03/03/06 - Artikel - Industrial Ethernet and AS-Interface

Industrial Ethernet and AS-Interface

AUTOMATION´S DREAM-TEAM

"Ethernet is comming": This was common to hear and read many times among the decision makers in the companies . Now the news is: "Ethernet is available." This triumphal procession from the nice atmosphere it the office to the rough atmosphere in the industrial production comes with good reputation in advance, several questions and one answer: "Industrial Ethernet does not make any sense without AS-Interface." The products from Bihl+Wiedemann make this good teamwork possible. It may sound fabulous but the established market research company ARC Advisory Group has not sent this sentence to the automation world without any reason. It bases on an exact forecast. The company expects a growth of 51,4 % p.a. for the Industrial Ethernet worldwide within the next 5 years and for Germany even 59 %. The idea of a standardized communication in the office as well as in the production does not only inspire global players like General Motors. GM first reorganized its own production completely and then recommended its distributors to supply Ethernet compatible products. The automobile manufacturers VW, Daimler Chrysler and BMW are familiar with Industrial Ethernet, too. In principle, the advantages of Industrial Ethernet are completely independent of the company size. So updates in the controller can be loaded directly from the engineer's offices to the machines via Ethernet. Networked real time information coming from planning, production, logistics and marketing take care of optimized in-house operations. The new PROFINET gateway has proved its pratical capabilities in January 2006 brilliantly One thing is certain: Ethernet speaks AS-i Even though nobody really doubts about Ethernet's triumphal procession from the nice atmosphere it the offices to the rough atmosphere in the industrial production, one expectation will not come true. This is the fact that the different variants of the Industrial Ethernet will be completely compatible with each other. Unfortunately they will not be able to communicate with each other. "It is like a German trying to speak to a Japanese", Mr. Bihl from the technology company Bihl+Wiedemann says. If the German is using a conventional telephone and the Japanese a mobile phone, there is a physical connection between both of them, but the failure in the communication comes from the different language they are using." So the long lasting discussion about Ethernet's ability to capture the automation market has now turned into just some detail questions. The most important question is: which of the variants of the Industrial Ethernet will establish itself on the market? This issue makes some decision makers postpone the overdue decision to invest. With Ethernet and AS-i global production procedures can be controlled from the desk But this waiting time is money. This means money for operating, maintaining and modifying conventional old plants which have to be sorted out sooner or later anyway. "Money which could be easily saved by making the first safe step towards automation immediately", Jochen Bihl says. No matter which variant wins the Ethernet competition, today one thing is certain: AS-Interface, as the indisputable solution for the lowest automation level, can communicate with every Ethernet version. Products from Bihl+Wiedemann take care of the good teamwork. The suitable Gateways for the widespread Modbus protocols have been produced for over 6 years. The AS-i 3.0 EtherNet/IP Gateways are available from stock since summer 2005. The AS-i 3.0 Profinet Gateway has proved its pratical capabilities in January 2006. The connection to all other Ethernet variants, including not so famous ones, is possible today. "We implement everything the customer requires, even very special protocols." Jochen Bihl says. One thing is also certain: Ethernet needs AS-i It is not hard to explain why both systems complement one another so well. Firstly, Ethernet, coming from the highest level will never be able to econonomically collect data from the lowest automation level (sensor level). Secondly, the latest strengths of AS-Interface can be used the best in cooperation with a partner that is able to process large data amounts. AS-Interface 3.0 offers many additional possibilities especially in parametrization, diagnosis, maintenance and service. For example analog signals can be transferred as easy as binary values. If required new sensors and actuators with diagnosis capabilities provide current state information on a extra channel even during the operation mode and almost without stressing the system. All these information can be easily handled by all popular and all future variants of Industrial Ethernet. The association of AS-i producers comprises more than 280 members in all parts of the world. So surely almost every day new ideas arise in how to make automation more efficient. Synergies between Industrial Ethernet and AS-Interface enables controlling global production processes from one single desk. And theoretically it does not matter if this desk is situated in Germany or in the USA.

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The article appeared in AS-i Magazin, issue 1/2006, page 12 - 13

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