New Solution to Interoperability Problems in Industry with i3X

[Ahmet Ö.]

In industry, devices and software from different suppliers in production facilities are now an unavoidable reality. Despite efforts to develop monolithic automation systems, many different systems are still used together in factories. For this reason, interoperability has been a priority for manufacturers for many years, and in addition to the widespread adoption of technologies such as OPC UA and MQTT, the use of open-source software is also increasing for this purpose.

Nevertheless, ensuring interoperability between devices and systems remains a complex issue. In this context, CESMII, a non-profit organization focused on smart manufacturing education, workforce development, and industrial networking, has launched a new open API initiative called i3X (Industrial Information Interoperability Exchange). This development aims to solve the interoperability problem in industry.

### What is i3X and How Does It Benefit Manufacturers?

Jonathan Wise, CESMII's chief technology architect, describes i3X as a platform that addresses the need for data organization and standardization in the transition from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0. The free tool called i3X Explorer visualizes whether this platform meets the minimum requirements for Industry 4.0.

Similar to the smartphone app ecosystem, i3X aims to make applications portable between platforms in manufacturing. Today, developing applications in the manufacturing sector requires being tied to a single vendor platform, which hinders application diversity. i3X removes these barriers, making it easier to create informational value across different platforms.

### The Relationship Between i3X and Existing Standards

i3X coexists with existing standards such as OPC UA, MQTT, and ISA 95. i3X can explain more complex relationships beyond ISA 95's asset hierarchy. MQTT is used for fast and hierarchical organization in data transmission but is not a complete information platform. OPC UA is a comprehensive standard but can be complex due to diverse applications and different vendor compatibilities.

i3X is designed to integrate on top of these standards by presenting the most important functional subset of OPC UA in a standard and open format.

### i3X's Contribution to Today's API World

i3X takes a significant step towards enabling applications to run on different platforms. The i3X Explorer tool reports to application developers the extent to which the existing infrastructure meets Industry 4.0 requirements and supports the development of an i3X-compatible application ecosystem.

### Integration with Legacy Systems

i3X is not designed to connect directly to legacy OT systems because these systems are typically not equipped enough to meet the standards required by i3X. Instead, i3X provides the essential connection by organizing data in context-creating platforms like HMI/SCADA. In the future, if OT protocols become richer, direct connection might be possible.

### CESMII's Measurement Criteria

The success of i3X will first be measured by how many vendor servers support this interface. There is already strong interest. Secondly, the number and quality of applications for these servers will be monitored. CESMII is hopeful about the growth of the application ecosystem.

This approach aims to increase application diversity in the industry, offering manufacturers more flexible and scalable solutions.