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Is your legacy industrial network infrastructure ready for Ethernet, wireless, mobility, and other demands of today and tomorrow? Take this 4-question assessment, see 8 cabling issues, heed 3 implementation steps, avoid these pitfalls, and get help, if needed.
How strong is the industrial networking glue between layers of automation and controls and other parts of your organization? Is it ready for Ethernet, wireless, mobility, and other demands of today and tomorrow? An assessment can help with cabling issues and project implementation. Advice follows. In an automation project, "When it comes to design and deployment, the physical layer usually gets the least attention. The impact is often overlooked and severely underestimated," according to Andy Banathy, industrial automation solution architect for Panduit Corp.
"Consequently," Banathy said, "a significant portion of network downtime, approximately 80%, is attributed to physical layer connectivity." Causes can include a disconnect between the project lead and installer, pressure to get an installation done quickly and cheaply, changes or additions, and lack of attention to security vulnerabilities, he suggested.
Looking at typical spends for automation projects, Banathy said that software accounts for 60%, networking is next at 23%, operations 10%, and cabling infrastructure 7%. IT budgets typically prioritize spending on big ticket items like software and hardware with a very small budget percentage going to cabling. Cabling infrastructure material costs are low compared to hardware and software, but it can be very labor intensive with many possibilities for mistakes, Banathy said.
Also, he noted, because networking equipment is refreshed more often, "It pays to be forward looking when planning the cabling and connectivity planning for lifecycle as long as 20 or more years."
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Four steps for a physical network assessment: An assessment usually starts with...