ODVA expands Ethernet interconnection

By Control Engineering Staff March 7, 2001

Boca Raton, Fla. -EtherNet/IP uses commercial, off-the-shelf, Ethernet-physical media and components and an open application layer. EtherNet/IP uses the application layer common to DeviceNet and ControlNet over the TCP/IP protocol operating on standard Ethernet communications chips and hardware, so Ethernet/IP uses the same object models and device profiles as DeviceNet and ControlNet. ODVA www.odva.com


Added information
So what’s IP stand for? Internet Protocol? Industrial Protocol? Irate Pacifist? Like election jokes in Florida, the networking industry is rife with acronyms. There are APIs, OSI models, and QoS concerns. Not to mention VPNs, LANs and CANs. And that is just a drop in the acronym ocean. As a result, it was impossible to tread unsullied ground when naming EtherNet/IP. Think of any letter combination and there likely is an acronym to match. So rather than embark on a fruitless search, the powers that be went with their first inclination. Against the established IP=Internet Protocol thought, the `IP’ portion of EtherNet/IP stands for `Industrial Protocol.’ The reason: unlike many in its crowd, EtherNet/IP uses an open, industrially proven protocol at the application layer. So granted, it is a bit confusing, ODVA representatives admit; but just remember it’s industrial Ethernet and you’ll have the naming convention down ASAP. EtherNet/IP is supported by the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA), ControlNet International, the Industrial Ethernet Association (IEA) and the Industrial Automation Open Networking Alliance (IAONA).

At a glance…

  • Aim: interoperable Ethernet products from multiple vendors

  • Same application-layer protocol as DeviceNet and ControlNet

  • ‘First’ plant-floor Ethernet with real-time control functionality