摘要：AbstractComplex control algorithms base on the measurements of distributed sensors and the execution by distributed actuators. Consequently, communication networks are a vital part of modern automation applications. Currently, data are often exchanged using wired Industrial Ethernet networks, while the trend is moving towards wireless communication networks, as they provide flexible, mobile communication by retrofittable components.This trend entails the necessity to formally test the performance of a communication network, as the quantitative key performance indicators of wireless technologies are typically smaller than of wired technologies. By this performance testing, a suitable technology is identified ahead of its implementation in a real application environment. But formal performance testing must base on precisely defined communication requirements, as only this allows a meaningful assessment of the testing results. However, these specifications are currently not available, although the specification of industrial automation applications’ communication requirements is now being discussed for more than a decade.By reviewing the discussion of communication requirements, this paper clarifies, why the specification of requirements is complex and provides the reader with necessary information enabling to follow and to join the ongoing discussion. Furthermore, a promising approach mitigating the current challenges is presented. The proposed approach is of interest to developers of automation algorithms, since the algorithms implicitly assume the existence of a suitable communication technology. The proposed approach enables developers to easily fit their specific control application to a given requirement profile by comparing the given and the target characteristic parameters. This paper intends to sensitize with regard to taking the communication needs into account when developing automation algorithms.
关键词：KeywordsAgile controlagile manufacturingautomationautomatic controlcommunication networksdata transmissionrequirement analysistelecommunicationtransmission systems
