New generations of consumer devices with continuous connectivity, rich graphics, and touch screen interfaces are raising expectations in automation market segments serving factories, buildings and homes. Developers face the challenges of minimizing cost and time to market while meeting the requirements of specialized automation markets. This article by Fabio d’ASlessi, CTO of M31 subsidiary Si14, provides a case study that illustrates how modular solutions based on the Intel® Atom™ processor and the Si14 Sensor and Actor Network (SAN) Framework can help developers innovate new Web-enabled and Web-controlled automation solutions more quickly and easily.
The Si14 Sensor and Actor Network (SAN) Framework is a combination of hardware and software modules for industrial automation. On the software side, the solution builds on the Nokia Qt framework to provide a set of high-level design tools, APIs, and interfaces. The Intel Atom processor was chosen for its low power consumption, wired and wireless connectivity and robust graphic capabilities. The processor also enables simplified software development, thanks to binaries that can run unmodified on a desktop PC or low-power embedded devices.
The solution includes gateways based on standard technologies such as XML, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) and RESTful Web services. This provides a unifying platform that flexibly interfaces with multiple existing frameworks and the majority of home and industrial standard radio or wired buses and protocols such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, RS232 and RS485, CAN, ZigBee. Developers can easily integrate additional components, architectures and technologies. The Si14 solution includes graphic software modules based on multi-touch screens used to configure and control the system. The SAN Framework is Web-enabled, allowing the sensors and actors to be exposed on the Internet through SCADA-specific interfaces for remote monitoring and control. The system can also interact with Web-based machine-to-machine (M2M) services through standard JSON and RESTful interfaces.
