Industrial Network Standards: Boosting Wireless Coexistence, Fieldbus Performance, and Simulation Collaboration

Industrial networks are the backbone of modern manufacturing, enabling seamless communication, automation, and data transfer across diverse systems. As the drive for digital transformation accelerates, standards have become critical for businesses seeking robust productivity, cybersecurity, and scalable operations. In this comprehensive guide, we demystify three of the most pivotal international standards—IEC 62657-2:2025, IEC PAS 63693:2026, and ISO 21175-1:2026—that define the latest best practices for wireless coexistence management, fieldbus protocol performance, and cross-platform simulation collaboration in today’s smart factories.

Overview / Introduction

Industry 4.0 is transforming manufacturing landscapes by leveraging cutting-edge technologies like wireless communications, advanced fieldbuses, and collaborative simulation platforms. These innovations offer unprecedented connectivity and control but also introduce complexities—ranging from electromagnetic interference to interoperability challenges and cybersecurity risks.

This is where internationally recognized standards play an indispensable role. They provide:

• A common language and specifications for device integration and system interaction.
• Guidelines for risk management, productivity optimization, and secure operation.
• Frameworks fostering compatibility and scalability across vendors and platforms.

Whether you’re a plant manager, systems integrator, IT professional, or business leader, understanding and implementing these standards is essential to maintain competitive advantage, compliance, and resilience in rapidly evolving manufacturing environments.

In this article, you’ll discover:

• What each featured standard covers.
• Key requirements for compliance and operational success.
• Practical implementation advice for organizations of all sizes.

Detailed Standards Coverage

IEC 62657-2:2025 – Wireless Coexistence Management in Industrial Automation

IEC 62657-2:2025 – Industrial networks – Coexistence of wireless systems – Part 2: Coexistence management

Wireless technologies and systems are proliferating in manufacturing plants, handling everything from mobile sensor data to real-time actuator control. However, multiple wireless systems operating side by side can create critical interference, risking availability and reliability. IEC 62657-2:2025 addresses this head-on, delivering an end-to-end framework for managing wireless coexistence throughout the industrial plant lifecycle.

What Does This Standard Cover?

This fourth edition defines the assumptions, concepts, parameters, and procedures necessary for robust wireless coexistence. It:

• Specifies coexistence parameters within industrial automation contexts.
• Provides methods for managing and mitigating interference during all system phases—planning, installation, operation, and maintenance.
• Offers unified reference points and templates for users.
• Aligns with global regulations and future standards.

Key Requirements and Specifications

To ensure diverse wireless systems don’t undermine each other, the standard introduces detailed coexistence management processes, including:

• Identification of interference potential and ancillary conditions in factory environments.
• Definition and documentation of coexistence parameters (e.g., frequency management, antenna characteristics, device density, spatial coverage, security levels).
• Structured coexistence management processes, including documentation, training, responsibility nomination, and tool application.
• Lifecycle support—from design and implementation through operation and continuous improvement.
• Templates for parameter usage, performance evaluation, and future expansion planning.

Who Needs to Comply?

Any organization deploying wireless technologies for automation—including discrete, process, and hybrid manufacturers—should adopt IEC 62657-2:2025.

• System integrators, plant engineers, IT managers, and equipment manufacturers are primary users.
• Compliance is particularly crucial for large-scale plants with multiple overlapping wireless technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, proprietary wireless protocols).

Practical Implications for Implementation

Implementing this standard means:

• Conducting thorough interference risk assessments.
• Using best practices for frequency allocation and antenna selection.
• Assigning skilled coexistence managers and maintaining up-to-date training.
• Employing coexistence documentation and tools to guide each lifecycle phase.
• Facilitating collaboration between IT, operations, and engineering teams.

Notable Features

• Aligns coexistence management with the latest international terminology and future inclusion in IEC’s Common Data Dictionary.
• Supports integration with related standards (IEC 62657-3 and -4).
• Enhances clarity on how coexistence management impacts regulatory compliance.

Key highlights:

• Unified framework for all lifecycle stages of wireless system deployment.
• Extensive parameter lists for fine-tuned coexistence planning.
• Supports both static (manual) and dynamic (automated) coexistence strategies.

