Integrating fieldbuses and factory intranets

Field networks (also known as fieldbuses) are becoming the preferred means for interconnecting devices at the lowest hierarchical level in modern dist ributed manufacturing systems, particularly to support the real-time commun ication requirements between controllers, sensors and actuators. On the other hand, internet and intranet solutions are more and more used i n the industrial automation scenario at the factory and cell level, and a n ew generation of applications for manufacturing and process control environ ments is appearing on the market which is based on popular internet tools a nd protocols. Very likely, in the near future, a pressing need for interconnecting intran ets and fieldbuses in a factory environment will arise, so that the whole p roduction process can be fully integrated. This paper deals with some technical issues that must be considered for acc essing fieldbus networks by means of conventional web-based applications in order to enable the remote invocation and execution of configuration, mana gement and control services on field devices. The cases of two internationa l standard fieldbuses which are very popular in Europe, i.e. Process Fieldb us (Profibus) and CANopen, are analysed in detail.