The NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) aims to make production data easily and securely usable for plant and asset monitoring as well as optimization.
Smart sensors, field devices, mobile devices and the ubiquitous use of IT equipment are generating more and more data that is often difficult to access within the classic NAMUR automation pyramid. NOA will change this by transmitting this data over a second communication channel without affecting the widely accepted advantages of traditional automation structures and with no impact on the automation system. NOA is therefore suitable for existing systems (brownfield). In addition, NOA is compatible with current developments in automation, such as the Advanced Physical Layer (APL) or the modular approach (MTP), making NOA future-proof for new installations (greenfield).
By opening the automation pyramid and unlocking more data, NOA will enable a wide range of use cases, demonstrating the great potential of the new concept. Some examples are:
- Monitoring of field devices, process analysers, electrotechnical equipment, …
- Plant or fleet management of mechanical equipment
- Accessing additional data and/or implementing additional measurements for process optimization
A high-level overview of the concept can be found in the pdf.
NAMUR Recommendation NE 175: NAMUR Open Architecture – NOA Concept
A detailed description of the NOA concept can be found in the NAMUR Recommendation NE 175, which can be found in the download section of the NAMUR homepage or via DIN Media.
Industry-wide collaboration to develop NOA
To accelerate the step from concept to productive solutions, NAMUR and ZVEI decided to set up a joint project to drive the development of NOA. Within this project, several sub-working groups have been set up to drive the development of the different NOA building blocks. The results of these sub-working groups will be published as subsequent NAMUR Recommendations: