EtherNet/IP™ Overview

The 6.5 Things You Must Know about EtherNet/IP!!
Your Guide to understanding EtherNet/IP

I’m often asked what is EtherNet/IP or can you give me an EtherNet/IP Quick Introduction. Here’s the top 6.5 things you need to know about EtherNet/IP. (Note: David Letterman has his Top Ten. I’m only 65% as good as David Letterman)

1) EtherNet/IP is an application layer protocol that is transferred inside a TCP/IP Packet. That means that EtherNet/IP is simply the way data is organized in a TCP or UDP packet.  For information on what TCP or UDP is get my Industrial Ethernet Book.

2) All devices on an EtherNet/IP network present their data to the network as a series of data values called attributes grouped with other similar data values into sets of attributes called Objects.

3) There are EtherNet/IP Required Objects – Identity, TCP, Router that every device must have. The EtherNet/IP Specification defines those objects.

4) There are EtherNet/IP Application Objects that have the data for your specific device. For example, an EtherNet/IP Drive device has a Motor Object. EtherNet/IP devices that support specific devices all have the same set of EtherNet/IP application objects.

5) There are two kinds of messages that are transferred between an EtherNet/IP Client Device (opens connections and initiates data transfers) and EtherNet/IP Server devices (provides data to Clients). These messages are Explicit Messages (asynchronous, as needed) and I/O Messages (Data messages that are continuously transferred).

6) EtherNet/IP is part of CIP, the Common Industrial Protocol. CIP defines the Object structure and specifies the message transfer. CIP protocol over CAN is DeviceNet. CIP protocol over Ethernet is EtherNet/IP. CIP on a ControlNet physical network is ControlNet.

6.5) Our company, RTA, is the leading supplier of EtherNet/IP technology. RTA can supply Royalty Free EtherNet/IP Source Software stacks, EtherNet/IP PCBs, and Modules.