OPC UA enables fast, reliable communication for power supplies

Power supplies with OPC UA

The Sitop PSU8600 power supply system and Sitop UPS1600 uninterruptible power supply from Siemens now support the open communication standard OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture). The open interface for horizontal and vertical communication is based on the client-server principle and enables the rapid, manufacturer-independent exchange of data between the Sitop power supplies and industrial PCs, automation devices and third-party applications – even without Profinet. Users benefit from improved communication performance and the use of proven security mechanisms, as well as scalability and flexibility in terms of applications. Integrating the OPC UA server in the power supply firmware has opened up the whole scope of possibilities offered by power supply parameterization and diagnostics through the OPC UA client, for example the ability to instantaneously send alarm messages and receive a direct response from a program or application. As a platform-independent communication standard from the control level to the cloud, OPC UA is a key building block on the road to digitalized production.

An efficient power supply is a fundamental requirement for the operation of any plant. Complex production processes can only be reliably maintained if the power supply to the automation system is both consistent and of the required quality. With the Sitop PSU8600, for the first time a power supply system is capable of integration into a network, allowing advance warning in the event of impending critical states and ultimately resulting in improved plant availability. The modular system can be extended to as many as 20 individually adjustable outputs, such as the tripping current in case of overload, voltages ranging between 5 V and 28 V, or program-controlled activation and deactivation. The facility for diagnosis of the voltage and current values at every output in real time enables transparency of aspects such power supply energy flows. Buffer modules can be used as a system extension to protect against power failures for up to a few minutes.

The uninterruptible power supply UPS1600 with Ethernet/Profinet interface is suitable for buffering in case of power failures lasting a number of hours. It can be configured using different energy storage systems (lead, pure lead, lithium iron phosphate). OPC UA can be used for instance to parameterize the buffering time and the threshold value for buffer operation, or to evaluate diagnostic information such as battery charge levels or remaining buffer time. Sitop power supplies can be used for applications ranging from the automotive, food and pharmaceutical industry through the oil and gas industry to plant engineering and special-purpose machine building for production, building and process automation.

Today there are over 4,200 suppliers who have used more than 35,000 different platform-independent products in over 17 million applications. The open communication standard OPC UA was launched by the OPC Foundation to ensure the better use of these resources. The mission of the industrial consortium is to establish data transmission standards and pave the way for more secure, reliable interoperability in industrial automation. To support this mission, the OPC Foundation creates and maintains specifications, ensures compliance with these specifications and collaborates with industry-leading standards organizations.

For further information on Siemens at the Hannover Messe 2017, please see www.siemens.com/press/hm17 and www.siemens.com/hannovermesse