Hello all,
Can i use arduino uno in industry for industrial application?
PARTH1191:
Hello all,
Can i use arduino uno in industry for industrial application?
Sort of.
I guess it depends on what you mean by "industrial".
There's nothing actually wrong with Arduinos for industrial use ... but the connectors are a bit rubbish and there's no electrical protection on the I/O pins.
There's special Arduinos with extra electrical protection but I don't know any with electrical protection and screw terminals.
There's no legal (copyright) reason why you can't and no major technical reasons why not.
However, I believe that most people including myself use the Arduino for proof of concept then built their own boards for production purposes.
If you're not familiar with electronics it can seem a bit intimidating but it's not that hard. Check out this tutorial to help you get started http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoToBreadboard
In addition to the advice above about electrical protection (for both noise and damage protection) one piece of advice I'd add is not to waste too much time trying to make your own PCBs unless you want to enjoy the challenge. You'll save time and money by getting them made professionally.
If you get an Arduino with solder terminals (eg. Pro Mini, Diavolino, etc) and interface it to the outside world via opto-isolators then it could be perfectly "industrial".
ie. The problem isn't in the Arduino chip, it's in the Arduino PCBs.
PS: Here's a pro mini with screw terminals: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Arduino_Mini_Pro_w_Screw_Terminals.jpg
you certainly can. there is no reason why you cannot.
but consider that you are not trained in all aspects of life safety.
if your design will ever risk hurting someone, Murphy's law says it will.
what happens with a chip failure ? does the elevator fall 50 stories ?
what happens if a resistor burns ? does the brake system on the train fail ?
what happens if the valve sticks open ? does the flood fill up the electrical room ?
what happens if the unit re-sets, does the press come crashing on someone's hands ?
to prove the concept, great.
but to use it or sell it, you take on great responsibility.
the ruggeduino has the protected I/O's mentioned by funus.
Speak to your company's insurance underwriter for an official answer, because at the end of the day, it'll be their lawyers who decide whether or not you exercised due diligence.
Provide the device does not form part of any system that might expose employees of buildings to undue risk then it should be OK.
If being used in a "Safety System" then forget about it.
jackrae:
Speak to your company's insurance underwriter for an official answer, because at the end of the day, it'll be their lawyers who decide whether or not you exercised due diligence.Provide the device does not form part of any system that might expose employees of buildings to undue risk then it should be OK.
If being used in a "Safety System" then forget about it.
Now you have fallen into the rabbit hole of lawyers and courts. Even the underlining Atmel that supplies the main chip for arduino boards will disclaim any liablity on the use of their products, as found on their web site:
- SAFETY-CRITICAL, MILITARY AND AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
(a) Products are not designed for and will not be used in connection with any applications where the failure of such Products would reasonably be expected to result in significant personal injury or death ("Safety-Critical Applications") without an Atmel officer's specific written consent. Safety-Critical Applications include, without limitation, life support devices and systems, equipment or systems for the operation of nuclear facilities and weapons systems. Buyer will fully defend (at Atmel's option), indemnify and hold Atmel harmless from and against any cost, loss, liability, or expense arising out of or related to use of Products in Safety-Critical Applications.
(b) Products are neither designed nor intended for use in military or aerospace applications or environments unless specifically designated by Atmel as military-grade. Buyer acknowledges that any such use of Products not designated as military-grade is solely at Buyer's risk, and that Buyer is solely responsible for compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements in connection with such use.
(c) Products are neither designed nor intended for use in automotive applications unless specifically designated by Atmel as automotive-grade. Buyer acknowledges that any such use of Products not designated as automotive-grade is solely at Buyer's risk, and that Buyer is solely responsible for compliance with all requirements in connection with such use.
Datasheet says the same:
DISCLAIMER: The information in this document is provided in connection with Atmel products. No license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property right is granted by this document or in connection with the sale of Atmel products. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN THE ATMEL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALES LOCATED ON THE ATMEL WEBSITE, ATMEL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER AND DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY RELATING TO ITS PRODUCTS
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT
SHALL ATMEL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES
FOR LOSS AND PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR LOSS OF INFORMATION) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF ATMEL HAS
BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Atmel makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this
document and reserves the right to make changes to specifications and products descriptions at any time without notice. Atmel does not make any commitment to update the information contained herein. Unless specifically provided otherwise, Atmel products are not suitable for, and shall not be used in, automotive applications. Atmel products are not intended, authorized, or warranted for use as components in applications intended to support or sustain life.
SAFETY-CRITICAL, MILITARY, AND AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS DISCLAIMER: Atmel products are not designed for and will not be used in connection with any applications where the failure of such products would reasonably be expected to result in significant personal injury or death (“Safety-Critical Applications”) without an Atmel officer's specific written consent. Safety-Critical Applications include, without limitation, life support devices and systems, equipment or systems for the operation of nuclear facilities and weapons systems.
