New Anybus Communicator CAN offers enhanced connectivity

HMS Industrial Networks Inc (www.hms.se) has expanded its Anybus Communicator for CAN-enabled devices portfolio, to allow communication between an industrial network and any industrial device with a CAN interface.

After the product’s initial release in July, which provided connectivity to five networks, HMS now provides a complete solution for 11 major fieldbus as well as industrial Ethernet networks.

Aside from CANopen, Profibus, DeviceNet, Profinet and EtherNet/IP connectivity, the new Anybus Communicator CAN now has the ability to connect to ControlNet, CC-Link, EtherCAT, Modbus RTU, Profinet-IRT and Modbus TCP networks.

It allows easy and quick connection of CAN-enabled devices, such as frequency drives, actuators, sensors, barcode readers, HMIs, RFID readers and other types of industrial machinery, to a higher level network.

When asked about the new additions, HMS Product Line Manager Martin Falkman, said, “There is a great need to connect industrial automation devices running CAN to different industrial networks. The initial market response after the first release in July confirms this and the product is already being implemented on a wide scale.”

“The networks in highest demand so far have been EtherNet/IP and DeviceNet, but we have also seen an increase in orders from Profinet users. With the new release, we now realize the full Anybus promise of offering connectivity to any fieldbus or Ethernet network.”

Devices with a CAN 2.0 A- or B-based protocol can now be connected without the need for software or hardware changes to the CAN devices, allowing automation devices to be integrated into high-speed Ethernet/fieldbus networks without restrictions to the upper network.

The Anybus Communicator CAN package includes the Anybus Configuration Manager allowing visual CAN frame building without scripting or programming skills needed.