clear advantages: higher ease of use and lower maintenance costs. QorIQ processor integrates four technologies needed for Industry 4.0 22 NXP’s new QorIQ Layerscape LS1028A processor integrates on a boards single chip the 4 technologies needed in next-generation industrial & solutions + systems: time-sensitive networking, high-performance processing, Combined Print Magazine for the European Embedded Market April 02/18 hardware-accelerated user interfaces, and high security. Cover Story: From Edge to Fog to Cloud - IoT Computing with SMARC. Enabling future oriented functionalities for motor control solutions 25 Smart… home… wireless… con- nected… IoT… control… opening not only new revenue sources but also new customization skills, adaptation capa- bility and efficiency, high quality, user friendliness and minimized efforts. This is just part of the complex, feature-ori- ented solution development within the Industry 4.0 and Smart Home world SPECIAL FEATURES: which has already started. INDUSTRIAL IOT- EMBEDDED COMPUTING- SENSORS Cover Photo: Kontron April 18 4 COVER STORY From Edge to Fog to Cloud – IoT Computing with SMARC By Martin Unverdorben, Kontron Cloud, Edge and Fog computing is everywhere and everybody is talking about it. In industrial surroundings traditional server approaches cannot provide the required robustness for operation in harsh industrial environments, but how can modular systems based on the tested SMARC Computer-on- Modules provide an efficient solution. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with screws, where you store the torque val- defined a way of networking to ensure very low is one of the most challenging application ues of each screw to have quality control of transmission latency and high availability of all spaces to design for, as there are pressures on all the devices that are mounted there. Peer- participants. Originally intended to define a the developer from clients, management, and ing through the Cloud Figure 1 looks at it from network for real-time audio and video stream- the marketplace on price, performance, and a structural perspective. At the bottom are the ing, this functionality is perfect to synchronize functionality. Creating the next generation of devices on the floor of the factory that con- control of devices on the factory floor. intelligent industrial systems will require an trol the production process directly, which is elegant juggling act with all three. the area called EDGE computing. On the level There are three key functionalities involved. The above, there are the on-site server racks, which first is time synchronization, meaning all the There is a trend in IT to bring more web manage the process flow, or control data and devices participating in real-time communi- functionality out of the central server farms monitor and maintain the data stored. The cation have a common understanding of time. and inject it into the parts of the infrastruc- layer on top is the CLOUD, representing all This can also be done with an internal clock, ture and the devices operating as close to the off-premises functionality. The middle layer, but that can be cost-prohibitive. Using the IEEE user level as possible to reduce network traf- which usually already exists in some form in 1588 time synchronization eliminates the need fic demands, among other things. Data col- legacy systems, gets new tasks because it must for any extra clocks or any extra signals, as the lection and storage is already everywhere, in connect to that top-level functionality level, time information is distributed throughout the our pockets and in our homes with personal and is now called FOG computing. whole network with this protocol. computers, smartphones, and smart home assistants. It is also the case now in production So the Cloud is everything that is off the The second key functionality is scheduling and environments. premises, the Fog is the level that’s monitor- traffic shaping, where all devices adhere to the ing and controlling, and used to be already same rules in processing and forwarding com- Cloud, Fog and Edge levels there before in the server room in the factory. munication packets. Already a known concept Applying IoT technology to industrial systems The lowest level, Edge computing controls the from the telecom market, it means there are dif- makes a lot of sense, because we can use and floor and the automation control of motors, ferent slices for different traffic classes, allowing manage the data involved to improve the pro- sensors, and actuators. These three levels have you to give a certain packet a different class, or duction process and performance factors such to function and work together, especially in a certain priority. The third is to ensure that all as quality and cost. For example, in a chemi- security and safety, with new tasks to be done devices comply with the same rules in reserving cal plant the process data is probably already and new devices that need to be installed.