The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), now incorporating OpenFog, announced the recent successes of its Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Testbed for Flexible Manufacturing testbed. TSN was recently in the news as the ARC Advisory Group claimed that OPC UA over TSN has finally created a single, universal solution for industrial networks.
IIC's testbed is recognized by and in collaboration with Labs Network Industrie 4.0 (LNI 4.0). The testbed has conducted its 14th plugfest with more than 35 participants from more than 20 companies with access to
- the IIC TSN Testbed demonstrator,
- a permanent infrastructure rack for continuous testing with remote access,
- Timing and TSN testing tools from three testing-tool companies,
- collaborate on TSN management and configuration,
- a community focused on collaboration on key TSN capabilities – opensource-TSN, standards, management among many other areas.
The testbed has also published the Converged Industrial Traffic Type Characteristics and Mapping document that describes industrial traffic found in converged IIoT networks and identifies key network capabilities to support those traffic types.
These latest results will be demonstrated at Hannover Messe 2019 in the IIC booth (Hall 8, Stand D23) and in the booths of the many testbed participants also exhibiting at HMI. The trade show will also be highlighting many companies' forays into 5G technology.
More than 30 companies participate in the IIC TSN Testbed including chipmakers, network infrastructure and end-device vendors, as well as testing tool vendors. Now in its third year, the IIC TSN Testbed is focusing on TSN configuration and management and support for key Industrial Automation protocols, including the OPC Foundation’s new Field-Level Communication initiative.
The IIC TSN testbed regularly holds plugfests in both Europe and the U.S. where companies can test devices with a range of TSN capabilities and collaborate with other companies deploying TSN. The next plugfests will take place at National Instruments headquarters in Austin, Texas, from June 3 – 6 and in Germany at University of Stuttgart’s ISW from, July 9 – 12.
IIC members of the TSN testbed, many of whom will be demonstrating TSN at Hannover Messe, are: Belden/Hirschmann, Bosch Rexroth, B&R Industrial Automation, Cisco, Fraunhofer IPMS, Hilscher, Intel, ISW, Kalycito, Moxa, Pilz, SICK AG, SoC-e, TRUMPF, TTTech, Xilinx and IIC liaison Avnu Alliance. Supporting non-IIC-members of the testbed include: Analog Devices, Avnu, Calnex, HMS Industrial Networks, InnoRoute, Kontron, KUKA, National Instruments, NetTime Logic, Phoenix Contact, Schneider Electric, Spirent, TSN Systems and WAGO.
