Integrated web services and tunneling enabling field bus communication via heterogeneous (wide area) networks

About ten years ago the trend of development of Ethernet-based field buses began. Now a (large) number of them are standardized within IEC 61158, a variety of products and a variety of installed systems do exist. Beside the usage of Ethernet as a fast physical layer it also brought the entire TCP/UDP/IP or Internet protocol suite down to the shop floor, establishing the general opportunity to provide connectivity of controls and field devices into or via the Internet. Since industrial networks underlay special requirements and special boundary conditions the Virtual Automation Network (VAN) concept was developed for the inter-connection of devices from classically local automation networks through heterogeneous networks including public wide area networks (WANs). The Integrated Project (IP) VAN has been funded by the European Commission within FP6. The consortium consisted of 14 international partners among them the leading European automation companies Siemens, Schneider Electric and Phoenix Contact. This paper gives an overview of the VAN concept as important main project result.