TriCePS – Self-optimizing Communication for Future Cyber Physical Systems

The progress in highly capable and cost effective sensor-actuator electronics, higher data transmission rates (5G) and longer battery life time (NarrowBand IoT: 10 years) have been triggering a new phase in the digitalization process with billions of cyber physical systems connected in the Internet of Things. To fully harvest the application potential of this development, a communication solution for an efficient, robust, interoperable and future proof exchange of a wide variety of CPS in a global network will be essential. A generally suitable CPS end system architecture will require new approaches which can fulfil the adaptivity and openness needs for the integration of a priori unknown systems in a priori unknown communication infrastructures.

The TriCePS project will design and develop missing building blocks which allow to regularly adapt the communication of a CPS to changing internal and environmental conditions. Based on the first TriCePS component “Application Interface and Adaptation”, the application layer can be provided with information about QoS values to self-adapt to current conditions, e.g. by activating local pre-processing. The component “Protocol Negotiation” enables interoperability between end systems by allowing negotiating and choosing a communication protocols supported by all partners or even by downloading a protocol from a central repository. Finally, in the component “Protocol Parameter Optimization” the parameters of protocols in use are optimized for the current application and infrastructure.

Such a comprehensive approach with a combination of these three components will provide future interconnected CPS with the means to establish interoperability and to efficiently and robustly communicate with each other in the future Internet of Things.