Rockwell Automation has released a 75-page addition to the "Converged Plantwide Ethernet Design and Implementation Guide" to help machine builders and manufacturers deploy integrated motion using EtherNet/IP networking technology. The new chapter of the guide, which was developed as part of a collaborative effort with Cisco, provides detailed design guidance, recommendations and best practices to help control-system engineers tightly and securely synchronize their motion applications within the plantwide architecture.

For applications requiring highly integrated motion control, such as packaging, pick-and-place, converting, assembly and robotics, the network infrastructure must be capable of managing time-synchronization services and delivering data between devices in a timely manner. The new chapter of the Design and Implementation Guide addresses both of these tasks, while leveraging the EtherNet/IP network.

Traditionally, machine builders and manufacturers have used a dedicated network for motion applications, a design strategy that requires specialized hardware and often leads to a more isolated system design where information is not easily accessible. EtherNet/IP is designed and established to connect from the device-level all the way up to the end-customer's IT infrastructure and across applications, including: discrete, process, safety, motion and drive control. By moving from multiple, dedicated networks to a single, integrated, network architecture for the network plantwide, users can deploy an information-enabled architecture that reduces their engineering time, integration risks and total cost of ownership.

By harnessing the IEEE-1588 Precision Time Protocol, the EtherNet/IP network delivers the high-performance, deterministic control required for closed-loop drive operation, including position, speed and torque regulation within a drive. Other industrial protocols use a time-slotted approach where each device on the wire is given a specific and strict band of time for communications. This approach requires the end user to reschedule the entire network whenever a device is added or removed from the system. With EtherNet/IP, clocks in the end devices are tightly synchronized and information in the message is time-stamped with an accuracy of 100 nanoseconds. This means that across any given control system, hundreds of axes can be coordinated for precise, synchronized motion control.

"Addressing the requirements of deterministic, real-time, closed-loop motion control with TCP/IP technology is an essential next step to helping manufacturers design converged plantwide Ethernet architectures," said Steve Zuponcic, manager, Commercial Engineering, Rockwell Automation. "Using the detailed Design and Implementation Guide, our customers can quickly achieve network convergence and gain access to the real-time information they need for plantwide optimization."

By collaborating on products, services and educational resources, the industry leaders enable machine builders and manufacturing companies to converge their network infrastructure with EtherNet/IP, delivering secure information throughout the plantwide network and ultimately improving business performance.

"Rockwell Automation and Cisco are committed to helping manufacturers bridge the technical and cultural gaps between plantfloor and higher-level IT information systems," said Chet Namboodri, global director, Manufacturing Industry Solutions and Marketing, Cisco Systems. "We've worked together to test and validate the Design and Implementation Guide, ensuring that our respective customers can efficiently optimize their manufacturing and overall business operations."

To download a free copy of the guide visit, http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/td/enet-td001_-en-p.pdf

(Debashish Ghosh, Rockwell Automation. Tel: 0120-2895245. Email: dghosh@ra.rockwell.com)