Edge Controllers

The Edge Controller Emerging Market Analysis Report delivers current market analysis plus a five-year market and technology forecast.  The report includes an analysis of edge controller by type, including IPC-, PLC-, GMC-, and CNC-based edge controllers.  Another key topic is the applications.  The report also emphasizes the development of conventional automation technology to new Industrial IoT-ready solutions. 

Edge Controller: Key Technology to Enable Industrial IoT

The edge controller was born of user demand for new functionality to address automation’s hottest trend: the convergence of IT and OT.  Edge controllers combine traditional deterministic control with edge functionality, such as data collection and analytics.

Two phenomena, the Cloud and the edge, are changing the makeup of automation architectures.  Driven by growing demand for the collection and evaluation of process data, the classic automation architecture as it has been known for decades is evolving under the heavy influence of “commercial” technologies.

The edge controller market is still emerging, with only a limited number of products currently available.  However, there are already solutions in the field and some suppliers have integrated edge functionality into their controllers.  They provide the same control features as before but are enhanced by the capability to perform edge tasks while communicating bidirectionally with a Cloud.  Some users and machine builders are buying edge controllers today to future-proof their control architecture.  This is one reason why ARC observes a small but quickly growing market of edge controllers. 

There are multiple ways of realizing an edge controller.  Suppliers take different approaches, and some combine two or more.  No single approach is considered to be the best, so users should weigh the pros and cons and match them to their individual application needs.

ARC considers the following approaches in its report:

• Open IPC
• One Unit (containing multiple CPUs)
• One CPU
• Modular

Edge Controller Market Strategic Issues

In addition to providing a five-year market forecast, the edge controller market research provides detailed quantitative current market data and addresses key strategic issues.

Buyers:  Keep It Simple

Machine operators are already flooded with information, so adding more functionality and generating more information can have unintended effects.  Presenting pre-analyzed information can help operators make more frequent and timely decisions. 

Buyers:  Focus on Business Outcomes

Savvy users recognize that Industrial IoT should be pursued not just for technology’s sake but also to achieve clear business outcomes.  Early industrial implementations tended to emphasize maximizing performance in areas such as reducing machine downtime, output improvements, and cost savings for service operations.  Industrial IoT solutions currently enable these outcomes through applications such as analytics and machine learning-based predictive maintenance capabilities, and the spectrum of targeted applications continues to broaden.  By focusing on connecting operations, products and services can help users determine the best solution for achieving the desired outcome.

Target Retrofits

Many solutions currently have a “controller + x” architecture.  In retrofits and modernizations, edge controllers can deliver immediate benefit to brownfield installations. 

Offer Scalable Edge Solutions

Users often start with a simple controller, but later need to add edge functionality with cloud connectivity.  By using an “edge-ready” solution at the beginning, later upgrades that add edge functionality will be much easier than integrating edge devices with a “non-edge” controller.

Partner with App Providers to Offer Edge Apps

Offering apps that run on edge controllers is key to a complete edge controller solution.  To accomplish that, suppliers should create an ecosystem of partners that provide dedicated apps through an app store or a cloud-based app space where a user can easily browse and select apps.