Design of an IIoT Edge-Based Sensor and Control Network with Ovation DCS Integration via Modbus TCP

Abstract

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensing technologies provide more operational data for effective decisionmaking and analytics. Such systems are typically implemented using wireless communications to facilitate simple deployment. Edge control and signal processing reduce response time and distribute computational burden away from the industrial control system (ICS). Application of IIoT and edge systems requires the integration of the established ICS. This integration is simplified by ensuring that the IIoT system can interface with application layer protocols such as Modbus TCP. This research implements a wireless sensor and control network, together with a Modbus gateway that offers additional physical security features, including remote latching, motion detection, and door detection. The gateway uses LoRa and WiFi to collect sensor data from the nodes and send supervisory commands. Moreover, the gateway exchanges data with the Ovation distributed control system (DCS) with Modbus TCP. The nodes perform edge signal processing and control.