Ethernet has become the preferred emerging communications networking option for the plant floor communications. This has created a transition from using field buses in the factory and provided a way to communicate within an entire factory setting including the front office systems.

These networks in automation have enough speed for manufacturing environments, and can provide real time capabilities for the most critical application situations. By installing Ethernet everywhere a company greatly simplifies installation and maintenance while opening the door to many advances in communication technology.

Automation and control protocols for Ethernet are significantly different form the standard implementations. Many manufacturers and organizations provide their own version with a higher level of Ethernet related protocol.

The most popular fieldbus standards organizations include Ethernet/IP, from Allen-Bradley Open DeviceNet Vendors Association; Modbus-TCP, from Modbus.org which allows the Modbus protocol to be carried over standard Ethernet TCP/IP Networks; Profinet, from Profibus Internation (PI) which is most popular with Siemens; and Ethercat originally developed by Beckhoff, which offers twisted pair and fiber optic media.

Ethernet/IP

In North America, the most popular standard among manufactures is Ethernet/IP, considered one of the top five industrial standards for factory automation and process-automation applications.

This standard was introduced and developed in 2001 by Rockwell Automation and is now part of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61158 standard and supported by the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA).

EtherNet/IP offers a consumer and producer system progression, while the devices are called input/output (I/O) scanner and I/O adapter. It also has the functionality of explicit message server and explicit message client.

The I/O scanner initiates talking with the I/O adapter and trades information. The I/O scanner is responsible for the operation parameter setup of the I/O adapters. An Allen-Bradley PLC is a good reference for an I/O Scanner.

EtherNet/IP is based on the 802.3 standard providing the needed flexibility. Network topologies include line topology, ring topology, star topology or any combinations of these using hub and switch devices, supporting 10 Mbps & 100Mbps.

It is included in the ODVA group of protocols that come with the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) as the upper layer. The two other protocols include CIP are DeviceNet and ControlNet.

EtherNet/IP uses Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP). For setting up and messaging, EtherNet/IP uses TCP frames and UDP frames which gives real-time process data.

Automation Networks offers several Ethernet/IP products for industrial networking, computing and factory automation. ANC converter options include:

ANC-100e: Ethernet IP to AB Data Highway Plus DH+ converter, popular for SCADA/HMI/PLC programming and Ethernet/IP PLC messaging with SLC 5/04s and PLC-5s on DH.

ANC-120e: USB to DH+ PLC Programming Cable for RSLINX PLC Programming using the AB Ethernet IP Controllogix Ethernet/IP Driver.

ANC-300e: RS485 to Ethernet/IP & Ethernet/IP to various Ethernet Protocol Converter.

Other Automation Network popular Industrial Networks for communications include Allen-Bradley Ethernet CSP, DeviceNet, Siemens Profibus & Profinet IO; Schneider Electric Modbus RTU & Modbus TCP/IP, CC-Link, BACnet MS/TP, BACnet/IP & MELSEC.

Please contact Automation Networks to discuss your Ethernet IP application.

For more production information contact us at:

AUTOMATION NETWORKS & SOLUTIONS LLC

8300 FM 1960 West, Suite 450

Houston TX USA 77070

Tel: (281) 771-0019 / Fax: (281) 754-4299 /Toll-Free: (855) 810-6790

Email: info@automation-networks.com

https://www.automation-networks.com