Atmel products are not designed nor intended for use in military or aerospace applications or environments unless specifically designated by Atmel as military-grade. Atmel products are not designed nor intended for use in automotive applications unless specifically designated by Atmel as automotive-grade.
retrolefty:
Now you have fallen into the rabbit hole of lawyers and courts. Even the underlining Atmel that supplies the main chip for arduino boards will disclaim any liablity on the use of their products, as found on their web site:
Almost. It actually says:
"...products would reasonably be expected to result in significant personal injury or death ("Safety-Critical Applications") without an Atmel officer's specific written consent."
ie. Atmel needs to make sure they/you know what you're doing.
They probably want some extra money as well for "certification".
all that being said.......
if you are putting up a light over the potty that says "occupied" you are probably safe.
just make sure there is a note that says the absence of a red light or the presence of a red light does not indicate that the bathroom is occupied.
common sense need to rule things.
firs a low cost PLC is under $100 and that is less than you can make a board, assemble, and sell it for.
if you are putting in a sensor for 'out of stock' things could be fine.
but, if you are putting in a sensor that detects if a bottle is broken and glass in the beer gets to a customer......
sorry that we are putting up all these warnings. you really-REALLY need to think of the worst possible outcome.
it may be super simple and super safe.
The other consideration is the "How long do I need this to run for and at what reliability?"
If you are going to check it every day, and if something goes wrong, no big deal, reset it, or stop the test, etc, then you are probably okay. But if something going wrong is going to cost you hours of downtime on a production line, or cause significant damage to something, or otherwise you need it to not fail, you need to do extensive testing before putting this into use. You are welcome to do that, but proven PLCs are comparatively cheap and have the testing already done on them (Its why they cost so much, as usually they have CE or UL or the european equivalent certifications already, informing you that the company has spent the time necessary on this already.)
Some (many) years ago I looked at a relatively inexpensive industrial "safety system" PLC that was based on three bog standard processor chips, each of a different manufacturer. Each processor had its own specific programme and OS code running and the results of all three processors were then read by a 2-out-of-3 logic array. Unless at least 2 of the individual processors and their associated code produced identical outputs, the system was deemed to have "failed" and the process shut-down. Because of both diversity and integrity of the processing and computation the system was "fail-safe" and had the necessary approvals.
Thank you all,
Can you also suggest me that does the noise created by electrical interference cause any interference to arduino when it is connected with sd card ? Does the data transmission get affected by electrical noise ?
hope for a reply,
Thank you once again for your co operation
parth shah
I'm sorry to be so direct, but with respect to some contributors and their contributions, there is a lot of nonsense included here, along with some very real issues which need to be considered.
No one has ever been "trained in all aspects of life safety", but we still have airliners, pacemakers and nuclear power, and all these things are kept remarkably safe by using proven strategies to constrain anticipated risks from imperfect designs, being operated by imperfect people. I have used Atmel parts in safety critical systems without an "Atmel officer's specific written consent", just as I've used Multicomp resistors without their specific consent, and I stand firmly by every one. The responsibility for the safety of a system rests with its manufacturer, not those who make its component parts. This kind of disclaimer is intended to keep the responsibility where it belongs, not to involve component manufacturers in systems risk management. And no sane insurer will sign off your design decisions: that's your responsibility and if you ever need to claim, then you'll need to provide evidence of your due diligence to the insurer, not ask their permission in advance! However, due to the insanely litigious culture in the USA, some companies try to lay off legal risk wherever they can, but in my opinion that only enriches lawyers at the expense of good safety engineering practice.
In anything you create, you are legally obliged to:
- honour your contractual obligations;
- take reasonable care to ensure safety to persons and property; and
- comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
That covers it. Everything!
Now, when designing any electronic system, that mainly comes down to:
- agreeing specified requirements with your customer, (which may be as simple as publishing your spec, against which he orders your product);
- performing a risk analysis to identify all risks to people or property, identify their causes and mitigate them as far as is reasonable;
- reviewing the regulatory requirements in the country where you produce or sell your product, and planning how to meet those which apply to your product;
- verifying that your product meets both its specified requirements and any safety mitigations you identified; and
- validating its meeting both the customer's needs and the regulatory requirements.
One issue which you raise is EMC, (electromagnetic compatibility), which includes limiting the impact which interference from your product has on other devices (EMC emissions), but also limiting the risk of outside interference disrupting the operation of your product, (EMC susceptibility). If your product is "taken into service" within the European Union, then you are legally obliged to ensure that it is complient with the EMD Directive. This strictly applies to hobby projects, as well as commercial products, though unless you cause anyone particular problems, you are unlikely to run into trouble by experimenting as a hobbyist.
The simplest mitigation for SD card data corruption is to try it and see how often you get corrupted data. You can add CRCs or checksums to your data files, so your code knows if there has been a corruption and can either read it again or put the system into a safe idle state to avoid acting on unsafe data. The appropriate action will depend on the risks, and your risk analysis.
I do think there may be a market for automotive and industrial Arduino-compatible products, and if anyone would like to explore this further with me, then please contact me.
PARTH1191:
Hello all,
Can i use arduino uno in industry for industrial application?
checked - http://www.industruino.com/ - ?
Nice.
Also another interesting development is http://www.controllino.cc/ (two L's) but their website is unavailble today...
some other link:
or google controllino pictures.