New boost for DeviceNet
DeviceNet, the first implementation of the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) on CAN, which was developed more than 15 years ago, has seen a new boost because of the rising demand for EtherNet/IP, the Ethernet based version of CIP. Within the last 2 ½ years, more than 30 new DeviceNet vendors have registered an ODVA Vendor ID. The device manufacturers realized, that it makes not always sense to set-up an industrial communication system based on Ethernet (the connection costs per node are significantly higher compared with CAN) and end customers often require a common application layer for their heterogeneous systems, grown over a long time. Both results in a higher demand for DeviceNet. An additional push results from the new, very powerful 32 bit microcontrollers, like the Cortex M3 with an integrated CAN controller, which enable the development of highly complex applications.