Efficient remote access to plants and machines with SIMATIC via industrial remote access

Efficient industrial remote access

Global remote access to far-flung plants, remote machines and mobile applications is gaining in significance – both in industry and in industry-related areas. With a comprehensive range of solutions for industrial remote access, Siemens offers the ideal basis for efficient and reliable monitoring and control of widely distributed plants of any size.

Secure and flexible access worldwide

Industrial plants are often distributed over large areas – sometimes even across national borders. Siemens offers proven solutions for industrial remote access, such as flexible telecontrol systems and efficient remote maintenance. Whether in public infrastructure, the manufacturing or process industry: With comprehensive solutions for teleservice and telecontrol, Siemens is the right partner every time.

Teleservice (remote maintenance/diagnostics)

Teleservice is data exchange with physically remote technical plants (machines, plants, computers, etc.) for the purpose of error detection, diagnostics, maintenance, repair, or optimization.

Telecontrol

Telecontrol involves the connection of distant process stations to one or more central control systems. Various different public or private networks (Remote Networks) can be used for communication for the purposes of monitoring and control. Event-driven or cyclic exchange of process data is performed with special telecontrol protocols and enables the operating personnel to manage the overall process effectively.

The telecontrol systems are based on SIMATIC. They supplement the SIMATIC system with corresponding hardware and software, and thus permit individual process stations to be networked over Remote Networks). The data for this is transmitted via classical WAN, e.g. copper dedicated cable, dial-up networks, wireless, but also via IP-based networks such as mobile wireless networks or the Internet.

TeleControl Basic

Telecontrol Basic connects the control center via the Telecontrol Server Basic control center software with the substations, consisting of SIMATIC S7-1200 controllers with CP 1242-7 or CP 1243-1 GPRS module for Ethernet-based connections. The server also supports the connection of S7-200 stations with MD720 modems. Wireless GPRS technology or IP-based networks, such as DSL, are available as transmission media. An S7-1200 substation permits remote communication with a control center (service center) as well as direct slave-slave communication with other S7-1200 substations. Small-scale applications with few outstations can be implemented, as well as large-scale plants comprising up to 5000 outstations. International approvals permit worldwide use.

Extended Telecontrol Server Basic functionalities allow the use of telecontrol server services. The overall solution also includes the teleservice function and thus provides, for example, worldwide access to the S7-1200 stations for international plant and machine manufacturers.

TeleControl Professional

TeleControl Professional comprises the Siemens telecontrol systems for extensive, expanded applications in the process industry. Control systems such as PCS 7, WinCC and third-party control systems with OPC allow reliable control and monitoring of outstations based on the SIMATIC S7-1200, S7-300 and S7-400 controllers.

The outstations and substations can communicate with each other as well as with one or more control centers.

Transmission networks

Telecontrol supports a wide variety of communication networks. In the classical WAN sector, these are:

• Dedicated lines (private or leased)
• Private radio networks (optionally with time slot procedure)
• Dial-up networks (analog, ISDN, GSM)

SIMATIC NET also offers appropriate modems for conventional WANs. Communication, however, is also possible via Ethernet-based WAN, namely:

• Via Internet connections, e.g. with SCALANCE M ADSL2+ routers
• Via 2-wire connections, e.g. with SCALANCE M SHDSL routers
• Via serial or Ethernet-based wireless systems, e.g. via UHF radio devices or Industrial Wireless LAN with SCALANCE W or RUGGEDCOM WiN (WiMax)
• Via fiber-optic conductors, e.g. through use of SCALANCE X switches with optical ports; distances of up to 120 km can then be covered
• Via mobile networks and the Internet using GPRS, GPRS(E) or UMTS and DSL

There are no restrictions in terms of network combinations in a project. Star, line and node topologies can be designed, and also mixed configurations of these. A station can be linked using two transmission paths to permit redundant data transmission. The two paths can be of the same type or also different, e.g. dedicated line combined with telephone network or ISDN with DSL.