Access the full standard:View IEC 62657-2:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC PAS 63693:2026 – Fieldbus Communication with WiTSnet for Industrial Networks

IEC PAS 63693:2026 – Industrial networks – Fieldbus specifications – WiTSnet

Fieldbus systems are a foundational element of industrial automation, enabling rapid and deterministic communication between controllers, sensors, actuators, and user applications. As demands for higher reliability and tighter integration increase, next-generation protocols like WiTSnet emerge to support time-critical messaging with robust standardization.

What Does This Standard Cover?

This Publicly Available Specification (PAS) defines:

• The basic communication model and externally visible services of the WiTSnet protocol.
• State machine behaviors for the data-link and application layers.
• Service primitives and interactions within the fieldbus reference architecture.
• Time-critical messaging requirements, ensuring specified actions are reliably completed within strictly defined windows, vital for process safety and performance.

Key Requirements and Specifications

IEC PAS 63693:2026 sets forth:

• Abstract models for manipulating application objects via Fieldbus Application Layer (FAL) services.
• Encoding rules and transfer syntax for efficient protocol data unit transmission.
• Definitions for management interfaces between the application, data-link, and user management layers.
• Protocols for error detection, discovery, configuration, relaying, and fault recovery.
• Mechanisms for queue management, mailbox access, buffer access, synchronization, and attribute interaction.

Who Needs to Comply?

Users include:

• Automation system designers and engineers deploying fieldbus-based networks in manufacturing or process control.
• Device manufacturers implementing WiTSnet-compliant hardware/software.
• System integrators connecting heterogeneous devices via standardized fieldbus solutions.

Practical Implications for Implementation

Implementation brings:

• Demystified integration for mixed-vendor devices.
• Reliable, low-latency communications supporting mission-critical processes.
• Streamlined troubleshooting and system management through robust diagnostics and event handling.

Notable Features

• Stepwise description of actions/events and their permitted sequences.
• Detailed definition of protocol state machines, supporting deterministic process execution.
• Emphasis on time-controlled operations—critical for safety and regulatory compliance.

Key highlights:

• Enables safe, timely completion of automation actions under stringent timing constraints.
• Facilitates interoperability and vendor neutrality in fieldbus deployments.
• Delivers comprehensive object, event, and relationship modeling within the protocol.

Access the full standard:View IEC PAS 63693:2026 on iTeh Standards

ISO 21175-1:2026 – Collaborative Simulation on Multiple Manufacturing Platforms

ISO 21175-1:2026 – Automation systems and integration — Collaboration environment requirements of simulation on different manufacturing platforms — Part 1: Reference model and process

With the rise of digital twins, cyber-physical systems, and cross-enterprise simulation, manufacturers need new ways to collaborate, share models, and co-simulate complex production scenarios. ISO 21175-1:2026 offers a universal framework for collaborative modeling and simulation environments (CMSEs), empowering seamless joint simulation projects between diverse organizations and platforms.

What Does This Standard Cover?

• Specifies a general reference model and structured process for CMSEs.
• Defines neutral interfaces and meta-models for infrastructure sharing, software integration, and business collaboration.
• Addresses simulation activities supporting business planning, logistics, operations management, and production control—across multiple enterprise levels and sites.

Key Requirements and Specifications

• Framework for project lifecycle: from stakeholder identification and project analysis to realization (business/system description, software integration, infrastructure support).
• Service-oriented architecture for simulation sharing and collaboration.
• Emphasis on semantic interoperability and neutrality, making it platform- and vendor-agnostic.
• Templates for analyzing project structure (identifying participants, processes, and models), defining objectives, and producing deliverables.

Who Needs to Comply?

The standard is invaluable for:

• Manufacturing enterprises conducting joint simulation, including global supply chain partners and virtual enterprise clusters.
• System integrators building or supporting simulation middleware/services.
• Business leaders managing multi-enterprise process optimization projects.

