Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
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Minimising network infrastructure installation costs How can the latest industrial networking devices help to overcome these challenges, enabling utility companies to improve the reliability of their operations. Westermo's Ray Lock reveals all. W ith utility companies required to operate flawlessly 24/7, 365 days a year, the ability to moni- tor and control all areas of plants and processes must not be affected by unreliable equip- ment or the supporting data communications networks. There is, therefore, a continued need for greater network relia- bility, combined with a desire to obtain access to equipment located remotely to help reduce the time and costs of performing tasks such as maintenance. As a result, the use of fixed- line modems and serial proto- cols for data communication is rapidly being replaced by more modern IP-based solutions, even in applications that offer extremely challenging environments. IP-based networks enable inter-operability between devices, the possibility of using common cable infra- structures, simplified manage- ment and control through modern PC so†ware. Key advantages are higher data transfer rates, greater network networking devices, and the process of installing can be very challenging and time consuming. To overcome this, Ethernet extenders with integrated serial interfaces are available that allow the reuse of existing installed cables, whilst still ONSITE NETWORKING SHDSL technology enables communications over any type of twisted pair copper cable, so which cable infrastructure can be used An IP-based solution also enables the connectivity for data-intensive devices such as a CCTV system achieving high speed connec- tions. These devices use SHDSL technology to enable communications over any type of twisted pair copper cable, which means existing cable infrastructure can o†en be used. They also support the need for resilient networks by offering very fast network re-configuration times and high data rates. For peace of mind the latest network configuration and man- agement so†ware tools, such as Westermo's weConfig and WeOS, can be used to verify the performance and suitability of the existing cabling before use and then to monitor connec- tions to identify signal degrada- tion that can point to potential failures. IP-based solutions are also stretching out to remote loca- tions. Remote access systems have previously consisted of a modem dial-up system using the PSTN network, ISDN or 8 WET NEWS DECEMBER 2017 leased lines to establish a con- nection. Although the technol- ogy is outdated, there are many dial-up systems still in use. Unfortunately, telephone opera- tors have started to phase out these technologies, so there is a need to source alternative solu- tions. For modem dial-up appli- cations, industrial broadband routers are now available that simulate modem properties over a LAN or WAN. Critically these devices are able to cope with the extremes of cold and moisture, and dissipate enough heat in a confined space, such as an unventilated control panel or instrument rack. IP backbone Having to integrate legacy equipment into a new IP-based network can also cause prob- lems, especially for utility companies that have a vast amount of legacy serial devices and systems that are fully functioning and get the job reliability and resilience and additional cyber security fea- tures. An IP-based solution also enables the connectivity for data-intensive devices such as a CCTV system. Networks using Ethernet as a backbone provide the neces- sary reliability and resilience, but to take advantage of these features and functionality there are some considerations and challenges to overcome including the potential cost of new cable infrastructure, inte- grating legacy equipment that will remain part of the network and ensuring the new net- works have the required cyber security in place. Fibre optic A prohibitive factor when migrating to an IP-based solu- tion can certainly be cost. For networking applications that have to transmit data over long distances and need to support high data rates, a new fibre optic solution may be required. However, the cost of installing fibre optic cabling can far exceed the cost of the actual