Infrastructure guide for EtherNet/IP

As advances in Ethernet technology and reduced component costs fuel the growth of Ethernet in plant floor networks, ODVA publishes a guide that represents the combined knowledge of experts from companies that are leading the industry in the application of Ethernet on the factory floor.

“Network Infrastructure for EtherNet/ IP: Introduction and Considerations” provides an introduction to the network infrastructure used in EtherNet/IP networks and gives users a framework for identifying the considerations that are most critical to their specific applications.

The guide can be freely downloaded from the ODVA website (www.odva.org). The EtherNet/IP network provides users with the tools to deploy standard Ethernet technology for manufacturing applications while enabling Internet and enterprise connectivity.

ODVA Executive Director Katherine Voss: “The application of Ethernet and Internet technologies is permeating every aspect of manufacturing automation today – control, safety, configuration and diagnostics, synchronization and motion, and information.

“This new guide from ODVA should prove an invaluable resource for engineers looking to build networks on EtherNet/IP.” ODVA also announced the setting up of the EtherNet/IP Infrastructure Joint Special Interest Group, which aims to promote standards for infrastructure devices used in communication networks that implement EtherNet/IP.

The Infrastructure jSIG will focus on developing enhancements to the EtherNet/ IP Specification consisting of profiles for devices such as switches and routers, paving the way for ODVA to issue “Declarations of Conformity” for infrastructure devices designed to support networks using EtherNet/IP.