Pico MES IT Infrastructure Explained: A Complete Technical Guide

Interested in deploying PICO at your factory but have questions about our system setup? Use this technical guide to help answer your questions about PICO's IT infrastructure, tool and machine connectivity capability, and security procedures. 

What does the PICO system architecture look like?

PICO Server: At the core of the system infrastructure is a central Intel NUC server which connects to the secure PICO VPN via the Internet, and a cloud service managed by our team to push system updates, configuration management, and daily backups, and to provide remote assistance and troubleshooting.

PICO Hubs: Built using Raspberry Pi edge devices, the PICO Hub manages tool and machine connections around the shop floor. Your system can include one or more Hubs, each one connecting to your local network either by ethernet or wi-fi to communicate with the PICO server. Initial setup of a Hub requires registration over ethernet and outbound connectivity, after which it no longer requires an Internet connection.

• Tools and machines already connected to the local network, or that have the ability to do so, communicate directly with the PICO server over the network.
• PICO Hubs facilitate connectivity with tools and machines without network capabilities via USB, RS232, etc. and forward their data to the Server.

PICO Software: The PICO Server hosts a web application that is accessible via an Internet browser, and serves the Manage Pages where processes, devices, and stations can be created, modified, and deployed. It also hosts the Operator Interface which is what the operators see and interact with as they build.

• Users can connect PCs, tablets, and mobile phones to the server web application over secure HTTPS.
• A dedicated operator mobile app is available for tablets and mobile phones which allows the user to take photos as part of the process steps.
  
  

How does PICO interface with assembly tools?

PICO typically uses Open Protocol (PFOP) to communicate with commercially available shop floor tools, such as torque tools, but also supports the following protocols for other tools:

• Serial/RS232
• HTTP
• Modbus
• Bluetooth Serial
• USB HID
• OPC UA
• ZPL/PNG/PDF (for printers)
• Digital/Analog IO
• USB Webcam
• PICO Operator App (including built-in camera)
• USB PCSC (for badge readers)
• TCP/IP

We can also connect to non-IoT enabled devices using an intermediary LabJack device that translates a direct wired signal from your tool to PICO. Check out how we connected a Kolver torque controller using this method:

Adam Simon from the PICO Device Integrations team explains how we use an intermediate device to connect a non-IoT enabled Kolver torque controller to PICO's software.

For additional protocols not listed, our Device Integrations team can develop the integration with a lead time of about 1 week - free of charge. If you don't see your tool in our library of 200+ no-code device integrations, you can suggest a tool to be integrated.

How does PICO interface with machines and robotic systems?

PICO uses protocols like OPC UA or Modbus to send requests to machines, read machine states, and collect machine data. Through this interface, you can trigger tests and capture resulting data and cycle time, all in one place.

• OPC UA: If you have an existing OPC UA server to communicate with machines, we can develop a custom device integration to meet your needs. To do this, our team needs a brief description of desired functionality, a list of OPC UA tags necessary to achieve the desired functionality, and credentials to access the existing OPC UA server. (Note: Credentials are needed to enable communication between the PICO and OPC UA servers. PICO will only access the tags you specify in your list. We will gladly discuss any additional security concerns with you.)
• Modbus: If you have a device that uses Modbus, you can connect a PICO Hub directly to the machine to enable communication. With Modbus, PICO can generally start tests, read machine states, and retrieve data from Modbus registers. This will vary depending on the setup of your machine, so PICO would need a written description of the request and a quick consultation with our team to understand how you want PICO to interact with your machine, and a list of Modbus registers that identify where the desired test data is located.
• Network share drive: If you have a machine that is configured to send data to a shared network drive (often in CSV format) PICO can access and parse the data. PICO can read pass/fail data and store other data from the process for traceability. This is the most "hands-off" method which may be preferred if you have safety concerns, as PICO does not connect to the device directly and is limited to read-only access. To configure this, we need a written description of the desired functionality, the IP address and credentials to access the network share drive, and an example of the data PICO will be parsing (e.g. a sample CSV).

How does PICO address the safety of the operators using connected tools and machines?

PICO never directly drives a tool or machine or forces a machine program to start. PICO only sends start requests and the machine determines if all safety conditions are met prior to starting. All emergency stop functionality on the machine is retained for use by the operator.

Is PICO secure?

PICO is SOC2 compliant as of August 2022. All cloud backups are managed through trusted SOC2 compliant partners. 

PICO employees' access to on-premise PICO Servers & Hubs is strictly managed through a series of controls. We use a secure VPN whose process controls have been evaluated by expert third party cybersecurity firms. The VPN uses shorewalling and leverages TLS 1.3, TLS Ciphersuite SHA-256, and encryption using ECDSA (curve secp384r1) with a shared TLS-Auth key.

Need more information? We're here to help.

• Learn more about how PICO protects your data in ITAR and other strict regulatory environments.
• Read more about what's included the PICO hardware kit.
• Email your questions to support@picomes.com or book a demo with our team.

➡️Get started with your free cloud-based deployment of PICO digital work instructions at www.picomes.com/tryforfree.