Cyclic synchronous control modes — cyclic synchronous position, cyclic synchronous velocity, and cyclic synchronous torque — are standardized operation modes of drives, defined in the CiA 402 profile specification, CANopen device profile for drives and motion control and included in the IEC 61800-7 standard, Adjustable speed electrical power drive systems — Part 7: Generic interface and use of […]
Fieldbuses
What is the CANopen over EtherCAT (CoE) protocol?
The CANopen over EtherCAT (CoE) protocol allows devices equipped with CANopen to be used on EtherCAT-based Industrial Ethernet networks. CANopen: Simple and low-cost CANopen is a communication protocol based on the CAN (Controller Area Network) physical communication standard. In the OSI communication model, CAN specifies the physical and data link layers, while CANopen addresses the […]
What is Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) and how is it used in industrial applications?
Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) is a technology that provides Ethernet transmission over a single pair of copper wires, while also transmitting power to connected devices via Power over Data Line (PoDL). Single Pair Ethernet was initially developed to meet the demands of the automotive industry — smaller, lighter cables and connectors for transmitting data from […]
What is AS-I Safety and what are its benefits for motion systems?
When sensors, actuators, and other lower-level components are used in a functional safety capacity, AS-Interface Safety at Work offers a simple, efficient, bus network for monitoring these safety devices — alongside standard, non-safety devices — on the AS-Interface cable. Recall that actuator-sensor interface (AS-Interface, or simply AS-I) is a master-slave bus that operates at the […]
BG series of Dunkermotoren now available with integrated PROFINET interface
Modern machines and devices use all available process data to optimize them and make them transparent. PROFINET as a communication standard is ideally suited for this. Dunkermotoren early on integrated PROFINET functionality, including the PROFIdrive profile with application classes 1 and 4, into motors as standard. This offers PROFINET users significant advantages in cabling, commissioning […]
TwinCAT IoT now supports Siemens’ MindSphere
MindSphere, the Industrial IoT as a service solution from Siemens, is now one of the latest solutions that can integrate with TwinCAT. Beckhoff has offered diverse IoT communication capabilities with its TwinCAT IoT product family since 2015. Transmitting data to the cloud or between networked machines in this way creates enormous potential for increasing production […]
Contactless energy transfer, cable-free communication open up new possibilities for machine builders
One of the more promising recent developments in connection technology is contactless energy and data transfer and its use in the industrial world. Such technology can replace wiring and cables and cable carriers, lowering costs and streamlining designs. For instance, robotic systems are sometimes limited by constraints in automation and drive technology. However, consider the […]
Micro PLCs now with EtherNet/IP
IDEC Corporation has added EtherNet/IP communications to its MicroSmart FC6A Plus PLC. This update provides more options for end users, designers, and OEMs to integrate the FC6A Plus with many types of I/O systems and intelligent automation devices. The FC6A Plus is already expandable to support up to 2,060 I/O, making it suitable for controlling […]
Power over Ethernet (PoE) and M12 connectors in motion designs
Though the internet of things is most visible to laymen in consumer devices, the IIoT is massive. The majority of applications are in business, factory, and healthcare settings … and more than a third of the nearly $6 trillion IoT market is in manufacturing. Connectivity is the basis of all this IIoT — providing the […]
Part 3: Trends in Ethernet, PoE, IO-Link, HIPERFACE, and single-cable solutions
As we explored in Part 1 and Part 2 of this six-part series, machine designs are evolving with wireless connectivity, cloud-based operations, and open programming. In this installment, we explore how Ethernet has continued its expansion in industrial connectivity. We also detail increasingly useful cable types for IO-Link and HIPERFACE … as well as cross-network […]
