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Do They Use Signalling Protocols In Automation

Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 3:28 am
by Thinlizzy
Hello Neo and everyone,

You have helped me so much recently. Thank you very much.

May I perhaps ask another question? I am summing up some information about wireless data communication for automation purposes. This is for an assignment, not for a thesis. The issue is reliability of wireless data transmission in the automation field. They have provided me with two sources about important criteria which have been under scrutiny by some German engineers.

Anyway, I think I should extend my personal horizon a little further. For one thing, I compare it all a little bit to what I can find out about the well established standards for wireless voice and data communication.

It would never have occured to me, though, that I know so little about automation. I have, in particular, one question which is silly and gives evidence of my ignorance. I would still like to come up with it.

The question is: Do they use any signalling protocols when transmitting data in automation and remote control, be it in a wireless fashion or not? I refer to protocols that would be comparable to SS7 or SIP and used mainly for automation and remote control. There must be a variety of industrial solutions. Is there a signalling protocol for industrial purposes, which they perhaps all use and which I have never heard of? Was it standardized by a standardization board?

I would be grateful if someone let me know the answer - if there is any. Thank you very much in advance.

Thinlizzy

Re: Do They Use Signalling Protocols In Automation

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 2:02 am
by Neo
I don't see there is any special requirement to use Wireless on industrial automation/remote control projects. Wireless is considered complicated, costly and expensive to use.

We can use standard RF communication based on some standardised protocols. A very good match is ZigBee. See ZigBee specification as well. ZigBee is easy to use and considered reliable among electronic enthusiast who make devices like robots using RF communication.

You Have Been Very Helpful

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:29 am
by Thinlizzy
Hello Neo,

Thank you very much for this expert answer: This is really the answer to my question and will help me a great deal.

By wireless I meant everything that is transmitted by air, not necessarily by cell phones.

However, people use their cell phones for all sorts of application and that is not always the better solution, either. It is more comfortable, though. How about someone who would like to monitor some parameters in his home? This has nothing to do with my question which you have answered in every detail.

I also looking for a topic for my MSc thesis in the not too far future. Some time ago I passed an examination which you have to take in Germany if you want to look after other people's properties. It is a professional qualification and they ask you many things about legal conditions, psychology, about how to handle dogs and also about alarm systems, too. So, the use of mobile phones for control purposes might, at some stage, also be interesting to me. However, I will not decide on this too soon.

Anyway, the Internet which we have grown fond of has many enemies. I feel that it is an endangered species and I wonder, if QoS will make it too expensive for many of us and if the introduction of IPv6 will lead to this. I am thinking of opening a discussion topic on this question in this forum although I have not been involved in such things and know very little about them.

Thank you very much.
Thinlizzy

Re: Do They Use Signalling Protocols In Automation

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 1:03 pm
by Neo
Please always use a separate topic for a new question. A good heading would be always helpful.
However, people use their cell phones for all sorts of application and that is not always the better solution, either. It is more comfortable, though. How about someone who would like to monitor some parameters in his home? This has nothing to do with my question which you have answered in every detail.
It is easily possible to monitor parameters from home. I'll give you a simple example. Say you are going to monitor security of a factory elsewhere. Whenever an alarm is triggered, you need to get to know that in your mobile phone. There many ways. The easiest way is to connect a USB GSM module or a Mobile Broadband dongle to the central PC (A), open the COM port and send messages you need as SMS.

If there is a live internet connection then you can use php and a SMS gateway to do the same as well.
See How to send SMS using php.

If the GSM module you use has GPRS, then again you can consider the unit has internet access as above.

If you use a Mobile Broadband dongle, then again can use internet.

Remember, it is not limited to get a feedback from the factory. You can also send commands as SMS (encrypted if preferred) to switch on lights, etc...

The above mentioned Central PC can be replaced with a microcontroller if you like quite easily. If that is the case, there are GSM/GPRS modules that you can connect directly to the microcontroller quite easily. If you can use a micro such as Atmel ATMega128, it has quite a lot of ports for I/O operations. However micros like PIC 16F877, 30F4011 (dsPIC) could be easily handled by a beginner.
I also looking for a topic for my MSc thesis in the not too far future. Some time ago I passed an examination which you have to take in Germany if you want to look after other people's properties. It is a professional qualification and they ask you many things about legal conditions, psychology, about how to handle dogs and also about alarm systems, too. So, the use of mobile phones for control purposes might, at some stage, also be interesting to me. However, I will not decide on this too soon.
I think I have already given you an idea ;) . If you like we can work together to make it a successful commercial project.
Anyway, the Internet which we have grown fond of has many enemies. I feel that it is an endangered species and I wonder, if QoS will make it too expensive for many of us and if the introduction of IPv6 will lead to this. I am thinking of opening a discussion topic on this question in this forum although I have not been involved in such things and know very little about them.
Yes please, always start a new topic for a separate question.

Re: Do They Use Signalling Protocols In Automation

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:05 pm
by Thinlizzy
Hello Neo,

Well, that is a good piece of practical knowledge. Some time ago I have read in a publication that the interconnection between WLAN and UMTS works even better, as far as I can remember. This does, however, not imply that I have much knowledge about such things. What you have told me now has been altogether new to me.

I bumped into that topic while working for an assignment about VoIP.

I have now been writing another assignment and even have to hurry a bit to accomplish the task. I will now use all the information you have given me. This is a great leap forward for me because my assignment will now improve to a degree.

As far as the commercialization of a project is concerned, I myself would need a little more time to consider its prospects. For the time being I do not know if anything of the like already exists on the market, nor would I have an idea about its prospective buyers. Many clients would need a customized solution. All this requires thorough consideration.

Thank you so much for your support.
Thinlizzy