Building NGSF¶
This section presents the step-by-step procedure to assemble the Next Generation Smart Factory (NGSF) testbed. The setups range from the simplest to the most complex in a way that you can make measurements and learn about the building blocks for different kinds of measurements. Software components allow for different combinations and configurations, providing very flexible construction and measurements. As software is needed for any of the setups, this section begins with preparing the required software.
The initial setup, called Ground 0 – NGSF Foundation in this section, introduces you to the software components and shows the first steps in the configuration of the network devices and clocks. Ground zero is the foundation for additional hardware and complexity arriving at the end (Setup Four) with the complete setup assembled. Ground zero is a simple back to back TSN system using the NGSF to perform measurements, with a separate computer running the TSN dashboard and a management network.
In Setup One, a TSN switch is added to the setup. By having a switch, this enables more IPC secondary nodes added as end nodes.
In Setup Two, FPGAs are added as secondary nodes, introducing the usage of the FPGA software and configuration related to it.
Setup Three combines Setups One and Two, adding FPGAs as secondary nodes and a total of two TSN switches. Setup three has the topology as the full setup, excluding the servomotors.
Setup Four - Full NGSF is the complete setup where servomotors are added, and the complete demo can be shown.
In all setups, you must configure a management network and a TSN network. It is assumed that the TSN network will use IP address range 10.0.0.x/24 and the management network will use IP address range 192.168.0.x/24. Keeping track of this information is mandatory to the functionality of the setup.
It is recommended that you use network cables in different colors to help identify the kind of networks they are on and avoid confusion. The figures in this section show the management network in blue and the real-time communication network in red.