EtherNet/IP is an Ethernet-based network protocol popular in industrial settings. It translates the Common Industrial Protocol for use over Ethernet.
History
In the 1980s, engineers were looking for a solution for managing increased I/O in automation that required more bandwidth than networks like Modbus could offer. An open protocol called ControlNet was developed. Unfortunately, it would soon be outclassed by faster options.
DeviceNet later premiered as a CAN-style network with the same object technology as ControlNet, and it proved very useful for linking up dozens of devices with relatively decent speed. At the core of DeviceNet was the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP). The Common Industrial protocol allows different kinds of devices to synchronize and communicate harmoniously.
However, the 1980s also saw the booming of Ethernet in businesses. So by the late 1990s, a group within ControlNet International, Ltd. had made headway developing EtherNet/IP. Today, EtherNet/IP development is under jurisdiction of ODVA.
Usage
As mentioned previously, EtherNet/IP is very popular in industrial manufacturing settings, but it’s used in just about every industry to a certain degree.
Traditionally, servo drives, controls, and other devices on the market that use EtherNet/IP are designed to operate at higher voltages such as 220VAC. However, ADVANCED Motion Controls’ FlexPro® servo drives bring EtherNet/IP to lower voltage ranges as low 10-55 VDC, giving more options to engineers.
Benefits
EtherNet/IP is quite fast, with data speeds as high as 100 Mbps and I/O data cycle times in the range of 1 to 10 ms.
EtherNet/IP is very easy to implement, as it uses standard Ethernet hardware. It shares the same Transport Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) as standard Ethernet as well.
The Common Industrial protocol makes it very convenient to link many different kinds of devices that can respond to the same language.
Because it is used so widely, there’s an extensive amount of resources and support tools available.
ADVANCED Motion Controls’ Capabilities
At present, EtherNet/IP is available primarily in our custom solutions, but it will soon be available across our standard servo drive offerings.
