COMPUTER NETWORKS FOR INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

The course aims to provide students with an understanding of communication issues in automation systems and knowledge of technologies and tools for the implementation of communication solutions in various application areas. In particular, the course will address issues related to the design and evaluation of communication systems with real-time constraints and systems based on wired and wireless networks in several application domains (e.g. industrial, automotive).
Students will be able to both develop simulation models for evaluating the performance of wired and wireless automation networks and implement nodes of wireless automation networks on hardware devices.

Lectures. Lab exercises.

1. Communication Issues and traffic characterization in the different types of automation systems. (*)
2. Functional architectures of different communication systems in automation. (*)
4. Fieldbus networks: PROFIBUS, HART.(*)
5. Real-time networks: overview on real-time constraints and MAC level protocols.(*)
6. Message scheduling in real-time networks.(*)
7. Automotive networks. Design goals and functional domains. Examples: LIN, CAN/CAN FD, FlexRAY, MOST, IEEE Audio Video Bridging.(*)

8. Time-Sensitive Networking.(*)

8. Industrial Ethernet: The IEC 61784 Standard. (*) Communication Profile examples: MODBUS, POWERLINK, PROFINET (*). ETHERCAT.
9. Wireless systems for automation applications. Support offered by the IEEE 802.11x to real-time automation traffic.
10. Supporto al traffico real-time offerto dallo standard IEEE 802.15.4. The TSCH and DSME extensions.

11. Bluetooth Low Energy and LoRa in industrial IoT applications.

12. Smart factory and Industry 4.0. Overview on enabling communication technologies.

The asterisks indicate the minimum skills.

The application part of the course will be devoted to the evaluation of protocols through the simulation environment OMNeT ++ and the creation of nodes for wireless sensor networks to be used in automation, with hardware provided by the lecturer.

Course Material by the lecturer can be found in www.studium.it or in the personal web site http://lobello.dieei.unict.it/reti_realtime_automazione1819).

For further reading: Industrial Communication Technology Handbook, 2^nd Edition, CRC Press LLC, USA, ISBN : 978-1-4822-0733-0, 2014.