To achieve the visions of Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing, the ways in which control networks and information networks interact are becoming more frequent and more complex than ever. This presents some difficult challenges and numerous new options for users architecting production systems using control system networks like EtherNet/IP.
More data is now required from manufacturing machinery and much of that data originates in devices participating in the production system. Devices with new functionality not directly related to controlling the production system are now being included on what is known as the “control network.” Beyond the question of “what is a control network?”, there are numerous other questions that should be clarified for the architects of manufacturing production systems. These questions include:
- How do we define an EtherNet/IP network? How should we define an EtherNet/IP control system network?
- Should devices not related to the functioning of the production system be included on an EtherNet/IP network?
- How many EtherNet/IP nodes can be on an EtherNet/IP network? Should a maximum number of nodes be specified?
- How should a reliable, efficient and high-performing EtherNet/IP network be architected?
- What are the requirements of an Ethernet network hosting an EtherNet/IP control network?
In addition to introducing the “One Big Switch” optimum performance EtherNet/IP network design model, this paper addresses these questions and presents a wired Ethernet network architecture for EtherNet/IP conformant devices exchanging control signal traffic.
Authors
Gary Workman, Industrial Ethernet Consulting LLC
John Rinaldi, Real Time Automation
