Supporting mass customization, high quality, and sustainable operations in Industry 4.0 factories
Integrated technology functions like high-speed counters, PWM, pulse sequence outputs, speed control, and positioning make these controllers suitable for temperature control, pump and fan control, conveyor technology, and packaging machines. They are optimized for loop control, weighing, energy management, high-speed counting, radio frequency identification (RFID), and condition monitoring. Flexible communications options Comprehensive networking options are a hallmark of S7-1200 PLCs. Supported communications protocols include: PROFINET: An open Industrial Ethernet (IE) standard. The integrated PROFINET interface uses TCP/IP standards and can be used for programming or to communicate with HMI devices and additional controllers.
former operates from a 24-volt direct current (VDC) power supply and has 24 VDC inputs and outputs, while the latter operates from a 120 or 230 volt alternating current (VAC) power supply, with 24 VDC inputs and relay outputs. All S7-1200 controllers have integrated IOs, are modularly expandable, and have several communications options. The Siemens Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) portal provides a simple software environment for developing control programs, and the SIMATIC automation tool can be used in the field for operating and maintaining SIMATIC S7-1200 controllers. Additional features include: ■ A PROFINET interface to support scalability and flexibility ■ Security features that include comprehensive access, copy, and manipulation protection ■ Diagnostics, with messages displayed in simple, plain text in the Siemens TIA Portal, through a web server, on the SIMATIC HMI, and in the SIMATIC Automation Tool with no additional programming ■ Safety features in certain models that can execute both standard and safety-related programs for applications up to Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL3) defined in IEC 61508, and IEC 62061 and Performance Level e (PLe) defined in ISO 13849 Figure 1: OPC UA is a foundational element of Industry 4.0 factory connectivity. Image source: Siemens
Figure 3: Expandable
communications for S7-1200 PLCs are supported by a combination of external (left and right) and internal (red box top center) expansion modules. Image source: Siemens
PROFIBUS: This is a fieldbus standard. With PROFIBUS, S7-1200 controllers can establish uniform communication from the field level to the control level. AS-Interface: This is a fieldbus standard for actuators and sensors. Up to 62 AS-Interface standard slaves, such as motor starters, position switches, and modules can be connected. In addition to the integrated communications capabilities, modules are available that support additional protocols such as: ■ CANopen
implementations on S7-1200 PLCs include (Figure 1): ■ The ability to efficiently add new processes between PLCs and any higher level, business- oriented software layers ■ A simplified implementation of industry-specific companion specifications with Siemens OPC UA Modeling Editor ■ Cloud connectivity through a wireless connection to an Ethernet network ■ DNS name resolution for simplified addressing with open user communication (OUC), including encryption ■ A means to send emails securely, with optional attachments
FLC provides equipment suppliers with an independent platform for secure and reliable communications that emphasizes authentication, signing, and data encryption. OPC UA is more than an M2M communications protocol; it’s designed to support connections between the factory network and business networks. OPC UA Data Access on Siemens’ SIMATIC S7-1200 PLCs provides for standardized horizontal and vertical communication, as well as compliance with industry-specific requirements such as The Organization for Machine Automation and Control Packaging Machine Language (OMAC PackML), an automation standard that makes it easier to transfer consistent machine data, as well as the Weihenstephan Standards (WS), which define a communication interface for the standardized transmission of machine data to higher level IT systems. Key features of OPC UA
Achieving mass customization and high quality Their wide range of functionality and communications capabilities allow the S7-1200 PLCs to accommodate the drive toward mass customization and high quality that’s occurring as part of Industry 4.0. While there are numerous ways to achieve those goals, the following example shows the use of communication expansion modules for wireless cellular connectivity, RS-485/USS/ Modbus RTU serial connectivity for motor control, and IO-Link for simpler connectivity to sensors and actuators, relative to field buses (Figure 3). In Figure 3, the ‘CM CP’ is a GPRS wireless communications module like the 6GK72427KX310XE0 that can be used for Cloud
■ Modbus RTU ■ Modbus TCP
■ IO-Link ■ General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)/Long Term Evolution (LTE) ■ RS-485, RS-422, and RS-232 ■ USS Figure 2: Siemens S7-1200 controllers have integrated OPC UA communications support. Image source: Siemens
Scalable controllers
In addition to integrated support for OPC UA communication, S7-1200 controllers like the 6ES72141AG400XB0 (Figure 2) and the 6ES72151BG400XB0 are highly flexible and scalable. The
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