I just got an embargoed newsletter informing about a new common Fieldbus that is to be developed by Siemens, Rockwell Automation and possibly others.
Cooperation on common bus-standard, that started years ago, now materialises in a real product.
It is reasonably straightforward, as the two main competing fieldbuses, Profinet and Ethernet/IP, can be merged together as they are both Ethernet-based.
Until now the industry giants have been competing head to head, but new EU regulatives have pressured both to adapt a wider more open standard.
It appears that the new regulatives demand that PLC and SCADA systems for plants and large scale production facilities must use an open platform fieldbus. Siemens and Rockwell Automation have acted quickly on the new regulatives.
As the name for the new Fieldbus, Siemens suggest "ProfiWeb" and Rockwell Automation suggest "Ethernet/IP+". No agreement has been reached yet.
What do you think ? I am very excited. This could be the nirvana of fieldbuses finally coming.
Cooperation on common bus-standard, that started years ago, now materialises in a real product.
It is reasonably straightforward, as the two main competing fieldbuses, Profinet and Ethernet/IP, can be merged together as they are both Ethernet-based.
Until now the industry giants have been competing head to head, but new EU regulatives have pressured both to adapt a wider more open standard.
It appears that the new regulatives demand that PLC and SCADA systems for plants and large scale production facilities must use an open platform fieldbus. Siemens and Rockwell Automation have acted quickly on the new regulatives.
As the name for the new Fieldbus, Siemens suggest "ProfiWeb" and Rockwell Automation suggest "Ethernet/IP+". No agreement has been reached yet.
What do you think ? I am very excited. This could be the nirvana of fieldbuses finally coming.