A Proposal to Improve Interoperability in the Industry 4.0 Based on the Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture Standard

The introduction of the Industrial Internet of Things in the factory environment is one of the most important features of the fourth industrial revolution. The main aim is the integration of sensor and actuator devices, based on the Internet of Things, with the industrial applications used for factory processes. This goal may be reached only if interoperability between the communication protocols existing in the domains of industrial applications and the Internet of Things is achieved. Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is considered one of the main reference communication standards in Industry 4.0 among industrial applications. Within the Internet of Things domain, the oneM2M communication protocol has been defined for solving the current fragmentation of this domain in the information exchange between sensor and actuator devices. Interoperability between these two communication protocols may allow integration of the industrial applications with Internet of Things-based devices. The current state of the art does not present any interoperability solution to allow the information produced by oneM2M-based devices to be consumed by OPC UA industrial applications. In order to reach this aim, the paper proposes a novel solution based on the use of a standard interworking proxy. The paper will describe this solution and the relevant software implementation.