From the Field Level, to Mobile Devices, to MES or ERP

At a Glance:

• Using commercially available smartphones and tablets in the industrial environment
• Bridging the gap between sensors and the Internet
• Direct communication from field level to MES and ERP

Pepperl+Fuchs: SmartBridge provides an additional communication path from the field level without the need for costly wiring or installation work. This allows smartphones or tablets to be used as convenient operating tools and for sensor and actuator data to be made available at the MES and ERP level. 

Adapter Easy to Install

The SmartBridge adapter is looped into the sensor supply cable and supplied with energy from there. In parallel with the IO-Link communication with the controller, a wireless Bluetooth connection is established to mobile devices or higher-level IT systems.

Depending on the type of application, the adapters can be inserted into the sensor supply cabling as a temporary or permanent retrofit. In addition to the IO-Link interface to the sensor and the Bluetooth module, they contain a memory card that can record sensor data over longer periods. The adapters contain a USB interface for reading out recorded data.

Using Smartphones and Tablets for Sensor Systems

With the intuitive SmartBridge app, commercially available smartphones and tablet PCs (Android and iOS) become convenient operating and display devices for industrial sensors. They can then be used during commissioning and servicing of industrial sensors without time-consuming installation work or intervention in the control software. This opens up a host of potential applications:

• Adjusting parameters, reading out, and rewriting settings ("digital screwdriver")
• Displaying measured values, including for sensors with digital data transfer ("intelligent multimeter")
• Recording measuring and diagnostic data over long periods of time.

Bridging the Gap between Sensors and the Internet

New opportunities open up when the mobile device can be connected to the Internet via WLAN or a telecommunications standard such as GSM/UMTS/LTE. This creates a bridge from the sensor to the Internet, allowing the use of all services offered on the Internet.

Direct Communication from the Field Level to MES/ERP

The SmartBridge adapter can be used to transfer data from sensors or actuators to higher-level systems without the need to intervene in the control level. Pepperl+Fuchs will present this application in cooperation with Software AG at the joint "Automation meets IT" stand in Hall 3A.

SmartBridge enables small evolutionary steps to be made toward the horizontal communication that is essential for Industry 4.0 scenarios without incurring major expense.