Do you regret choosing the industrial automation industry?

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Industrial control refers to industrial automation control, which is primarily achieved through a combination of electronics, mechanics, and software. It refers to industrial control, or factory automation control. It mainly refers to the use of computer technology, microelectronics technology, and electrical methods to make the production and manufacturing processes in factories more automated, efficient, and precise, while also ensuring controllability and visibility. Many people say, “Once you delve into industrial control, it’s like entering an endless ocean; the path ahead is uncertain.” Indeed, at present, the effort invested by many in this field does not yield a proportional return. Those in the industrial control field are constantly on the path of learning, progressing from understanding and mastering concepts and principles such as various types of sensor devices, frequency converters, actuators, control theory, controllers, distributed control systems, acquisition and monitoring control systems, and manufacturing execution systems, to learning about and becoming familiar with the process structures and characteristics specific to different industries ； Sometimes, I get carried away for hours just because I solved a ‘small problem’ at work; the sense of achievement that arises catches me off guard. It’s amazing to think that this is all there is to my achievements ； Sometimes, due to the pressure of meeting project deadlines, one has to work day and night, dedicating oneself entirely to the project and the client, with little time even for eating, using the restroom, or resting. After the project is completed, reflecting on it, one realizes how foolish it was to exhaust oneself like that for a project; in some cases, one even ends up trapped at the project site for months, leading a solitary life, and thinking about it now fills one with shame. We need to have an understanding of the field level, such as the requirements, characteristics, and debugging of different end devices, as well as the installation and programming of controllers and the installation and configuration of data transmission devices. At the same time, we also need to understand the central side, including the installation and configuration of automation and visualization software, as well as programming based on the processes in the field. With the advancement of industrial control in terms of informatization, digitalization, and intelligence, we now also need to learn about the installation, configuration, and programming of industrial control informatization software, such as Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, including their design and usage. Due to the unique characteristics of the industrial automation industry, the programming and development environments offered by different brands are not standardized; there is poor interoperability, and program portability is virtually non-existent ； Due to differences in physical interfaces and communication protocols, it is very difficult for devices to communicate with each other. This is a common problem across the entire industrial automation industry. For example, as a PLC engineer, one has to learn the programming software for Siemens, as well as that for Schneider, and also for AB; in addition, there are many other different PLC programming software options available ； As a higher-level configuration software engineer, you not only need to learn the *IFIX configuration software, but also the *INTOUCH configuration software; you may even need to learn *AB’s RsVIEW32 configuration software. This phenomenon results in industrial control engineers often switching to different programming software for each project; while becoming familiar with a particular programming software, they also need to become acquainted with the industry’s specific process requirements. What many people in the industrial control field complain about the most is having to travel, travel, and travel... constantly on business trips. Whether you work in sales or technology, you will need to travel on business. For sales, you need to travel on business trips, to attend bidding sessions, or to accompany clients... In terms of technology, you may need to travel for pre-sales technical support, for project implementation, or for post-project support... Often, once you have a girlfriend, after some time she becomes someone else’s wife. We are now facing a completely new landscape in industrial control. Internally, it involves figuring out ways to break through the downturn in the industrial control industry itself; externally, there are factors such as the rapid development of the Internet of Things, the maturity of cloud technology, and the strong impact of the Internet on industrial control. Regardless of the circumstances, whether the industrial control industry can experience a period of rapid growth ultimately depends on the people working in this field. Therefore, we should abandon some traditional concepts related to industrial control, embrace new ideas and knowledge, and hold onto this wave of change in the industry. Perhaps in the future, the industrial control industry will give rise to groundbreaking products, produce industry leaders who make a significant impact, disrupt existing patterns, and lead to a reorganization of the industry. Within that, we need to think deeply and explore how we should position ourselves and what role to play. The path in industrial control is long; I will keep searching high and low. Along this journey, let’s stay true to our original aspirations, so that when we return, we shall still be young.