POWERLINK added to network for improved design flexibility

The complete, pre-tested, pre-certified solution enables system designers to add Industrial Ethernet to an existing product or to a new product in the fastest time and at the lowest cost. With the RapID Platform Network Interface, system designers have the flexibility to embed the RapID Platform into their field device application as a module or completely embed the module’s components into the field device’s circuit card.

Either way, previous users have confirmed the reliability and flexibility of the RapID Platform which also removes the development risk when managing the industrial protocol and network traffic for a host processor.

Jordon Woods, Director, Deterministic Ethernet Technology Group, Analog Devices commented: “With industrial automation applications transitioning from serial fieldbus to Ethernet connectivity and with the simultaneous push toward a ubiquitous industrial IoT, there is a rapidly growing need for highly reliable, real-time Ethernet connectivity for industrial automation systems.”

He continued: “The RapID Platform Network Interface with POWERLINK gives ADI customers immediate access to innovative options for today’s Industrial Ethernet applications while creating best-in-class roadmaps for future connectivity needs in applications such as Industrial Internet of Things.” 

The RapID Platform POWERLINK Network Interface operates as a Controlled Node (CN) and contains the POWERLINK object dictionary with the object ranges provisioned for both standardised device profiles and custom manufacturer configurations. 

The Network Interface makes use of these features to support the standard devices such as I/O modules, encoders, motor drives or a custom device. In this way, the Network Interface is easily customised to represent all of the data an application produces or consumes via POWERLINK. 

In addition, all of the parameters defined in the POWERLINK object dictionary are available for access via SDO communications in the Asynchronous Phase of POWERLINK. The Network Interface also provides an embedded webserver so users can view network parameters and I/O data via customisable webserver content using the provision for communicating IP frames, also in the Asynchronous Phase of POWERLINK. 

The RapID Platform POWERLINK Network Interface is available now as engineering samples. The fully certified production version will be available in June 2017. The Network Interface can be ordered with either a UART Host Interface (RapID-NI V2011) or with a parallel Host Interface (RapID-NI V2111).