An architecture for implementing private local automation clouds built by CPS

The connectivity of industrial automation domain systems has been enhanced by the employment of information and communication technologies. This permits the implementation of systems that are aligned with the vision of the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0. In this scope, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), i.e., integration of cyber and physical systems, enables the control and monitoring of modern production lines. Previous research work has proposed the implementation of a Private Local Automation Cloud (PLAC) that is composed by a set of networked embedded devices that are connected to industrial equipment. Such devices implement the service oriented architecture paradigm within the encapsulation of a knowledge model that describe the industrial system and the web service operations to be physically executed at the factory shop floor level. Aspects of such approach as the collaborative behavior of devices, decentralization of system knowledge or the interface between industrial equipment and devices have been already proved. However, a common architecture for implementing similar solutions is still missing. This paper aims to present an architecture for implementing PLACs which are built by CPS. In order to provide a formal design, the architecture is shown and discussed through a set of different and concurrent views following the known “4+1” view model. In addition, the manuscript reviews relevant qualitative attributes of several CPS-based architectures, research works and solutions that have been published during the last years.