IEC Standard

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the premier global body that develops and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies, collectively known as electrotechnology. The organization plays a crucial role in ensuring that these technologies are safer, more efficient, and reliable. The IEC directly supports risk and quality management and underpins key international initiatives, including the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The commission's membership includes countries worldwide, and its activities are supported by various technical committees dedicated to specific areas within electrotechnology. 

The IEC was founded following a proposal made during the International Electrical Congress at the World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904. The Congress identified the need for a uniform approach to electrical terminology, measurements, and ratings, which were lacking at the time, thereby obstructing advancements in electrical science and market development. The commission held its first meeting in London on June 26-27, 1906, which saw the participation of key nations and the election of eminent physicist Lord Kelvin as its first President. This foundational effort laid the groundwork for the IEC's enduring mission to harmonize standards in the dynamic field of electrotechnology. 

IEC standards are meticulously organized to ensure uniformity and clarity across all documents. Each standard typically follows a standard template, making use of predefined styles, boilerplate texts, and automation features to maintain a consistent format. This template structure includes several key sections such as the Foreword, which provides background information and the purpose of the standard, and the Scope, which clearly defines the coverage and application of the document. 

The main body of an IEC standard is divided into numbered clauses and subclauses, each addressing specific topics. Clauses generally include normative references, terms and definitions, and detailed technical requirements. These sections are designed to be detailed and comprehensive, ensuring that all necessary information is included to both understand and implement the standard. Additionally, informative annexes may be included to provide supplementary information or guidelines that support the application of the standard. The use of this uniform structure helps ensure that IEC standards are accessible and practical for professionals globally who rely on them for enhancing quality, safety, and efficiency in electrotechnology. 

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards are crucial in the realm of industrial communication technologies, offering a structured framework essential for interoperability, efficiency, and safety across a multitude of industries. With the technological landscape becoming increasingly diverse and complex, the role of standardization cannot be overstated. IEC standards ensure that devices and systems from different manufacturers can communicate and work together seamlessly, which is indispensable for maintaining operational continuity in industrial environments. 

Furthermore, these standards provide guidelines that harmonize various protocols and technologies, promoting uniformity that is vital for global trade and innovation. By adhering to IEC standards, industries can avoid the pitfalls of fragmented and incompatible systems, thereby enhancing overall reliability and performance. This uniformity not only drives efficiency but also supports a safer technological ecosystem by setting clear benchmarks for quality and security. Essentially, IEC standards are the backbone of modern industrial communication, facilitating a cohesive and functional network in an otherwise complex and varied technological world. 

IEC offers a multitude of advantages that cater to the demands of modern industrial environments: 

The landscape of IEC standards is just as diverse as automation technology and industrial communication technologies. It would go beyond the scope of this article to list all the important standards and their content in full, so the following is an exemplary and abbreviated list of important standards for industrial communication and their content: 

IEC 61158 (Fieldbus Specifications) defines the protocol types for the physical, data link, and application layers used in fieldbus and Ethernet-based networks. Examples include PROFIBUS, PROFINET, EtherCAT and DeviceNet with their respective specifications. 

IEC 61784 (Fieldbus Profiles) specifies several communication profile families (CPFs), each defining specific protocol communication profiles for real-time distributed control in industrial digital networks. These profiles are crucial for managing communication interoperability across different systems. 

IEC 62443 (Industrial Network Security), part of the ISA/IEC series, provides comprehensive guidelines on cybersecurity for industrial automation and control systems. It helps asset owners determine the necessary security levels tailored to the unique business and risk requirements. This standard is distinctively focused on ensuring the continuity of business operations in industrial environments. 

IEC 62541 standardizes OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture), detailing all aspects of the technology from the security model to device integration. OPC UA provides semantic interoperability and is foundational for many IIoT and Industry 4.0 initiatives. 

With over 30 years of experience, Hilscher is a market leader in the field of industrial communication. The company is also a member of all relevant fieldbus and industrial Ethernet organizations and is actively involved in the further development of industrial communication technologies. With this enormous know-how, Hilscher develops hardware and software products that meet the required IEC standards and are certified. 

The portfolio includes a wide range of interface solutions for connecting sensors, actuators and controllers to industrial communication networks. The communication controllers of the netX family form the basis for this. The multi-protocol-capable SoCs can be integrated into automation components as required and their extensive chip peripherals enable powerful, efficient and flexible solutions. A protocol change is achieved by simply reloading Hilscher's own netX firmware. Building on this, the company also offers embedded modules and PC cards in all form factors in order to realize the netX communication interface with less integration effort. 

Hilscher also offers a comprehensive managed industrial IoT range under the netFIELD brand. This ranges from edge gateways as an application-oriented computer platform with integrated container management and the Edge OS Runtime running on it to the central cloud portal, via which the docker containers are deployed to the edge devices, through to turnkey containers for communication applications. 

Gateways and switches, devices for network diagnostics as well as masters and bridges for the wireless connection of IO-Link sensors round off the automation portfolio.