Industrial Ethernet is essential for IIot implementation in manufacturing. It needs to be simple enough to be designed, installed, maintained and adapted by engineers whose skills are focused elsewhere. As manufacturers start to address the challenges of IIoT, they find recruiting skilled control engineers increasingly difficult, so open networking communications needs to adapt to become easier to use and maintain. Addressing this, CC-Link IE Industrial Ethernet offers Gigabit speeds, no configuration files, hot-swapping of devices and high noise immunity to simplify plant wide Ethernet and overcome skill shortages. As industrial control systems developed, control engineers have moved from centralised controllers to distributed control systems. Networks of controllers can reduce the risk of system-wide shut down caused by a single device failure. Since networked control systems became established many users have migrated to 'open' networks that allow the connection al disparate third-party devices. More recently users have seen the appeal of standard Ethernet (TCP/IP) as a way of communicating shop floor data to the information system. However, unlike the popular automation networks such as Profibus and CC-Link, standard Ethernet will not deliver the performance needed for modem complex manufacturing, particularly the applications that require deterministic response. Improve network performance by reducing complexityThe leading control and automation suppliers responded by introducing their own open Industrial Ethernet protocols, and whilst most of them address the performance issues, they frequently add unwanted complexity for the user. Many companies now employ multi-skilled engineers rather than specialists, bringing in experts as needed. This can adversely affect productivity, increase down-time, and impede making changes to the network configuration as they wait for the specialist to arrive. CC-Link IE simplifies the implementation and adaption of the Industrial Ethernet networks by enabling universal tools and techniques of Ethernet to be used. Additional installations can be connected freely either to the empty port of a hub or a station, and no specific CC-Link IE protocol knowledge is required. The CC-link IE network can be configured in a range of topologies, and proprietary TCP/IP devices such as RFID readers, bar code scanners are connected via an Ethernet adaptor. Non-stop industrial networksImportantly, CC-Link IE incorporates many unique features to minimise disruption caused by network downtime. For example, any CC-Link node can be removed and the system will automatically adapt itself to keep running. Later a replacement can be fitted and the system will adapt without any disruption to the network. Other features making CC-Link the non-stop network include, high EMI immunity; station bypass for easy maintenance, and a standby master function to automatically maintain the network if the master station fails. In developing its industrial Ethernet version of CC-Link, The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) used the knowledge it had gained over the past twenty years. The outcome was CC-Link IE offering deterministic Gigabit throughput combined with high availability and ease of use. Simple really.
