Controls engineers building machinery for factories and plants should pay close attention to the rise of software-defined automation (SDA), which shifts the traditional approach of automation from hardware-first to software-first design, according to Automation World.
In contrast to conventional automation where hardware is tightly coupled to proprietary software, SDA emphasizes modular, vendor-agnostic software, which allows for more flexibility in hardware selection and management.
With this shift, engineers will see an increased use of standardized protocols like PLCOpen, PackML and OPC UA, which will enable hardware interchangeability and simplify integration between different platforms. This decoupling of hardware and software will also facilitate easier troubleshooting and faster issue resolution, which is especially beneficial in multi-vendor environments.
By fostering collaboration between IT and OT teams, engineers can leverage software-based infrastructure that enhances scalability, adaptability and resiliency in industrial processes. Projects like IIoT implementations, which connect factory equipment to business analytics, can serve as immediate opportunities to bridge these traditionally separate domains.
Automation World, Control Design’s partner publication, shares further insights on SDA in this article.
