Technical data

10 Theoretical and general applications www.westermo.com
Data communication –
not just cables and connectors
Industrial data communication
The industrial IT revolution
Competitive advantages can be achieved through creating new and efficient informa-
tion channels in a company’s processes. Shorter delivery times, faster product deve-
lopment, customer-focused production and shorter changeover times, are just a few of
the key expressions pertaining to the industrial IT wave. Like fast access to information
and the possibility to control the processes. Industry develops IT tools that require
increased integration in all parts of a process, from purchasing to production and mar-
keting. The quality of information paths and information flows is today one of the most
important conditions for increased efficiency and competitiveness for industry.
Different standards
New ideas, new systems and new solutions to create these IT-tools are emerging.
A negative consequence of this dynamic and all diversity is that for some time there
has been a lack of accepted standards, despite many attempts. Each developer has cre-
ated his own solution. The problem of inadequate standards is discovered when com-
puters, machines and equipment need to communicate. It is a question of standards
on many levels, not just for cables and connectors. It is about the manner in which data
is created, saved, compressed, addressed and sent, how the medium
(for example, a cable) carries, receives and decompresses the information and how
it is read by the receiver. When all this works we have effected data communication.
The prerequisite for industry’s IT development.
Industrial data communication
The largest steps within the standardisation of data communication have taken place
on the office side in the integrated network for personal computers, mainframes,
printers, servers, telecom modems, etc. Local data communication within industry has
not come into focus so much, this is due to the lack of standards and that diversity is
even greater as the communication should take place between, e.g. computers, lathes,
measurement equipment, scales, robots, transport systems and different alarm sys-
tems. Demands are greater on operating reliability and insensitivity to interference.
This is the reason behind this book, to bring some clarity to expressions, explain how
it works and to be a practical guide in solving problems within industrial data commu-
nication. If you would like to know more please do not hesitate to contact Westermo.
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