OPC UA for PROFINET GSD Generic Model – Part 30144: PROFINET GSD Generic Model
5 Use cases
A proxy Server with access to the related PROFINET domain provides the InformationModel of PROFINET Devices. These Devices are typically profile-less but may also support an application profile.
Main use case is to support the PROFINET Devices which do not have an OPC UA Server on the Device itself and a firmware upgrade for OPC UA support is not an option (“Brownfield”).
Table 15 lists possible use cases of interest for OPC UA Clients. Typically, the use case consists of utilization of OPC UA standard mechanisms and data processing at the Client site.
Table 15 – Use Cases and related Companion Specification contributions
Use Case
Description
Companion Specification Contribution
Data acquisition for forwarding to “Data Lake” to enable “Data Mining”
Client applications gather the measurement data available for storage in an IT-based database without predetermined purpose. Analysts further on use the data extensively with continuously refined methods and algorithms to identify the potential for economic improvements.
Providing IO Data and/or DataObjects as components of the GsdGenSubmoduleApplicationTypeObject using a Proxy Server to support Devices without integrated OPC UA Server. The Devices may be profile-less or support an application profile and may also offer BMPAccess.
Contribute data for Industrial Internet of Things
Client applications present Devices, their properties, and their “live” data in an Industrial Internet of Things ecosystem.
Support standardized information model and data for digital twin
Companies offering automation solutions in special domains want to offer their own digital twin products to their customers.
Support of MES functionality
Companies facing special process requirements or legal stipulations implement their own custom solutions without using MES and/or SCADA products.
Support predictive maintenance
Gather sensor data accompanying the normal operation to enable analysis algorithms to detect data change patterns indicating coming failures before the failure occurs.
Providing GsdGenParameterVariableType Variables as components of the Configuration FolderObject using a Proxy Server to support Devices without integrated OPC UA Server. The Devices may be profile-less or support an application profile and may also offer BMP Access.
Support parameterization monitoring
Client applications subscribe ParameterVariables to detect (unintended) changes.
Support detection of error conditions
Client applications subscribe alarm events and present a history of incidents to plant operators.
Providing GsdGenAlarmEventTypeEvents fired by the “Alarms” component of the GsdGenSubmoduleApplicationTypeObject using a Proxy Server to support Devices without integrated OPC UA Server. The Devices may be profile-less or support an application profile.
