First edition of The CompoNet Specification has been published, with related product expected this year, according to ODVA, the industry association overseeing CIP protocols . CompoNet is said to meet the requirements of applications using large numbers of simple sensors and actuators by providing high speed communications with configuration tools and combining this with efficient construction, simple set-up and high availability, on one network.
CompoNet, complementary to other CIP (the Common Industrial Protocol) networks, will likely see vendor adoption in Japan first, with products expected in 2007, ODVA says.
First edition of The CompoNet Specification has been published, with related product expected this year, according to ODVA, the industry association overseeing CIP protocols . Complementary to other CIP (the Common Industrial Protocol) networks, CompoNet is said to meet the requirements of applications using large numbers of simple sensors and actuators by providing high speed communications with configuration tools and combining this with efficient construction, simple set-up and high availability, on one network. ODVA expects to see CompoNet vendor adoption initially in Japan, with products expected in 2007.
The announcement came jointly from ODVA offices in Ann Arbor, MI, and Kyoto, Japan, on Feb. 23. ‘CompoNet will provide users with a network that is easy to configure and maintain, with comprehensive built-in error detection functions,’ states Katherine Voss, executive director of ODVA. ‘Whenever large numbers of sensors and actuators are involved, wiring effort becomes a major cost consideration. CompoNet offers quick and easy installation using cost-effective flat network cable with pressure-clamping IDC connectors or round cable that allow for flexible cabling topologies including daisy-chain and trunk-line.’
Hiroyuki Usui, chair of ODVA’s Territory Alliance Group in Japan, states ‘The Japanese market has been longing for a high speed sensor and actuator network that incorporates advanced configuration and diagnostics capabilities. CompoNet will meet this need and is expected to gain rapid widespread adoption. As the newest member of the family of CIP Networks, CompoNet promises to become a de facto standard for sensor and actuator networks, joining DeviceNet, the number one fieldbus in Japanese market, and EtherNet/IP, one of the fastest growing industrial Ethernet networks in the Asian market.’
How CompoNet works : CompoNet provides users with a bit-level network to control small, high speed machines and the CIP Network services to connect to the plant and the enterprise. CompoNet utilizes time division multiple access (TDMA) in its network layer. This approach combines with a physical layer designed to minimize transmission delays and automatically compensates for potential collisions within the CompoNet hierarchy to provide a deterministic network with the ability to update large numbers of nodes at state-of the-art update rates. It includes an option for power (24 V dc, 5 A) and signal in the same cable with the ability to remove and replace nodes under power. Originally announced under the project name ‘CipNet SA,’ ODVA said in April 2006 that the official name would be ‘CompoNet.’
In addition to The CompoNet Specification, vendors can obtain toolkits directly from ODVA. These developers’ toolkits, which include hardware and software, will provide vendors with assistance in getting started in the process of building products.
The CIP Networks Library of specifications now includes CompoNet, EtherNet/IP (an Ethernet protocol), DeviceNet, ControlNet, and CIP Safety. ODVA calls CIP ‘a single, media-independent protocol that provides the interoperability and interchangeability essential to open networks and open systems.’
— Edited by Mark T. Hoske , Control Engineering editor in chief
