Jul
12
2010
A question of flexibility
Thema: POWERLINK, Professional Article
Implementation strategies for POWERLINK
Among a large number of Ethernet-based communication systems that are suitable for automation due to their real-time capability, nowadays solutions such as PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, POWERLINK or Sercos III set the standards. Although all of the above-mentioned systems are based on Ethernet, they vary considerably in terms of their specific features and areas of application. When selecting a suitable protocol, not only criteria such as performance, availability and hardware costs play a decisive role but also the possibilities for optimum implementation.
