NEWS
CONNECT A PC TO ANY INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET NETWORK WITH IXXAT INPACT
The new IXXAT INpact from HMS Industrial Networks combines the proven Anybus technology with years of IXXAT know-how in the PC interface card area. The result is a PCIe card with multi-protocol support for numerous industrial Ethernet standards and a uniform protocol and card-spanning application programming interface.
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ntil now, it has been complicated to develop PC-based measurement, visualisation or service applications for several Industrial Ethernet standards since different interface cards and application programming interfaces had to be used for each protocol. The new IXXAT INpact is the solution to this.
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Based on proven Anybus and IXXAT technologies, HMS offers a PCIe card in standard and low-profile formats which supports all leading industrial Ethernet standards. Users can easily connect their PC-based slave application to EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, PROFINET IRT/RT, Powerlink and standard TCP/IP by using the IXXAT INpact. Through the uniform driver concept, the customer can switch between protocols quickly and without extensive programming and also profit from future protocol extensions and developments.
06 | Industry USA | April 2015
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Support for multiple industrial Ethernet standards The network solution inside IXXAT INpact is based on the Anybus CompactCom technology, today used within millions of automation devices globally. Used in combination with a flexible FPGA-based PCIe bus connection, the Anybus NP40 network processor has all functions required to process the communication between the Industrial Ethernet network and the PC-based customer application. With low latency times and a deterministic real-time behavior, it is perfect for demanding industrial applications. Furthermore, the 2-port Ethernet interface (10/100 Mbit, RJ45s), supports protocol specific switch functions – such as IRT for PROFINET, DLR for EtherNet/IP and Hub for Powerlink. The Common Ethernet flash-update feature enables the user to download any industrial Ethernet protocol without switching cards in a quick and cost-efficient manner, which