Evolution of the industrial computer

The almost universal acceptance of Ethernet as the standard technological platform for computer networks the world over has played a significant role in reducing installation costs, increasing reliability and improving the management of corporate infrastructures.

The popularity of Ethernet, first introduced in 1980 and standardised in 1985 as IEEE 802.3, has effectively pushed competing LAN technologies such as Token Ring, FDDI and ARCnet into oblivion.

Due to the ubiquity of Ethernet, manufacturers began building Ethernet interfaces directly into PC motherboards, eliminating the need for installation of a separate network card.

Today, Ethernet has been successfully 'commoditised' with switch features often embedded into hardware products to support high-performance applications. This allows devices to connect directly to a network, helping to cut costs and simplify system configurations.

For mission-critical networks - such as those in industrial automation and process control applications - Ethernet has evolved further. Industrial Ethernet is built on standard Ethernet protocols (similar to enterprise Ethernet), but it is specifically designed to operate reliably in harsh usage environments and conditions through the use of rugged connectors and extended temperature switches.

The availability of industrial Ethernet switches and other 'ruggedised' networking components has proven to be a boon in many applications involving extreme operating conditions.

In the mining sector, for example, where all operations are largely now IP-enabled and expected to function consistently and reliably under harsh conditions, industrial Ethernet has paved the way for industrial computer switches and other devices, which are increasingly required as technology moves from the back-office to the coalface.

The trend will continue in SA as the country enters a new era of shale gas mining, solar and wind power generation and the expansion of its railway networks. These endeavours will most certainly rely on modern networking technologies and infrastructures to function effectively and productively onsite.

The availability of industrial switches, for example, will effectively dovetail with modern technologies, such as software-defined networking, to create a robust networking platform with an intelligent overlay, ideally suited to meet new marketplace challenges in harsh environments.

These include demands from companies using programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for the automation of electromechanical processes, such as the control of machinery on factory assembly lines.

Unlike conventional computers, a PLC is designed for multiple inputs and outputs, synchronised within a tightly defined time protocol. Most often they are called on to work in extended temperature ranges, have immunity to electrical noise, and exhibit firm resistance to vibration and impact.

These and other infrastructure challenges, such as power/voltage fluctuations and mechanical hazards, are faced daily by many industrial and commercial enterprises looking to modern computer technology to improve the performances and reliability of their existing and new services.

There are a host of examples in which industrial computer equipment is able to provide viable solutions.

There are a host of examples in which industrial computer equipment is able to provide viable solutions: private security companies are increasingly relying on outdoor, network-linked video surveillance equipment located in remote areas, which are subject to the vagaries of the weather.

Government agencies - such as SARS - rely on 'hardened' computer equipment mounted in boats for their off-shore operations, giving them the ability to scan, print and process documents as if they were at a warehouse on land.

Transport agencies increasingly use industrial computer technology to modernise information dissemination and improve passenger services on trains and buses, using WiFi and other platforms.

The military is one of the more prolific users of ruggedised computer equipment.

The pressures of modern communication situations in combat have served to speed the development of industrial computer equipment and systems, particularly the design and construction of sealed enclosures using materials such as cast aluminium and magnesium rather than plastic.

Engineering innovations have made operation possible in extreme temperatures, ranging from minus-45 to plus-65 degrees Celsius, and advances in flash memory have eliminated moving parts and reduced mechanical failures. Simpler, more effective software has improved the operator interface and the speed of execution of these systems, at the same time reducing operating system failures.

Currently, the demanding requirements of military applications are being met with a wide range of ruggedised computer devices, including rack-mount military PCs, laptops, tablet PCs and compact PLC systems, as well as network switches, converters and accessories.

Targeted at command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and other 24/7 mission-critical applications, they incorporate extremely durable components such as single board computers, passive and active backplanes, long-life motherboards, hot swap power supplies and raid drives designed to deliver robustness, reliability and redundancy.

Thanks to their increasing uptake, industrial computer devices are falling in price. From being almost prohibitively positioned only a year or two ago, these offerings are now well on their way to achieving parity with their conventional cousins in the marketplace, often with lower mean-time-to-repair benchmarks and faster and easier upgrade paths.