Monday, April 27, 2009

CIP Networks

CIP networks (EterNet/IP, controlNet and DeviceNet) simplify design, start up and maintenance, reducing costs throughout your plant with common control and communication services. Networks speak the same language providing seamless connectivity with no need for data mapping, proxies or programming. Each network utilizes topology, capacity and design characteristics supporting real time control, device configuration, data collection and peer interlocking to provide the best solution for your application.

CIP network are all long-lasting, open technology supported by ODVA and international standards organizations, and have millions of nodes installed world wide along with hundreds of vendors in the market.

Conventional Solution
Many applications require spanning a number of devices overlong distances. The device network used for these applications is often split multiple smaller individual network segments to comply with network limitations or to better accommodate the physical layout of the system. A separate processor is usually installed to control each network segment. An information type network is also added to connect these processors together to establish communication between them. Device from different network segments communicate to each other through the processor using additional programming. The configuration of devices is accomplished via a programming terminal that has to be connected directly to the local network that the device is on.

Integrated Architecture Solution
By using product such as the EtherNet/IP to DeviceNet linking Devices, all device network segments can be easily tied together using an EtherNet?IP backbone. The seamless bridging and routing capability of CIP networks ensure that all devices can communicate to each other regardless of which network they are on. In other word, one controller and one programming terminal is all that you need to control and configure all the devices. This significantly simplifies the system architecture allowing better manageability and easier maintenance. In addition, because Ethernet/IP is standard Ethernet, it allows real time control applications and commercial technologies to exist on the same network providing better management and easier maintenance or your network.