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Case Study : Texas Instruments

Streamlining the Process at Texas Instruments Challenge: Texas Instruments needed secure remote access to all its process control equipment at the company’s Support Center, while keeping costs and wiring at a minimum. Solution: Device Server technology from Lantronix gave Texas Instruments the ability to access and manage their process control equipment remotely over the Internet. Benefit: Greater efficiencies were realized throughout all manufacturing processes, providing needed real-time information that resulted in reducing errors and eliminating downtime.

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Device servers provide the ability to securely and remotely control, monitor, diagnose and troubleshoot equipment over a network or the Internet, enabling a company to preserve its investment in present equipment.

The Situation:
Need To Remotely Monitor Process Equipment

Texas Instruments, Inc. is a world leader in digital signal processing and analog technologies that drive semiconductor engines in our electronic age. The company is also a leader in the real-time technologies that help people communicate. It develops semiconductor solutions for large markets such as wireless and broadband access, as well as for consumer applications such as digital cameras and digital audio equipment.

The company’s process for measuring and reading the concentration of contaminants in a water sample was originally quite complicated and involved transferring a signal from a water analyzer to a programmable logic controller (PLC) to an HMI (human/machine interface). When reading this information, the opportunity for error was high as the signal passed through each separate device, and the measurements were so small that any degree of error could be detrimental.

Texas Instruments Facility Control Center operated process control equipment on a legacy network that was independent of their local area network (LAN). To network-enable all of the process control equipment at the Support Center would have required over 1,500 feet of wiring and conduit spanning multiple buildings – creating a costly and time-intensive project.

The Solution:
Device Server Technology Increases Process Efficiencies

Texas Instruments implemented a device server solution from Lantronix on multiple key pieces of equipment, including airflow, water, and gas detectors at its fabrication factory in Dallas, Texas. With the help of Device Networking technology, the Support Center is now able to remotely monitor and control elements of the fabrication factory including airflow, water treatment and gas detection – critical elements in the production of the company’s semiconductor products in an adjacent fabrication facility.

Integrating Lantronix Device Server technology allowed Texas Instruments to Ethernet-enable all of the equipment in its Support Center. This resulted in a tremendous time-savings, as more than 500 PCs in the Support Center now have access to real-time information as it is generated by the process control equipment. This eliminated the need for a technician to patrol the floor and monitor each device individually and greatly improved the response time whenever a failure occurred.

The Result:
Real-Time Process Monitoring Eliminates Errors And Downtime

Using Lantronix Device Server technology, Texas Instruments can measure contaminants directly at the source of the water sample. Network-enabling their existing equipment to communicate directly with the HMI reduced the risk for errors and provided information on the process in real time. Texas Instruments also used Device Server technology to network-enable the airflow control process into its fabrication facilities. Device servers connect to fans outside the factory and are used to monitor circulation and airflow.

 

Contact Info:
Kristine Fowler
949-450-7240
kristine.fowler@lantronix.com

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