ICSockets

ICSockets is a conceptual framework for a socket-like interface designed for industrial control systems (ICS). It provides a uniform API for inter-device communication across heterogeneous networks, aiming to blend traditional fieldbus access with modern Ethernet-based protocols. The goal is to offer deterministic timing, reliability, and security for critical control tasks, while remaining interoperable with existing ICS technologies.

The API resembles conventional sockets but extends it with real-time semantics. Applications can open endpoints, connect, listen, and send or receive data, with optional deadlines and QoS. The transport layer may choose among underlying transports (reliable UDP, TCP, or custom datagrams) and supports features such as time stamps, priority classes, and connection management. Security features include mutual authentication and encryption, access control, and device attestation.

Use cases include industrial automation, SCADA, and robotics, where cross-vendor integration is required. ICSockets can be deployed on edge gateways, programmable logic controllers, or industrial PCs, enabling deterministic messaging in constrained networks and facilitating integration with higher-level systems. The framework is intended to simplify interoperability while allowing vendors to optimize implementations for performance and safety requirements.

Standards status: the concept remains experimental and is not widely standardized. It overlaps with goals of OPC UA, DDS, and MQTT in providing secure, reliable communications for ICS, and there are prototype implementations from some vendors and research groups. No universal, official specification has yet been adopted.