Linking devices!

The third product in HMS Industrial Networks' EtherNet/IP Linking Devices family has been released. The new EtherNet/IP to PROFIBUS DP Linking Device allows users to connect devices on PROFIBUS to a Rockwell ControlLogix® or CompactLogix® PLC. Users will benefit from the unique integration into Studio5000 Logix Designer from Rockwell Automation, as all configuration is made from inside Studio 5000.

The EtherNet/IP Linking Devices family already include two Linking Devices which connect devices using serial, Modbus RTU and Modbus-TCP communication. HMS now releases a new Linking Device making it possible to include any automation device with PROFIBUS DP communication into an EtherNet/IP-based network architecture. Besides being a more cost-effective alternative to in-chassis communication modules, the Linking Device also brings other advantages:

Improved system architecture
Contrary to an in-chassis module which is physically connected to the PLC, the EtherNet/IP to PROFIBUS DP Linking Device can be mounted close to the connected devices. This means that it is possible to establish a connection via a single Ethernet cable instead of multiple network specific cables. All EtherNet/IP Linking Devices from HMS support ODVA’s Device Level Ring (DLR) for ring topology.

Easy configuration
Users access their PROFIBUS DP network and device configuration through their existing Studio 5000 software. All configuration is made inside Studio 5000 where there is support for Process Variable Data Tags, as well as manual and automatic generation of named and structured Studio 5000 Controller Tags without any required user logic.

High performance and stability
The PROFIBUS Linking Device supports up to 7000 bytes of IO data, 3500 in each direction. Since the Linking Device operates stand-alone (distributed), it doesn’t affect PLC backplane performance (PLC execution time), even when large amounts of data are transferred. The PLC simply scans the Linking Device as if it were any other I/O device on the network.

Easier system integration
“The serial and Modbus-TCP Linking Device that we released earlier have been well-received by customers seeking a quick and easy way to integrate non-EtherNet/IP devices into their Rockwell architecture,” says Markus Bladh, Product Manager at HMS. “With the new EtherNet/IP to PROFIBUS DP Linking Device, we are able to offer a cost-efficient connectivity solution between the two biggest industrial networks on the market. The Linking Device supports “big data” transfer and thanks to the very tight integration to Studio 5000, Rockwell users can easily access data from PROFIBUS devices such as I/O systems, drives, sensors and instruments.”

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