Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1081695
March/April 2019 I 19 Similar to the commercial business and consumer worlds, the interoperability and proven performance of the IP communication protocol is opening the door to significantly improved vision and efficiency for industries of all shapes and sizes. So what does this mean for ICT infrastructure designers and installers? It means understanding the unique characteristics of these challenging environments well enough to design and install robust and reliable IP infrastructure systems to support the coming explosion of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). DESIGNER CONSIDERATIONS It is imperative that a designer acquires detailed information about the environment in which the infrastructure is proposed. Reviewing the ANSI/TIA 1005-A standard is a good start, as it provides tools to aid the designer in selecting product that will withstand the environment in which it is placed. This standard suggests the use of a 4 category system that includes rating the effects of Mechanical, Ingress, Chemical/Climatic, and Electromagnetics (M.I.C.E.) on the infrastructure components, utilizing a 3 tier rating in each category. The designer must then marry these environmental conditions with material types and designs that will function within them reliably for the intended lifespan of the system. Harsh environment copper cable terminations come in various formats, with one of the most common being the M12. A designer should be aware of the different styles, ratings, supporting hardware, termination components, and testing requirements for this type of solution. Logical industrial IP control designs can require the use of ring or linear physical topologies, which many in the ICT industry have considered obsolete in recent years. This offers up a challenge when establishing a standards compliant and easy to follow labeling scheme for these infrastructure segments. Some devices on these physical segments may reside in the same control panel and can be connected by simply using factory patch cables, while others require horizontal permanent links. It is important to involve the client in these discussions, since they will need the labeling scheme to be readily understood by their support team. A suggested solution is to utilize existing control panel and equipment device identifiers, incorporating both into the cable identifier. For example, a horizontal cable joining two control panels (CP1A and CP2A) could simply be labeled CP1A-CP2A and a patch cable within a control panel connecting two AC drives (VSD11 and VSD12) could be labeled VSD11-VSD12. Ultimately, it is necessary that the selected identifiers are unique, clear, and meaningful. Operations flow and safety dictate unique design considerations. Many in the ICT industry are considering how the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) will reshape businesses, careers, and the world. This shift is driving significant change in every sector of industry, worldwide. The truly "Intelligent Building" will use not only IP devices and their data for enhancing efficiencies, safety, and user experience for building services (i.e., lighting, HVAC, security, access control), but it is also standardizing on IP as the preferred platform for production operations.