Universal remote access infrastructure for embedded systems

Industrial production continues to evolve. Rapidly changing processes require smaller batch sizes. The production locations are in this case often spread worldwide. At the same time, a constant access to process data is necessary in order to configure systems and to minimize downtimes. Remote service applications, like remote control and visualization as well as remote diagnostic and maintenance, play an increasingly important role. A universal infrastructure concept was developed at the Institute of Industrial Automation and Software Engineering to enable remote service applications for embedded systems using standard web technologies. An important aspect was the development of re-usable components accomplishing a modular structure according to the principle of building blocks. This paper introduces this approach. Development of a software component that runs on a remote server, which can be applied to various devices, reduces development costs. The user can communicate with his devices via favorite web browser, without any further software required on the local computer.