5G-Based Industrial Wireless Controller: Protocol Adaptation, Prototype Development, and Experimental Evaluation
, Xinyi Du 1,2,3,4,*, Xinchun Li 4, Yachun Tu 1,2,3,5, Lin Li 2,3, Xi Jin 1,2,3 and Changqing Xia 1,2,3
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The topic of the paper is interesting and fits the scopes of the Journal. Wireless technologies in industrial environments are an important advancement, so including 5G connectivity is a relevant research field. After a careful revision, a set of comments are given below.
The term “PLC” could be added as keyword, if the authors agree.
The abstract results a bit long, in fact, the template of the journal suggests a length of about 200 words.
The contextualization of the work is well scheduled. Nevertheless, some recent works that also apply Modbus TCP in industrial control networks have been left unnoticed and could be cited to highlight the relevance of such protocol:
- Development of an Open-Source Testbed Based on the Modbus Protocol for Cybersecurity Analysis of Nuclear Power Plants. Applied Sciences, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157942
- Innovative Multi-Layered Architecture for Heterogeneous Automation and Monitoring Systems: Application Case of a Photovoltaic Smart Microgrid. Sustainability, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042234
- Communication Protocols of an Industrial Internet of Things Environment: A Comparative Study. Future Internet, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi11030066
Figure captions lack the terminal period (punctuation).
The schemes in figures 8 and 10 are very illustrative.
What is the specific model of the PLC s7-1200? For instance, if it is s7-1214C, this information should be given for a complete description.
Is there some aspect about the configuration of the PLC that should be mentioned? For instance, Modbus TCP uses the default port 502.
The main limitations of the work should be briefly mentioned in the Conclusions. For example, Linux programming skills are required to manage the protocol converter? This could be seen as a disadvantage since automation engineers do not commonly have massive knowledge about Linux.
Another question arises; have the authors studied mid- or long-term operation of the proposed network? Even more, the operation of the protocol converter under industrial harsh conditions should also be analyzed for a realistic prospect of the research.
The fact of conducting experimental tests is a very positive feature of the paper.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper deals with 5G-based industrial wireless controller. Clearly, the topic is in the scope of the journal and worth to be investigated. The paper approach and structure is clear, the language quality appropriate for a journal. However, there are few points to be mentioned:
1) The state of the art analysis could be more comparative, i.e. mentioning pros and cons of referred works.
2) It would be nice to complete Fig. 12 with some interactions of presented blocks.
3) Conclusions could be completed with more details about future works namely in context of industrial applications.
4) Is there some relation to future 6G which is planned?
5) I would appreciate few details about energy efficiency of the setup
6) ARM Cortex was selected for implementation. Perhaps also other SoC architectures could be mentioned with brief explanation why ARM was selected.
Clearly, the paper has several positive aspects, like high potential application impact, adequate number of references. Also a list of abbreviations is appreciated for easier orientation.
Despite above mentioned comments, I recommend the paper to be published after revision respecting comments from all reviewers.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The new version of the manuscript has taken into account the provided suggestions in a proper manner. Congratulations to the authors for their efforts.
