IT-OT integration – Precisol’s IT-OT Bridge & Custom App for CSV file data to 4-20mA Conversion in Process Automation

To automate this critical CSV data to analog conversion, our customer implemented a tailored solution leveraging the Precisols IT-OT Bridge (acting as a versatile industrial gateway) and a custom Windows application. 

The implementation involved: 

• Precisols IT-OT Bridge (Gateway): A Precisols industrial gateway, capable of both RS485 communication and featuring analog current output channels, was installed on the plant floor. This gateway served as the crucial link between the IT network and the analog control devices. 

• Custom Windows Application: Precisol’s team developed a custom Windows application designed to: 

• Read CSV Files: The application was programmed to automatically monitor a designated folder on a local IT server for new or updated CSV recipe files. 

• Parse Data: Upon detecting a new file, it would read and parse the specific digital values (e.g., target flow rate in L/min, valve opening percentage) from the CSV. 

• Calculate 4-20mA Values: Based on pre-defined scaling (e.g., 0 L/min = 4mA, 100 L/min = 20mA), the application would convert these digital values into the corresponding 4-20mA current output values. 

• Communicate to Gateway: The application would then communicate these calculated 4-20mA values to the Precisols IT-OT Bridge via a standard protocol via USB device communication.  

• Analog Output to Actuators: The Precisols IT-OT Bridge, upon receiving the digital 4-20mA values from the Windows application, would then set the corresponding Modbus registers for 4-20mA current output signals from the converter device. These analog signals were directly wired to the proportional valves, pumps, and other actuators on the plant floor, precisely controlling the chemical processes. 

This solution created a seamless and automated flow of information from digital recipes to analog control.