This paper explores how Sitara™ AM2x microcontrollers (MCUs) from Texas Instruments (TI) solve the performance challenges of traditional MCUs to meet demands in real-time control, networking and analytics.
As a result of the Industry 4.0 trend and massive increase in industrial automation, today’s smart factories are characterized by faster and distributed computing, faster and flexible networking, and more intelligence at the edge. Designers of manufacturing robots, mechanical assistants and connected factories are adding features such as industrial communications, functional safety and predictive maintenance, made possible through the advancement and convergence of real-time computing, ubiquitous networking and edge analytics. Realizing these advancements requires seamless connectivity from the real world to the cloud, pushing technology on multiple vectors at the same time. Figure 1 illustrates an automated factory where real-time control, industrial networking and edge analytics maximize efficiency and productivity.
There are three key technology pillars for industrial automation.
Because every nanosecond counts, systems requiring real-time control need both raw processing power and the ability to control signals at the exact time they are needed. Precise analog signal control is key to translating the gains from improved control algorithms into more reliable motor drives and more efficient electric vehicles. The processing demands of these improved algorithms have outpaced the capabilities of the traditional MCU.
The need for different types of data exchange in the factory led to the rapid adoption of several multiprotocol industrial Ethernet standards to enable real-time communication between machines. This connectivity has become mandatory to achieve targeted gains in system performance, safety and reliability. System designers are looking for integrated networking solutions that are compatible with the many different protocol standards, and that can operate at speeds as high as 1 Gbps.