Communication technology for industry 4.0

The paper presents an overview of communication protocols for Industry 4.0, the general trend currently pursued within automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. The concept includes Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Services (IoS), and cloud computing. Industry 4.0 also comprises the notion of the modular-structured smart factory, where cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes, create a virtual copy of the physical world, and make decentralized decisions. Over the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems communicate and cooperate with each other and with humans in real time; through the Internet of Services, both internal and cross-organizational services are offered and used by participants in the value chain. This article describes industry-standard protocols such as the OPC Unified Architecture (UA), PPM-Protocol, and DDS (Data Distribution Service).