The Benefits of EtherNet/IP

Parker's IPA Servo Drive/Controller Offers Seamless Integration Into the Logix Format

What do customers really mean when they ask for an EtherNet/IP servo drive? Nine times out of 10 they want a servo drive that quickly and easily integrates into a Rockwell CompactLogix or ControlLogix system. While Rockwell is not the only control supplier with EtherNet/IP-based solutions, it certainly has a dominant place in the North American PLC market. Older fieldbus solutions such as DeviceNet are being phased out, making EtherNet/IP almost the exclusive choice for adding servo drives to a Rockwell system.

The Intelligent Parker Amplifier (IPA), a full-featured servo drive/controller, is delivered standard with EtherNet/IP (EIP) communications capability. The IPA is an EIP adapter device (aka server or slave) that is ready out of the box for a PLC to establish communications to it. This includes support for both I/O and explicit messages.

I/O messages, sometimes referred to as Class 1 communications, are the data messages that need to be transferred continuously, such as position and torque values. The IPA supports up to 100 parameters in this format, with data rates as low as one millisecond. Explicit messages are for asynchronous or as needed data requests, for example set-up or advanced diagnostics.

However, having support for EtherNet/IP is only half the battle, because what those Logix programmers really want to make their jobs easier is Add-On Instructions. What is an Add-On Instruction (AOI)? Simply put, it’s a user-defined set of functions that is wrapped up into a reusable package. Other PLC programming software call these user function blocks. In either case, the programmer can create his or her own chunks of code, or better yet someone else’s code chunk, and use it without worrying over the details each time.

Parker has created a growing set of AOIs for seamless integration of the IPA with CompactLogix and ControlLogix controllers. The AOIs encapsulate IPA functionality into the Logix format, allowing the PLC programmer to quickly and confidently incorporate motion into the overall application. The programmer gets a high-performance, high-value servo drive, without having to learn a new language or software environment. Motion commands are presented as PLC function blocks with intuitive input and output names. IPA-specific User-Defined Data Types are imported along with the AOIs, creating recognizable tag names for more than 400 drive parameters for additional diagnostic capability.

In addition to the standard AOIs, adventurous developers and ATC support personnel can also take full advantage of the IPA programming language and to create complex, custom routines called by the PLC. The IPA can also operate as a stand-alone programmable controller, enabling the user to test functions and prototype motion outside of the PLC environment for extra flexibility. The IPA has been EtherNet/IP Conformance tested by the ODVA and field tested by dozens of customers, not only with Rockwell controllers but also pairing nicely with Ormron PLCs.

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