Communications, Cyber-Physical Security, Sensors, Embedded Systems Chair: Mr. Igor Alvarado, National Instruments Corp. Co-Chair: Dr. P.R. Kumar, TAMU Room 2500
Communications, Cyber-Physical Security, Sensors, Embedded
Systems
Chair: Mr. Igor Alvarado, National Instruments Corp.
Co-Chair: Dr. P.R. Kumar, TAMU
Room 2500
Research Topics
• Cyber-Physical Systems for the Smart Grid – Communications – Control – Sensors/Actuators – Embedded Systems – Cyber-Security – Testbeds – Co-design, Co-Simulation tools – Education/Training/Certification
• Integration with other services/technologies and humans: – Data Analytics – Networking – Visualization, – Smart Grid – Microgrid integration, etc. – HMIs, Haptics, AR, VR
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Smart Grids and Microgrids
• Building blocks
– (Embedded) Control
• Embedded Systems
• Sensors/Actuators
– Communications
– Computation
– Cyber-security Advances in CPS research can be accelerated by close collaborations between academic disciplines in computation, communication, control, and other engineering and computer science disciplines, coupled with grand challenge applications (such a Smart Grids and networked microgrids). NSF
Image courtesy of S. Stein, et al, University of Oslo
CPS Definition
• Cyber–physical systems (CPS) are the next generation of engineered systems, that require tight integration of computing, communication, and control technologies to achieve stability, performance, reliability, robustness, and efficiency in dealing with physical systems of many application domains.
• CPSs are typically required to adapt to various changes in internal and external factors: – adaptation by switching between operation modes
– hybrid automaton, linear hybrid automata, etc.
– Real-time scheduling
Source: P.R. Kumar, et al, TAMU
Multi-Personality, Software-Defined Hardware: Reconfigurable Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)
Inverter, Battery, Capacitor Control
Sectionalizer Control
Power Quality Analyzer
Metering
Transformer Monitoring
Recloser Control
Demand Response
Substation Automation
Phasor Measurement Unit
Alarm Event Recorder
Microgrid Control
Testbeds for Rapid Prototyping, Validation, Training….
Sensing and Actuation
(Embedded) Control Communications
Computation
Communications
What are the key challenges?
• Embedded Systems – RTOSes, Firmware, Modularity, Reconfigurability, Reliability, MTTR, Tech
Specs, Open Source SW/HW, Virtualization
• Control – Classic vs. Other (ANNs, Fuzzy, Genetic Algorithms, etc.), Model-based vs.
Measurements-based, Adaptive vs. Fixed, Predictive
• Sensors/Actuators – Resolution (ADC/DAC), Sampling Speed (S/s), connectivity, calibration, bus-
powered, new interfaces, etc.
• Communications: – Wired/Wireless/Networked/Self-healing/Protocols, Topologies, etc.
• Computation: – Programming tool, Solvers, AI/Machine Learning, Cognition – Real-time vs. Off-line, Centralized vs. Decentralized
• Cyber-security – GPS Spoofing, High-Impact/Low-Frequency Risks, Resilience to attacks
What research topics would you propose ? With what priority?
• Embedded Systems
• Control
• Sensors/Actuators/Perception
• Communications
• Computation/Cognition
• Cyber-security
Embedded Systems
Processor(s), RTOS Reconfigurable HW (FPGA)
PT
12
0V
inp
ut
CT
5A
inp
ut
DIO
GP
S
ENET
Po
rt
Exp
ansi
on
LEA
Inp
ut
IRIG
Co
m P
ort
ENET
Po
rt
RS-
23
2 P
ort
RS-
48
5 P
ort
AN
SI D
evic
e A
lgo
rith
ms
Dat
a R
edu
ctio
n
Res
amp
ling
Dig
ital
/Rel
ay C
on
tro
l
HM
I In
terf
ace
PM
U
C3
7.1
18
:20
11
Web
Ser
vice
s
PQ
A
61
00
0-4
-30
GP
S/Ti
me
Syn
c.
