Brief overview of embedded systems for Industry 4.0 Applications and Networks

This paper contains a brief survey of technologies used to develop embedded system designs and implementations as a work in progress, including microcontrollers, microprocessors, reconfigurable hardware, and recent developments in heterogeneous hardware. These components are classified by the complexity of the application and hardware implementation capabilities, using real-life examples compiled from literature to exploit their capabilities in industrial applications. This work aims to provide the best functionality to achieve the recommendations for Industry 4.0 and its integration with industrial networks under protocols and as accomplished in today’s manufacturing process requirements. There are mentioned some related and extensive surveys that study the capabilities of embedded systems, their implementation in some industrial Internet of Things capabilities, and some development tools that are used for embedded systems for real-time applications in industrial environments. It compiles some standardization and good practices recommendations that provide well-established steps, criteria, and guides for their implementation. Also, it shows four different examples of industrial networks developed using a variety of protocols and commercial hardware currently available for wired connections, wireless connections, long-distance situations, and multi-protocol implementations. This work intends to be a literature resource for students, professors, and professionals who wish to have an overview of the different capabilities and advantages that embedded systems offer in industrial and academic environments.