Practical Implications for Implementation

• Projects benefit from structured, repeatable simulation collaboration processes.
• Risks of miscommunication, incompatible tools, or manual integrations are minimized.
• Enables on-demand, service-oriented simulation at any time and place—boosting agility and innovation.

Notable Features

• Covers interoperability from local desktop environments to global internet/cloud-based simulation.
• Encourages best practices for task structuring, resource definition, and model evaluation.
• Provides annexes, examples, and resources for practical deployment and scale.

Key highlights:

• General framework and reference process for simulation collaboration.
• Focus on cross-platform and cross-enterprise compatibility.
• Methodology for project analysis, integration, and business alignment.

Access the full standard:View ISO 21175-1:2026 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

Building Competitive Advantage through Standardization

Manufacturers who embrace these standards gain multifaceted benefits:

• Increased productivity: Clear rules and interoperability slash downtime, minimize troubleshooting, and accelerate time-to-market for new products.
• Improved security: By codifying best practices, standards help identify vulnerabilities, enforce network segmentation, and limit unauthorized wireless access.
• Scalability: Standards-based frameworks simplify integration of new devices, expansion to multiple locations, and vendor diversification.
• Compliance: Aligning with international standards ensures regulatory fulfillment and minimizes liability.

Compliance Considerations

Organizations should:

• Assess their current systems for gaps or incompatibilities.
• Train personnel on requirements specific to wireless coexistence, fieldbus operations, and simulation collaboration.
• Establish ongoing processes for documentation, auditing, and conformance validation.
• Leverage vendor certifications and product documentation to verify standards alignment.

Risks of Non-Compliance

Failing to adhere to these standards can lead to:

• Costly communication breakdowns and loss of automation efficiency.
• Exposed vulnerabilities in wireless and fieldbus networks.
• Interoperability challenges, hampering digital transformation initiatives.
• Legal/regulatory risk and loss of business reputation.

Implementation Guidance

Common Approaches for Adopting Industrial Network Standards

1. Gap analysis: Identify where current practices diverge from standard requirements.
2. Pilot deployments: Start with non-critical systems to trial new coexistence management or fieldbus protocols.
3. Cross-departmental teams: Involve engineering, IT, and operations in decision-making.
4. Use templates and documentation: Utilize standard-provided parameter lists and process models for rapid adoption.
5. Continuous training: Regularly upskill staff on changes and updates in standards.

Best Practices

• Early planning: Address coexistence and interoperability at the design stage to avoid costly retrofits.
• Automation of compliance checks: Use tools to document, analyze, and monitor compliance, especially in dynamic wireless environments.
• Vendor collaboration: Work closely with technology providers to ensure their devices and solutions align with selected standards.
• Simulation and modeling: Use guidelines from standards (such as ISO 21175-1) to model scenarios before physical rollout, detecting issues early.

Resources for Organizations

- Use platforms like iTeh Standards to access up-to-date documentation, purchase standards, and find expert guidance.

• Participate in standards development committees for early insights and peer networking.
• Leverage global best practices through webinars, workshops, and industry collaborations.

Conclusion / Next Steps

Mastering the challenges of Industry 4.0 requires more than just adopting new technology—it demands following robust, internationally recognized standards. IEC 62657-2:2025 provides the benchmark for wireless coexistence, ensuring resilient and scalable plant-wide connectivity. IEC PAS 63693:2026 delivers futureproof fieldbus communication, enabling deterministic, safe, and interoperable device networks. ISO 21175-1:2026 guides collaborative simulation projects, unlocking seamless innovation across enterprise boundaries and platforms.

Key takeaways:

• Adopting these standards is essential for safe, efficient, and scalable manufacturing operations.
• Compliance enhances productivity, cybersecurity, and the ability to rapidly scale or adapt.
• Following best practices and leveraging authoritative resources is the smartest way to secure ongoing competitiveness.

Recommendations:

• Begin with a comprehensive network and process audit against these standards.
• Involve stakeholders across IT, operations, and management in adoption efforts.
• Stay updated with evolving revisions and leverage expert platforms like iTeh Standards for all documentation needs.

Explore these standards on iTeh Standards to lead your organization into a smarter, safer, and more productive future.