Georg Bassenge

LIVE: Making sensors network-ready: shopfloor data directly into IT

Many IIoT projects fail not because of AI or analytics, but due to limited access to shopfloor data. Especially in heterogeneous legacy environments, data often only reaches IT systems with significant engineering effort. The main causes include multi-layered OT architectures, cyclic fieldbus communication, and unstructured raw data lacking sufficient semantic context. Even small changes at the sensor level, such as adjustments to measurement ranges, can make data difficult to interpret without context and require extensive normalization. Perinet addresses this challenge by making sensors and actuators directly network-capable. Relevant information is transmitted via IP in an event-based manner, parallel to existing PLC communication, directly into IT systems. One of the key technologies is Single Pair Ethernet, which brings Ethernet connectivity down to the field device level and enables retrofit in existing systems—without requiring additional infrastructure such as new control cabinets. The result is a streamlined data path with reduced integration effort, lower data volume, and significantly higher data quality. This enables applications such as AI, OEE, and condition monitoring to be implemented more efficiently—while also meeting security requirements in the context of the EU Cyber Resilience Act.