Control center systems

A number of different variants can be selected for setting up the control center depending on the process requirements and extent of the information:

• SINAUT ST7cc
  This WinCC-based PC control center is the ideal control center system for both SINAUT ST7 and SINAUT ST1. It has been developed specifically for event-driven and time-stamped data transmission on the SINAUT system and can have a single or redundant design.
• PCS 7 with PCS 7 TeleControl
  This is the ideal control center system for plants in which larger local automation tasks have to be combined with telecontrol connections. In addition to SINAUT ST7, remote stations with other communication protocols can be connected, e.g. over DNP3 or IEC 870-5-101/-104.
• WinCC TeleControl
  This WinCC-based control center system offers the connection of SIMATIC substations to other telecontrol protocols such as DNP3 or IEC 870-5-101/-104.
• SINAUT ST7sc
  This OPC server software is ideal for connecting the SINAUT telecontrol system to control centers from other vendors via OPC client function. ST7sc features extensive buffer mechanisms which prevent data from being lost even if the OPC client fails, and it can have a single or redundant design.
• SIMATIC S7 controller as control center
  Like the substations, this control center comprises a SIMATIC S7-300 or S7-400 controller and is suitable for simpler applications requiring only one current process image of the telecontrol stations. The station process control can be influenced by entering commands, setpoints or parameters. The control center can also be used to extend a PC control center (SINAUT ST7cc or ST7sc), e.g. for data output on a panel, as an emergency operating system, or for implementing cross-station control tasks.

Teleservice / Remote Access (remote diagnostics and remote maintenance)

Remote diagnostics and remote maintenance of production plants are indispensable in modern automation technology. They are more efficient and more cost-effective than an on-site service employee. This allows faults to be detected and cleared much faster, downtimes of machines are reduced and their availability is increased.

Machines and plants are increasingly operated in places which are far away from the production site. Plant constructors must nevertheless be able to provide support in the event of a fault. And with the industrial security concept from Siemens, the increasing security requirements for remote access of this type are fulfilled. During the warranty period in particular this can result in high costs. TeleService helps to reduce this risk.

The possible applications for TeleService are manifold. Plants can be diagnosed, values set and data transmitted from anywhere in the world via a telephone cable. TeleService also enables the SIMATIC controllers to send text messages per SMS or e-mail, making a significant contribution to saving travel and personnel costs in service work.

Teleservice via IP-based networks

Optimum remote maintenance is based on reliable, permanently available, secured and economical data connections.

Depending on the application, SIMATIC NET provides the appropriate solution:

• For continuous connections or simultaneous access to several plants, a solution via the Internet using SCALANCE S modules is recommended, both on the service and the plant side.
• For flexible remote maintenance access from any Internet connection – whether in the office, home office or hotel room – SOFTNET Security Client is the right software solution for connecting to the SCALANCE S Security Module installed in the plant.
• For plants without wired network connection, the M874-2 GPRS router establishes remote maintenance access to the SCALANCE S in the service center.
• The SCALANCE M874-3 and M875 UMTS routers or the M812 and M816 ADSL routers are available for plants requiring remote maintenance access at an especially high bandwidth.

In all cases, the communication is reliably protected by authentication and encryption via a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, in order to rule out the possibility of industrial espionage or manipulation.

Siemens Remote Services

The teleservice product portfolio of Siemens is supplemented with a service concept for SRS. "Siemens Remote Services" provides a powerful, secure platform for remote access to machines and plants. The inclusion of "shared experts" ensures effective support, not only from Siemens but also from the company's own specialists.

Remote access via an UMTS-based Internet connection

Remote networks

Any type of remote communication is based on the public and private networks used for this purpose (e.g. mobile radio or fixed network), referred to as "remote networks". Under the name SCALANCE M, Siemens offers a comprehensive range of high-performance transmission components, routers and modems that are tailored to the specific properties of the respective remote networks or their transmission media and therefore combine the maximum possible security with reliability. Regardless of whether spontaneous or permanent transmission, whether high or moderate bandwidth, whether mobile or stationary – with the SCALANCE M products for IP-based connectivity, users have a comprehensive spectrum of components at their disposal for remote access – flexible, optimized for industrial use and integrated into the TIA environment and into the Industrial Security concept. SCALANCE M devices can be used universally in the fields of telecontrol, teleservice (remote diagnosis and maintenance), and any other application for industrial remote communication.