To achieve a simple and common communication standard for all manufacturers, Phoenix Contact, along with other companies, is now supporting the OPC Foundation in its efforts to harmonize and standardize OPC UA down to the field level. As one of the driving forces behind this initiative, Phoenix Contact will participate in the OPC Foundation's working groups to define a new standard for all equipment in the OT sector, from sensors and actuators to control systems.
In addition to the harmonization of field application profiles across all manufacturers, such as I/O, safety, and motion, Phoenix Contact sees a significant opportunity in the unification of equipment models. Uniform configuration and diagnostics of equipment on the network, along with standardized conformance testing, will ensure high compatibility of automation components in the future, regardless of the manufacturer. The integration of Sensitive Networking (TSN) technology into the OPC UA standard also offers new possibilities necessary for real-time communication on the network. Time synchronization and data prioritization ensure that IT and OT communication do not interfere with or disrupt each other on the network. This will enable widespread connectivity of field equipment to the cloud in the future and allow for seamless IT and OT connectivity.
In addition to its involvement with the OPC Foundation, Phoenix Contact collaborates with other industry companies in the 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) to design the next generation of 5G mobile radio. Furthermore, Phoenix Contact is participating in defining new two-wire Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) and Advanced Physical Layer (APL) technologies for the process industry.
