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Better at reaching out Once upon a time, a factory-wide Ethernet local area network (LAN) was, if not rare, approached tentatively. Replacing a proprietary network with Ethernet required installing an expensive Ethernet card. No longer. The new 20-point Micro820 programmable logic controllers (PLC) from Allen-Bradley (ab.com) has embedded Ethernet and serial ports. Along those lines, General Electric (ge.com) recently debuted three new programmable automation control (PAC) PACSystem RX3i modules to provide IEC61850, DNP3, and IEC60870-5-104 Ethernet-based communication for "in-rack" systems. The modules also support fber optic networking without external converters. At the very least, the modules help improve access to data and to time- stamping events using object-oriented programming. Rachael Conrad, business manager, Networks and Security, Rockwell Automation, points out two more reasons why manufacturers are migrating to standard EtherNet/IP networks. First, "EtherNet/IP has increased the recognition of the importance of a secure environment from the enterprise down to the end devices. [Second] to better leverage technologies and capabilities, such as big data, cloud computing, and virtualization." However, a LAN isn't anything without the devices it networks together. The latest Sinema Server station from Siemens Industry Automation Div. (industry.usa.siemens. com/automation/us/en/industrial-controls/Pages/industrial- controls.aspx) can monitor up to 500 devices, double that of the previous server. Each Sinema Server can display the status of up to 100 other Sinema Servers within the network, bringing the total number of clients to 50,000. Connected components are automatically identifed using SNMP (simple network management protocol), and Profnet devices are Industrial Control Keeps Getting Better The changes in PLCs and PACs aren't so much in operational, but in networking, user interface, and compute horsepower. by Lawrence S. Gould > Contributing Editor identifed by DCP (device control protocol). Included software displays all physical connections at the port level, as well as machine- or application-specifc network confgurations. Network malfunctions are fagged, including those in existing virtual LANs. Diagnostic information includes both confguration and device-identifcation data, such as name, device type, serial number, and product-specifc status. There's also the wireless route. Siemens announced last year a low-cost Scalance series of modules for wireless machine networking with transmission rates up to 150 Mbps; the higher-priced series, rates up to 300 Mbps. Both comply with the IEEE 802.11n standard. Better at visualizing operations While the factory foor is hardly a gamer's paradise, production control and monitoring works best with fast, p Allen-Bradley's Micro820 PLC includes embedded Ethernet and serial ports, a microSD slot, pulse-width modulation output, and a built-in real-time clock that doesn't require a battery—in a package measuring 3.5 x 3.9 x 3.2 in. AD&P; > April 2014 > FEATURE > Industrial Control Keeps Getting Better > Lawrence S. Gould > lsg@lsgould.com 42 0414ADP FEATURE Hardware.indd 42 3/18/2014 12:15:43 PM