ADI rolls out Industry 4.0 solutions

By Alex Pluemer, contributing writer

Analog Devices, Inc. recently introduced a variety of industrial automation solutions designed to aid industrial equipment manufacturers in making the leap to Industry 4.0. These solutions will provide next-generation efficiency, connectivity, and flexibility to existing factory infrastructures. Among these solutions include:

High-precision RADAR sensors for industrial applications. The 60-GHz industrial RADAR sensor family LPR-1DHP-200 from Symeo GmbH (now a part of ADI) are next-generation positioning systems that deliver extremely precise 1D distance measurements with an accuracy in the millimeter range required for advanced production, transport, and automation systems.

ADcmXL3021 module for condition-based monitoring (CbM). The module is a complete sensing system based on ADI’s MEMs sensor technology. The ADcmXL3021 monitors for early indications of possible machine fatigue and failure in industrial equipment and transport vehicles to maintain high productivity and reduce equipment repair costs. The ADcmXL3021 is a triaxial vibration sensing module that combines various signal processing functions in a compact form factor that will provide material cost savings while simplifying the development of CbM systems.

Device-level security and time-sensitive networking (TSN) switching capabilities. These are a series of new hardware-based identity solutions designed to protect the edge of the network within a factory control loop and bring a field device’s security posture up to modern security standards. These capabilities are integrated with a real-time Ethernet multi-protocol switch with TSN features, including time synchronization (802.1AS) and preemption (802.1Qbu/br) to control industrial applications via OPC-UA, said ADI.