To add to that, any time I talk about B&R capabilities to our guys they always say “Why in the hell are we using AB?”
All networked B&R components are auto-addressed, no IP or node switches needed. All parameters and firmware are installed in the PLC. If a drive is swapped, all configurations and address are set automatically. Be it a servo drive or VFD. If the HMI goes out, install a new one, and on bootup click “Load Project From PLC”. Done.
The maintenance guys don’t need a laptop to replace any component, don’t need to mess with BOOTP or addresses, or worry about getting parameters correct when changing a drive.
“AB does that too with ADC.” Yeah, they do. After a myriad of checkboxes, exact match settings, storing to sd-card, firmware flashing, and a managed Ethernet switch with another set of configurations and IP persistence.
B&R does it out of the box, no need to enable it. Also, if you need a DHCP server, the B&R PLC can do that too.