The netX 90 chip is a unique IIoT network controller that supports all popular protocols, slave connectivity, cloud-based applications and the cyber-security needed for 21st century operations over the internet. It’s IEC 62443-capable and supports Real Time Ethernets, OPC UA and MQTT, all crucial to the evolution of IIoT systems. netX 90 can easily be integrated into next-generation products without jeopardizing existing systems and networks. DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER
For more than 20 years, Hilscher has been a leading supplier of industrial communications solutions that make it easy for engineers to integrate popular protocols into their products using a single hardware platform and a simple firmware upload. The combined experience of protocol independence and supporting semi-conductor products led to the netX 90, a chip designed specifically for the IIoT era.
Field data is crucial to IIoT and Industry 4.0 and can only come from a new generation of slave devices capable of delivering not just conventional IO data but also other metrics needed for IIoT applications.
netX 90 is the ideal component for IIoT-enabling those next generation devices. It has two ARM Cortex M4 CPUs – one to handle comms, the other to handle applications and device connectivity. This logical isolation of key device functions provides a high level of security against attack. However, additional security features are also built-in, ranging from secure boot to advanced encryption and TLS to ensure that data transfers are totally secure. These enable IEC 62443-compliant systems to be created.
netX 90 supports all popular comms protocols through firmware uploads, plus it has connectivity for many sensor-level standards such as IO-Link, EnDat, CAN, BiSS and others. It also supports key IIoT protocols such as OPC UA and MQTT and its software stack has two separate channels of communication – one for conventional IO data and the second for the field data needed for IIoT and the cloud.
The dual stack architecture allows data to be funnelled upwards from the field in isolation from the controlling device (e.g. PLC). The IoT data is transferred via the second channel and the PLC remains unaware of IIoT activity. Using netX 90, legacy systems and methodologies do not have to be changed when implementing IIoT strategies.
netX 90 is already CIP Security-ready. It’s also TSN-ready and supports key IIoT technologies such as OPC UA and MQTT. A series of tools, development kits and software modules assist in the development of IIoT and Industry 4.0 products and strategies.
Hilscher supports cross-industry efforts to develop standards and methodologies including IIC and Industry 4.0. It is also a founding member of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance (OI4) for Digital Transformation.