Within three weeks Code Yellow and Telerex developed a universal gateway

Who is Code Yellow?

High-mix low-volume manufacturing is a well-known framework for the Dutch manufacturing industry. Smart systems should enable you to perform this branch of sport with minimum exertion. And that for the lowest possible production costs, resulting in the maximum added value. Code Yellow has a unique approach using smart software applications to facilitate the transformation and digitisation of existing business processes. This is a big issue for many businesses.

Code Yellow solves these issues by looking at which business processes officials are dealing with and with which systems they need to collaborate. Based on that information, an application is set out within the working environment, which enables the work to proceed clearly and efficiently for everyone. Code Yellow's software is aimed at the manufacturing industry, among others, to design solutions for its customers based on TRACY, a software application developed by Code Yellow. TRACY consists of Shop Floor Control (complete insight in the process and planning and process support) and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems). Besides high-mix low-volume manufacturing, TRACY also supports high-volume manufacturing.

The application provides the connections, user convenience and clear step-by-step instructions on the work floor. Many administrative actions become redundant thanks to the connections and a personal environment is created for the users. The final result is an application that the user themselves can configure and change, whereby the production process is paperless, so 100% digital, from order to delivery. All procedural steps are logged and managed, establishing the quality control for each unique end product and serial number.

Machines and means of production (such as scale or callipers) play an important role at the workplace. It is often a challenge to connect the application to this hardware, because the machines' various communication protocols cannot be connected directly to the software platform. This is where the expertise of Code Yellow and Telerex came together to create a solution.

Customer's wishes

Within a short period of three weeks, Code Yellow wanted to have a universal connectable gateway to demonstrate its software solution to her customers. This short time frame created a challenge because Telerex hadn't started up the development yet. In practice, there are various devices and sensors with different interfaces. This means that the gateway must be able to translate the most common communication protocols into a legible script (Armbian, Python) for the Code Yellow OS platform.

Our solution

An industrial version of an Asus Tinker Board S was selected to realise the universal gateway. This is a single board computer (SBC) with good overall user experience and the guarantee of long-term product availability, including support from the supplier. This SBC has been incorporated in Telerex' standard delivery program which means it can be supplied from our own warehouse stocks.

The Asus Tinker Board S is well equipped for web-based production automation. It also has the option to connect an external touch panel via HDMI and USB. Besides this standard connection, a 7” HD screen with touch can be easily connected via MIPI DSI. With the addition of a HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) board, developed by Telerex itself, the Tinker Board S can be easily configured and then communicate with the Code Yellow software. Telerex drew up and developed a technical proposal for the HAT design within two weeks. The entirety could be delivered to Code Yellow as proof of concept whereby they were able to do their tests well within the set time.

Telerex selected a nicely finished and suitable standard enclosure for the Tinker Board S including the HAT. The square aluminium enclosure is manufactured and customized by OKW. They made all the adjustments to make sure the correct openings are prepared for the I/O connectors.

Thanks to the product expertise of Telerex and the possibility for fast development of an application, a customised gateway was delivered as a finalized product within the proposed time frame. With its own engineering, Telerex provides the right input to realise the optimal solution for its customers. This is achieved by translating the wishes and requirements for the application into a suitable solid industrial end product with the right price-quality ratio. The assembly facilities of Telerex, combined with its logistics expertise and the use of the know-how of their own engineering suppliers and partners mean they can take full control of the total solution for a product.

The custom-made hardware gateway, which has been named CY-BOX, will be used by Code Yellow as a standard solution with their TRACY software. The CY-BOX will become an additional, optional module to supplement the current modular solution. The partnership between Code Yellow and Telerex has led to the creation of an innovative solution within the manufacturing industry, which Code Yellow will apply in the further development of its applications.