EtherNet/IP™ Overview

The advantages of the CIP protocol layer over EIP are numerous. The consistent device access means that a single configuration tool can configure CIP devices on different networks from a single access point without using vendor specific software. The classification of all devices as objects decreases the training and startup required when new devices are brought online. EIP provides improved response time and greater data throughput than DeviceNet and ControlNet. EIP links devices from the sensor bus level to the control level to the enterprise level with a consistent application layer interface.

USER CHALLENGES
EIP implementation is not without challenges. Two of the most important challenges to the first time user include training and network configuration. One common problem is the lack of trained staff who understand both the IT fundamentals and the automation network. A collaborative effort between the IT and Automation staffs is required to successfully implement the first Ethernet/IP system. A second challenge is proper network configuration. Planning your Ethernet factory automation infrastructure is essential. Careful identification of all your control loops, choosing the correct routers, switches and paths and documenting your network properly are requisites for a communications network which meets your production goals and requires little ongoing maintenance.

Detractors of Ethernet applications on the factory floor often cite the lack of inherent determinism in Ethernet communications to keep it out of automation applications. While true in the past, recent developments in intelligent switches have largely eliminated this argument. These switches create separate collision domains that offer the determinism required of almost all but the most demanding of automation applications.