ADAM-3600 - multifunctional industrial controller

The ADAM-3600 controller is a universal device for remote control of industrial facilities, data collection, monitoring and automation of processes.
At the same time, it can act as a device for communication with an object ( USO ), a data acquisition and transmission device ( DRC ) and a programmable logic controller ( PLC ).
It has I / O port expansion modules, as well as Wi-Fi, 4G / 3G / GPRS, ZigBee, GPS wireless interface modules.

The device is running the RealTime Linux operating system and the Cortex A8 processor. Supports open industrial protocols ModBus, DNP3, MQTT, HTTP REST API. It can be integrated into any SCADA system . It also supports integration into IoT cloud systems such as Microsoft Azure IoT Hub , Amazon AWS IoT , and others.
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In the article we will analyze the main functions of the device and get acquainted with the scenarios of using the controller in the construction of automated process control systems .

Specifications

Processor: Cortex A8 600MHz
RAM: DDR3L 256MB
USB 2.0 host: 1
VGA: 1
Serial ports: 1x RS232 / 485, 2x RS485
Ethernet ports: 2
Digital inputs: 8 (expands to 40)
Digital outputs: 4 (expands to 20)
Analog inputs: 8 (expands to 24)
Analog outputs: 0 (expands to 16)
mPCIe slots: 1 x Half-Size, 1 x Full-Size
I / O Expansion Slots: 4
Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G GPRS, ZigBee (optional)
Self-powered real time clock: yes
SD card: yes
Temperature ranges: -40 to 70 ° C
Power supply: from 8 to 30V

Port Expansion Modules

The number of I / O pins can be expanded depending on the customer’s tasks. You can install up to 4 interface expansion modules in an ADAM-3600 controller. There are 6 types of modules: digital I / O, analog I / O, thermocouple (TC) and resistor sensor (RTD) inputs.

Interface expansion modules, mounted on the front panel

Wireless interfaces

Thanks to the presence of mPCIe ports, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, 3G / 4G / GPRS, GPS wireless interfaces can be easily added to the controller. Two mPCIe modules can be installed at the same time: one full-size and one half-size. Both branded Advantech modules and third-party modules from Huawei, Quectel and others are supported.


Depending on the type of antennas, suitable connectors are installed: SMA or RP-SMA. Antenna pins are connected to the boards via a standard U.FL connector.

Network functions

The ADAM-3600 has on board two independent Ethernet ports that can be used in switch mode, or split them into a WAN and LAN. This is convenient for connecting several controllers in series in the daisy-chain topology, and does not require the installation of additional switches on lines longer than 100 meters.


Two LAN ports allow you to connect devices in series

Failover and Multi WAN Mode

For remote objects of critical infrastructure, the loss of communication can cost significant losses. Therefore, to improve the reliability of communication, ADAM-3600 has the function of redundant channel in failover mode. When communication is lost on the main channel, the controller will automatically switch to the backup, for example, from the wired Internet to 3G. The priority of the channels and the address to test the connection is configured in EdgeLink Studio.


Setting channel priorities and failover mode

VPN support

Support for the current version of OpenVPN 2.4 allows you to integrate devices into a virtual enterprise network. UDP and TCP tunnels, certificate authentication and advanced encryption algorithms such as AES-256-CBC are available.


Setting up an OpenVPN tunnel in EdgeLink Studio

Hardware ID

A quick primary configuration can be set using the DIP switch on the front panel. The NodeID specifies the device ID and starting IP address. This allows the installation of a large number of devices without prior configuration, and further configuration can be performed remotely over the network.


Device ID can be set using jumpers

Modes of operation

The main feature of the ADAM-3600 controller is its versatility. It can be simultaneously both a data acquisition device (recording and transmission of telemetry), and a communication device with an object (transmission of control commands from the control center), and a programmable controller (automation control).
For each use case has its own development environment.

Data Acquisition Device and Remote Terminal

The ADAM-3600 can function as a classic data acquisition and transmission device (DRC). One of the additional functions is data processing before sending. For example, the standard deviation or readings of raw current or resistance sensors can be calculated, and the finished data are converted to the appropriate format for various databases, for example, MS SQL Server. Saving data can be performed on the SD-card, in case when Internet connection is not available. After the connection is restored, the data will be transferred to the server without loss.



Using the MQTT protocol, you can organize data collection directly into cloud services, such as Microsoft Azure IoT Hub, Amazon AWS IoT, etc.

The device is configured in the EdgeLink Studio graphical environment, which allows you to configure the device in data collection mode or a remote terminal without writing any program code. This allows you to significantly simplify the implementation.

Available Cloud Providers at EdgeLink Studio

Programmable logic controller

Firmware ADAM-3600 is based on RT Linux - a special version of the hard real-time operating system. At the same time, the platform is fully open, developers have root access to the system. This allows you to implement any non-standard solutions using system programming languages. Advantech provides an SDK for C / C ++ languages , as well as a development environment and a toolchain for building Linux projects.

Usage scenario: real-time monitoring of oil wells

On our website in the section of educational materials we publish scenarios for using products www.advantech.ru/resources/ . One of the common scenarios for using the ADAM-3600 controller is monitoring and control of drilling and pumping stations. Advantech offers a full range of solutions for the construction of automated process control systems, in particular, the SCADA system with a web interface - Advantech WebAccess.

Basic system tasks:

• Monitoring of oil temperature and “sleeves”, oil pressure, flow rate and other parameters of the pump unit; as well as reading and saving to the database.
• Connecting sensors via wired (RS-232/485, LAN) and wireless buses (ZigBee)
• Connecting sensors and relays directly to the controller’s digital and analog interfaces
• Collecting sensor readings of peripheral equipment in conjunction with statistics on oil production and equipment operation. After the initial processing, the data is sent to the SCADA server.
  

Oil Well Monitoring System Architecture

Conclusion

The ADAM-3600 controller, thanks to its modular design, allows you to select interface ports and wireless protocols based on customer needs, so you can get by with one device for a large number of tasks. Features quick setup, which facilitates the installation and inventory of a large number of devices. The working temperature range from -40 to 70 ° C makes it possible to use the controller in harsh environments. Support for industry standards and modern IoT protocols allows the ADAM-3600 to integrate into any industrial system.