Can off-the-shelf mobile devices be used safely in industrial automation applications?

Phil Black - PII Editor 08/05/2014

104 1 minute read

Listen to this article

Can off-the-shelf mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets be safely used in industrial automation applications? This timely white paper explores the promise and problems of this popular new trend.

Industrial automation manufacturer Opto 22 has released a new white paper, “Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Mobile Devices in Industrial Automation: Russian Roulette or the New Normal?”, that describes how automation engineers and technicians are using commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets for remotely accessing equipment, commissioning and maintaining systems, providing inexpensive machine operator interfaces, and other purposes.

Advances in wireless networks along with increasingly smaller and more powerful consumer mobile devices are powering this trend. Process industries such as water/wastewater and oil & gas have far-flung installations that cry out for remote monitoring. In factories and process plants, technicians often need to manage equipment in another part of the facility.

When considering using mobile devices in industrial settings, four factors—

Environment, safety, security, and connectivity—will influence your decisions. This white paper considers each of these factors, takes a look at mobile device trends, and explores the pros and cons of using COTS devices in industrial automation. The paper also gives practical advice for choosing mobile devices suited to automation applications.