The DEWI High-Level Architecture: Wireless Sensor Networks in Industrial Applications

Abstract

This paper presents the High-Level Architecture (HLA) of the European research project DEWI (Dependable Embedded Wireless Infrastructure). The objective of this HLA is to serve as a reference framework for the development of industrial Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (WSANs) based on the concept of the DEWI Bubble. The DEWI Bubble constitutes a set of architecture design rules and recommendations that can be used to integrate legacy industrial sensor networks with a modern, interoperable and flexible IoT (Internet-of-Things) infrastructure. The DEWI Bubble can be regarded as a high-level abstraction of an industrial WSAN with enhanced interoperability (via standardized interfaces), dependability, technology reusability and cross-domain development. The DEWI Bubble aims to resolve the issue on how to integrate commercial WSAN technology to match the dependability, interoperability and high criticality needs of industrial domains. This paper details the criteria used to design the HLA and the organization of the infrastructure internal and external to the DEWI Bubble. The description includes the different perspectives, models, or views of the architecture: the entity model, the layered perspective of the entity model and the functional model. This includes an overview of software and hardware interfaces. The DEWI HLA constitutes an extension of the ISO/IEC 29182 SNRA (Sensor Network Reference Architecture) towards the support of wireless industrial applications in different domains: aeronautics, automotive, railway and building. To improve interoperability with existing approaches, the DEWI HLA also reuses some features from other standardized technologies and architectures. The DEWI HLA and the concept of Bubble allow networks with different industrial sensor technologies to exchange information between them or with external clients via standard interfaces, thus providing consolidated access to sensor information of different industrial domains. This is an important aspect for smart city applications, Big Data, Industry 4.0 and the Internet-of-Things (IoT). The paper includes a non-exhaustive review of the state of the art of the different interfaces, protocols and standards of this architecture. The HLA has also been proposed as the basis of the European projects SCOTT (Secure Connected Trustable Things) for enhanced security and privacy in the IoT and InSecTT (Intelligent Secure Trustable Things) for the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the IoT.