The Problem: Complexity, Cost and Poor Scalability in Subfab Data Integration
A typical subfab contains a broad range of industrial equipment from multiple manufacturers which expose various differing communication interfaces for obtaining operational data. Additionally, certain status information must be sent to Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software in a platform-specific format.
There are many existing options for extracting and processing data via individual standardized and open communication protocols; however the wide scope and often fractured nature of industrial hardware constellations can lead to the creation of numerous custom one-off solutions. This requires significant upfront investment for every new piece of equipment and the effort of maintaining such heterogeneous systems scales unfavourably with the size of the subfab.
The Solution: A Scalable Integration Hub
Subfab360 ATC provides an all-in-one solution for connecting heterogeneous data sources (devices / equipment) with data consumers (MES, ERP, monitoring, analytics, reporting systems) in the subfab:
- On the one side, Subfab360 ATC can communicate with devices to read operational parameters via standard interfaces.
- On the other side, Subfab360 ATC bundles these data streams into a single shared format and forwards these to downstream data consumer systems, again via standard interfaces.
Subfab360 ATC can than proactively notify users via SMS and email when predefined alarm or warning conditions occur.
A typical installation consists of a collection of separate nodes, each implemented as a field controller responsible for managing the devices of a specific field station within the subfab. Each Subfab360 VFC (Virtual Field Controller) can be administered remotely through a web-based user interface (UI) or via a terminal using SSH, a network protocol to securely access and manage remote devices.
In short, Subfab360 ATC acts as the intergration hub of the subfab, seamlessly bridging field devices and enterprise systems. Think of it as the traffic controller of the subfab — collecting, normalizing, and distributing data where it is needed.
Summary:
Subfab 360 ATC
- acts as a middleware layer
- connects heterogeneous systems, devices, and applications
- handles protocol translation, data transformation, and routing
- reduces point-to-point integrations
- proactively notifies users via SMS and email in cases of alarm or warning
Implementation of Subfab360 ATC
The software realises a vendor neutral approach:
- several standard industrial protocols are supported out of the box, such as OPC UA, Modbus and Interface-A
- data streams and status notifications can be pushed to a variety of messaging services and databases, such as Kafka, Pulsar, InfluxDB and MySQL.
- As soon as Subfab360 ATC has been installed and configured and the necessary network requirements have been satisfied, data will start to flow from devices to the downstream systems.
Extendibility for new devices, communication protocols and data consumers is baked into the architecture of Subfab360 ATC. algorismic works together with semiconductor equipment manufacturers in order to unlock the maximum potential of devices within the subfab data pipeline. On the other side algorismic works together with the fab owner during the whole process, from requirements analysis, integration to continued support of deployment.
The Benefits: One Platform, Full Control, Maximum Flexibility
- Subfab360 ATC offers production managers a single comprehensive access point for collecting and visualising all subfab operational data.
- A completely self-contained on-premise solution ensures full control over data without the need for communication with external services.
- Due to flexible deployment options Subfab360 ATC can be deployed as a plug-and-play solution with dedicated hardware or integrated into existing IT infrastructure.
- Fab operators benefit from algorismic’s deep subfab expertise and avoid building hard-to-maintain insular solutions.
- The modular architecture enables starting with a small installation base and scaling across the subfab as required – no all-or-nothing approach.
- Most supported devices can be integrated without additional hardware.
- Minimal downtime through standardized interfaces and flexible configuration, enabling easy reorganisation and substitution of equipment.
- Subfab360 ATC is vendor neutral. The use of established standard interfaces prevents vendor lock-in and protects existing data pipelines.
Authors: Yaroslav Petrov, CTO, algorismic gmbh and
Hugh Wessel, Backend Developer, algorismic gmbh