In which zone do sensors, robots, and HMI devices connect to the converged industrial network?

Question

Options

• ADMZ
• Bdistribution zone
• Ccell/area zone
• Daccess zone

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  6% (2)
• C
  92% (33)

Explanation

Option C is correct because the cell/area zone is the lowest-level zone in industrial network architectures (such as the Purdue Model), sitting directly at the operational layer where physical process control occurs - this is exactly where PLCs, sensors, robots, and HMI devices physically connect and communicate.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (DMZ): The DMZ is a buffer zone between the industrial network and the enterprise/IT network, used for controlled data exchange between zones - not for hosting field devices.
• B (Distribution zone): This refers to the network aggregation/routing layer that interconnects zones, not a zone where end devices reside.
• D (Access zone): This is not a standard industrial zone; it's a distractor borrowing terminology from enterprise network design.

Memory tip: Think "cell" as in a manufacturing cell - a self-contained unit of machines, robots, and sensors on the factory floor. The cell/area zone is literally where the physical "stuff" lives.

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