December 28, 2007 - Santa Rosa Beach, Florida - At the recent SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg, SERCOS International and IXXAT Automation GmbH announced their cooperation in the area of safe real-time communication, where IXXAT will develop a portable stack software for the CIP Safety on SERCOS safety protocol. The stack software can be used for SERCOS master as well as SERCOS slave implementation and consists of a CIP Safety layer and a CIP Safety on SERCOS adaptation layer. The software will be pre-certified by the TÜV and BGIA agencies according to IEC 61508 SIL3 to facilitate the development and certification of safety-relevant automation devices.
IXXAT is also planning to develop a SERCOS III interface module based on the universal IXXAT “Industrial Ethernet Module,” where the complete SERCOS III functionality is integrated into an Altera FPGA component and made available for connection to host systems via a universal interface. IXXAT will also provide consulting and support involving CIP safety technology. “We are pleased to have found a competent and experienced partner in IXXAT, who not only will develop an independent and easily portable safety stack but are also available as a competent service provider,“ says Peter Lutz, Managing Director of SERCOS International. According to Prof. Dr.
-Ing. K. Etschberger of IXXAT Automation, SERCOS III represents an important part of the IXXAT strategy, which is aimed at offering various viable real-time Ethernet protocols in a universal hardware interface module.
About SERCOS International
SERCOS International is an association of users and manufacturers responsible for the technical development, standardization, certification and marketing of the real-time SERCOS interface standard. Currently, more than 2 million SERCOS real-time nodes have been implemented in more than 350 thousand applications. The organization, with its principal office in Germany, has more than 60 member companies worldwide with branches in North America and Asia.
About IXXAT
IXXAT Automation GmbH is a leading supplier of products and services in the area of data communication systems for automation and automotive technologies. Their product portfolio comprises interface cards, test systems, analytical tools and protocol software. IXXAT currently has more than 70 employees, predominantly electronics and computer sciences engineers and boasts a certified quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001.
See www.ixxat.de for more information.