Cu
sto
m P
roto
cols
Logg
ing
CO
MTR
AD
E
IEC
61
85
0
DN
P3
USB
Po
rt
Modular I/O and connectivity
Memory
Comm. Bus
SW
HW
Example of an Embedded Controller with I/O Modules
CPU + FPGA + Memory Comms. Ports
I/O Modules
I/O Chassis
Cyber-Security
• Cyber-security needs to be integrated with system theory to guarantee resilience of the grid.
• What do we need to:
– Make systems more secure
– Guidelines:
• Prevent, Deter, Detect, Respond
• Prior/During/After, Adaptability to scenarios
• Are current guidelines from NIST, ISA, NERC, IEEE (other) enough?
Are CPS Testbeds important for your research?
• Testbeds can help to create bridges between theory and practice, design and implementation
• How important are they to test: – sensors/actuators – embedded controllers – communication systems – computing platforms and algorithms – security schemes/technologies/approaching – Smart Grid/Microgrid topologies – Systems-level performance, integration (Smart
Grids/Microgrids/Hybrids)
Education/Training: A System
Design Approach
• How important is Education, Training, Certification and Workforce Development?
• What are the key areas to focus on?
• Should Research initiatives in Energy CPS put more emphasis on education, training, certification, etc.?
Education/Training: A System Design Approach
Intro to
Engineering
Intro to
Controls
(Power)
Circuits
Signal
Processing/
Computation
Sensors &
Actuators
Advanced
Control
Embedded
Systems
Design
RF/Comms.
Smart Grid/
Microgrids
Integration with other services/technologies and humans
• Data Analytics
• Networking
• Visualization,
• Smart Grid – Microgrid integration
• HMIs, Haptics, AR, VR
Grant Proposals & Collaborations
Academia & Nat’l Labs
Synergies
Points-of-Engagement
Overall Plan
Prioritized Project list
Project
Ranking & Selection
Thrust Areas
Industry
•Project Summaries: •Director or PI , Co-PIs •Problem Statement •Current State of Practice & Research •Approach and Method •Industry Sector Impacted •Deliverables •Project Plan: tasks, project duration, type, budget….
Conclusions
– Points discussed: • Embedded Systems
• Communications
• Control
• Sensors/Actuators
• Cyber-Security
• Education/Training/Certification as part of Research Grant Proposals
– Not discussed (due to time constraints) but mentioned: • Testbeds
• Co-design, Co-Simulation tools
Conclusions (Cont’d)
• Studying the benefits (e.g. performance, resilience, etc.) of using more intelligent devices in the field, closer to the I/O signals
• How to tackle what is really an interdisciplinary problem?
• The use of reconfigurable “general purpose” hardware with software tools that can be used by “domain experts”
• How to estimate the states of the system, classify them, etc., specially for large, complex systems with thousands of control loops, variables…. in real-time
Conclusions (Cont’d)
• The use (and security) of different kinds of networks (e.g. sensor networks, controller network, etc.)
• As the Grid becomes more “digital”, how to control/keep track of software modifications, versions, patches, etc.
• How to extract information from more data, from more sensors, from controllers… in the network
• Extremely large distributed control system: how to provide stability, robustness...
Conclusions (Cont’d)
• Impact of distributed, decentralized control system in minimizing communications
• Broad time-scales, time-delays involved • System-level design tools that cover different
design components (mechanical, EM, electrical, thermal, communications, computation, control, etc).
• Hybrid system validation, verification, model-checking of hybrid (discrete/continuous) designs
• The use of High-Performance Computing tools as part of the CPS
Conclusions (Cont’d)
• Cyber-security of single networks vs. coupled networks, resilience to cyber-attacks
• Transitioning from legacy systems to new controller/communications technologies
• Predictability: MPC and other adaptive control approaches that can improve performance predictability under changing operating conditions; reliability via redundancy or other means.
• Education: – UG: adapting 4-year program to a “system design” focus; new
books; new content; course compression; more depth needed – Grad: more depth needed; “system design” approach with an
interdisciplinary approach
667 MHz Dual-Core ARM Cortex-A9 processor
28K Logic Cells (Artix-7)
80 DSP slices, 16 DMA channels
92 Billion calculations per second
Xilinx
ZYNQ
New Embedded Technologies
Source: Xilinx