TECHNOLOGY n A CHINESE SUPPLIER of intelligent manufacturing systems, Supcon Technology, has announced a cloud-based Universal Control System (UCS) architecture that, it claims, overcomes the limitations of traditional hardware-based control systems with their rigid, hierarchical layers and xed computing power. It predicts that the development will lead to a new era in automated control. It adds that by breaking free from traditional physical controllers, I/O modules and cabinets, UCS oers a minimalist platform that integrates control data centres, bre optic networks and intelligent eld capabilities. It will eliminate the need for many control cabinets, ushering in “a revolutionary transformation in control systems”. Supcon is already well-established, with more than 30,000 customers in more than 50 countries. In 2023, it achieved a 30.1% increase in revenues to 8.62bn yuan (£920m). It claims that its DCS (distributed control system) and SIS (safety instrumented system) portfolios hold market-leading 37.8% and 33.7% shares of the Chinese market. Supcon now claims to have revolutionised the 50-year-old DCS (distributed control system) technology with its next-generation UCS architecture called Nyx. The system uses a cloud-based real-time operating system called NyxOS, which is tailored for industrial control. It provides a robust, real-time operating environment for control tasks that is said to be reliable and secure. Nyx can execute cloud-based real-time applications, autonomously adjusting resource scale and capacity to match demand, resulting in elasticity and scalability. Its redundant, distributed architecture ensures high availability and fault tolerance, according to Supcon. Nyx uses an optical bre network to transmit eld data to the control data centre at speeds of up to 10Gb/s, with parallel redundancy. This approach reduces the need for a network architecture, cutting the copper cables required by up to 80%, and shrinking the footprint by up to 90%. Project times can be halved, Supcon asserts. With a eld connection technology based on Ethernet-APL (Advanced Physical Layer), Nyx supports Zone 2 intrinsically safe explosion-proof eld junction boxes and APL modules. Each instrument has its own IP address. Supcon says it is building an Ethernet-APL ecosystem including power switches, eld switches and intelligent instruments. Pilot applications are said to have demonstrated Nyx's ability to integrate AI and leverage the GPU-powered control engine, oering functions such as automated con guration and AI-PID. This allows data prediction and adaptive control, enhancing operational eciency and “ushering in a new era of AI in controls”, thus boosting productivity. Supcon is inviting partners to join it in “this groundbreaking revolution”. For moreTechnology News visit www.drivesncontrols.com www.rittal.co.uk First universal control system promises 'a new era in automation’ Supcon launched its Universal Control System at an event in Singapore
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