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Network and Fieldbus Modules

Network and fieldbus modules - Flexible communication

Fieldbus and IT networks are standards in automation today. B&R systems support the most common fieldbus systems and networks.

Unlimited communication

Today, extensive communication possibilities are a basic requirement for any automation solution. Ethernet is easily experiencing the strongest growth in this sector. CAN bus systems are also experiencing significant gains. Flexible communication and networking are a fundamental part of B&R products. Most CPUs are already equipped with an integrated 10/100 Mbps Ethernet interface. Communication must adapt to meet the requirements of the application. That is why there is a wide product range of interface modules. They can be used with all x86-based CPUs from the 2003 and 2005 systems as well as with the Power Panel 200 series. The modules are based on the B&R aPCI standard. Plug-in cards are available in the PCI format for B&R Industrial PCs.

aPCI modules (advanced PCI) based on the PCI bus standard. The form factor and boot behavior have been optimized for usage in automation devices.

Profibus DP

Started in 1987 as a publicly promoted project in Germany, Profibus has become one of the most important fieldbuses worldwide. With a share of more than 90% of all Profibus fieldbus devices, Profibus DP constitutes a central focus; it is a high-speed (up to 12 MBit/s) and simple protocol for classic automation tasks in the area of production engineering. Profibus PA distinguishes itself through the possibility of intrinsically safe operation and the supply for the field devices via the bus for process engineering.

CAN bus

CAN bus has had much success, particularly in machine manufacturing, and is steadily gaining importance. High resistance to disturbance, high-speed data transfer, ease of use and deterministic real-time behavior are among the reasons for this success. CAN is the ideal fieldbus for applications with a manageable number of remote I/O nodes and few axes. As a fieldbus, CAN bus reaches its limits when dealing with larger and more complex machines. For these applications, however, POWERLINK is the ideal expansion in the higher performance range.

POWERLINK - Ethernet TCP/IP

POWERLINK provides a standard protocol for Fast Ethernet, which has proven its tough real-time characteristics in thousands of applications. The Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG) ensures openness and continuous advancement. POWERLINK as Standard Ethernet based system represents the second generation of fieldbus. This makes it possible to apply the full power of IT technologies to the automation field for the first time. POWERLINK is comparably suited for drives, I/O, visualization and data exchange between PLC systems.

X2X Link

CANopen

CANopen is a communication protocol for layer 7 (user layer in the ISO/OSI model), which features a high degree of flexibility in the configuration and uses CAN as layer 2 transport medium. Originally developed for motion applications, it is now an established protocol in a wide range of application areas, such as medical engineering, naval navigation, railroading and even building automation. CANopen is not a classical master-slave system, but rather runs with Client-Server services and follows the Producer-Consumer principle. It provides standardized communication objects: Service Data Objects (SDO) for configuring object directory entries, Process Data Objects (PDO) for transporting real-time data, Network Management objects (NMT) to the controller and monitoring the nodes as well as other objects such as Synchronization Object, Time Stamp and Emergency Telegrams.

Additional Info

System Characteristics

Overview Network and Fieldbus Modules