ODVA: new EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, and SERCOS safety

Staff -- Control Engineering, 1/1/2007

ODVA made several announcements at SPS/IPC/Drives in Nuremberg, Germany, including next editions of EtherNet/IP Ethernet protocol and DeviceNet industrial network protocol, SERCOS adoption of CIP Safety, and DTM configuration for CIP.

Next editions of DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP specifications, the second publication of updates in 2006, offer more than 20 enhancements to further increase ease of configuration, "allowing more comprehensive and useful information to be contained within EDS (electronic data sheet) files, adding Device Type Managers (DTM) configuration options, and facilitating deployment of these networks with increased flexibility."

EtherNet/IP's specification previously defined the use of MT-RJ connectors, but the enhanced specification allows the additional use of LC sealed connectors. A DTM configuration option now has been included within the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) specification, adding the capability for using DTMs for device configuration, without removing any existing options. Another enhancement, to the wider CIP specification, removes the limitation where some text strings are English only, allowing local languages to be used. CIP include DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP, and ControlNet digital networks.

SERCOS will adopt CIP Safety as its functional safety protocol, SERCOS International (SI) and ODVA announced Nov. 28. ODVA will extend The CIP Safety Specification to include safety profiles for SERCOS devices, with published specifications and first device implementations expected in 2007. SI will develop the SERCOS III network adaptation to utilize CIP Safety. The organizations will develop and establish conformance testing for devices implementing CIP Safety on SERCOS to help ensure device interoperability in multi-vendor systems.

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