Bus controller based on Ethernet Powerlink

By Control Engineering Staff August 29, 2006

Ethernet Powerlink bus controller enables connection to B&R Industrial Automation’s X20 system via real-time Ethernet..

Roswell, GA— X20 bus controller based on Ethernet Powerlink (EPL) from B&R Industrial Automation provides real-time Ethernet cycle times of 200

Compact device has a system width of 37.5 mm (1.5 in.) and consists of a base module, a supply module for voltage for the system and fieldbus interface. Flexible fieldbus interface features a bus-independent backplane that can be pre-installed. Removable terminals makes pre-wiring possible as well. Two RJ45 interfaces are intended for economical daisy-chain wiring.

No programming is required to transfer or receive I/O data on the fieldbus. It works by configuring the field bus master. Real-time behavior makes the EPL bus controller fully synchronized to the network and all axes connected to it. Cross traffic-for example, for acquiring rotary encoder values to directly forward position data to the axes-also is possible. The action reportedly will not load down the CPU, and no delays will result from the transfer cycles.

—Control Engineering Daily News Desk Jeanine Katzel , senior editor