SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC DELIVERS NEXT-GENERATION, OPEN AUTOMATION INFRASTRUCTURE

An extension of Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert, this new framework enables industrial companies to move to a software-defined, plug-and-produce solution, allowing them to enhance their operations, ensure quality, reduce complexity, and optimize costs.

Next generation of industrial control
Aligned with the goals of the Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF), which is dedicated to driving interoperability and portability, the three collaborators have worked together to create a modern, network-based experience that will lead the way to the next generation of industrial control.

Red Hat, in collaboration with Intel, recently announced the creation of a new industrial edge platform that helps provide a modern approach to building and operating industrial controls. Since implementing this platform, Schneider Electric has now deployed Red Hat Device Edge in the new DCN software, in addition to Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Red Hat OpenShift at the compute layer for DCN deployments, combined with a control infrastructure from Schneider Electric and reference architecture from Intel.

The framework consists of two main components: an advanced computer platform (ACP), which supervises the control workload by providing the content control and automation capabilities needed to deploy workloads securely and programmatically, along with virtualization and monitoring functionalities; and the DCN, which are low-power, industrial systems using Intel Atom x6400E series processors, dedicated to running controls and designed for workloads of mixed-criticality.