An OPC UA based approach for dynamic-configuration of security credentials and integrating a vendor independent digital product memory

This paper presents an approach to securely integrate industrial devices into automation systems with a minimal engineering effort. A special specific focus is on the needed communication architecture that is based on the platform independent and vendor neutral technology OPC UA. The paper also describes the need of a digital product memory besides a life cycle data harvesting to facilitate such seamless integration; this is by means of presenting semantics of operations to an external system. As part of the work, a case study has been identified; different architectural aspects are evaluated and essential system components are realized/implemented/integrated as a proof of concept. Principle results include the implementation of a BeagleBone Black-based Secure Plug & Work I/O field device with an extended real-time industrial communication interface and a semantically enriched OPC UA server that provides vendor neutral configuration and an I/O data service interface. Furthermore, the result provides a platform independent and standardized way to represent a field device to external systems, to enable intelligent technical systems to communicate and orchestrate a seamless and secure integration.