Infineon Technologies, working with its partner RT-Labs, has integrated six Fieldbus and Ethernet-based protocols in the firmware of the Infineon XMC7000 industrial microcontroller.
This follows a trend of the industry embracing digital transformation and Industry 4.0, and communication protocols in industrial automation becoming more important than ever.
The firmware is available through Infineon's ModusToolbox development platform, providing access to all major industrial communication protocols in a single software solution. This allows users to quickly and easily implement the required protocols on the XMC7000 microcontroller, fully using its high-performance capabilities in various applications, including servo drives, I/O modules, robotic arms, industrial gateways, PLCs, and more.
“Infineon’s XMC microcontrollers have a long history of enabling the factory floor. As Industry 4.0 continues to build momentum, existing Fieldbus and Ethernet-based protocols are critical for industrial automation,” said Panagiotis Venardos, Senior Product Manager Microcontroller, Infineon. “We continue to invest in higher performance microcontrollers and connected MCUs to help drive further enhancements to how the factory floor seamlessly communicates. Our partner RT-Labs helps bring scale to this effort with their field-proven and highly optimised Ethernet and Fieldbus protocol stacks.”
“At RT-Labs, we believe industrial communication should be effortless. As a Premium Partner with Infineon, we’re bringing plug-and-play connectivity to ModusToolbox,” added Marcus Ekerhult, CMO, RT-Labs. “With support for leading protocols and U-Phy technology, developers can now accelerate development and launch products faster while ensuring reliability and compliance. We’re excited for this partnership and the innovations it will unlock.”
Industrial communication protocols are standardised sets of rules and procedures that govern the exchange of data between devices and systems in an industrial automation and environment.
Thanks to the collaboration between Infineon and RT-Labs, customers now have access to the following communication protocols: PROFINET RT, EtherNet/IP, CANopen, CC-Link, Modbus/TCP, EtherCAT Master.
