Networking PLC jobs

[ThePLCtalker]

what types of jobs and opportunities will there be with networks in the future development of PLC?

 

[mk42]

I think a lot of the future tends in networking coming to PLC's will mostly result in more of the same, as far as job prospects go. To me, it seems like the general trend with Controls Engineers is to just expect them to know more things, as more technologies come out. I'm not nessecarily saying I think this is a fair trend, but it is definitely what most businesses expect. However, I think that Controls Engineers that can talk IT will be a hot commodity in the future. Customers are building more and more complex networks, and having someone in the Controls dept who understands the differences between the needs of an office network and a plant network will be key.

If you are looking for a specialty, the two things that I personally see as growing trends will be wireless infrastructure and network security. Wireless communication is not 100% new to automation, but being able to send IO data, and even Safety IO data over wifi is a fast growing requirement, especially for things like AGV systems. Currently there are very few automation engineers who can do plant radio surveys, model and design access point locations, and then implement those systems. The other big specialization I see is going to be network security. Whether that means giving security audits, or helping to design more secure systems from the ground up, this is a trend that, for the good of the industry, needs to have a much increased demand very soon.

The biggest challenge that I see is that most networking protocols, standards, products, and training are focused around the requirements of the office environment. Networking topics are traditionally controlled by IT professionals who do not understand/care about the requirements of a plant network, because we are a small niche compared to the overall network picture. As a profession, we need to increase our knowledge of networking competencies, to increase awareness of our needs in both IT depts and management.