Hilscher plans introduction of 'coupler' between CC-Link IE and PROFINET

August 23, 2017- When the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) announced a new joint specification to allow interoperability between CC-Link IE and PROFINET, they centered the specification on the functionality of a ‘coupler’ device which would allow transparent communication between the two protocols. Now Hilscher has demonstrated its intent to bring the first coupler products to market, enabling both networks to share information.
With the new coupler, users can effectively achieve communication between differing parts of a line on separate networks, increasing transparency and integration. The bridge between the two networks will reduce the engineering work that has traditionally been necessary to achieve integration across the heterogeneous network architectures that are a fact of life in numerous plants around the world.
In particular, it will make it easier for companies to source machinery from different suppliers in different regions of the world, rather than feeling a need to compromise on functionality or performance simply for the convenience of maintaining a single network protocol. With CC-Link IE and PROFINET being most prevalent in Europe, the specification is intended to simplify integration and increase freedom of choice for end users who source production machinery globally.
Hilscher has already shown prototypes of the new device on the CLPA stand at the 2016 SPS/IPC/Drives fair in Nuremberg and again at SPS Italia in Parma in 2017. Hilscher will have prototypes with basic functionalities in October of this year with a launch scheduled for Tokyo and Nuremberg in November. Full product release is expected near the end of the first quarter 2018.
About CC-Link Partner Association
The CC-Link Partner Association is an international open network organization founded in 2000 dedicated to the technical development and promotion of the CC-Link family of open automation networks. The CLPA's key technology is CC-Link IE, the world's first and only open gigabit Ethernet for automation and an ideal solution for Industry 4.0 applications due to its unmatched bandwidth. Its main activities include the development of CC-Link IE and CC-Link technical specifications, conducting of conformance tests, development support, and promotion of the CC-Link technologies.

Check out our free e-newsletters
to read more great articles.
- Company Portal:
- Hilscher
- Posted in:
- Industry
- Related Portals:
- Advancing Automation using IIoT and Industry 4.0 Concepts, Factory Automation, Industrial Networks, PROFINET, Sensors & Industrial I/O, Systems Integration
MORE INDUSTRY NEWS
-
Zigbee Alliance announces IKEA as member of Board of Directors
This decision validates the IKEA’s commitment to universal open IoT standards for its smart home product offerings and complements IKEA’s...
-
NUM announces opening of Indian office
NUM AG has opened a branch in Bangalore in November 2019. With this expansion in Asia, the international company with headquarters in Teufen,...
-
Valcor Engineering announces solar energy effort to enhance environmental protection
Their most recent endeavor involves the installation of 2,194 solar panels on the building’s recently replaced roof.
-
Microchip Technology announces Early Access Program for PolarFire system-on-chip field...
The platform offers the a hardened real-time, Linux capable, RISC-V-based microprocessor subsystem on the mid-range PolarFire FPGA family, bringing...
-
exida announces Honeywell's ControlEdge PLC as winner of 2019 Exida Cyber Award
The ControlEdge Safety PLC was chosen as the winner in the Embedded Device category due to many problem-solving capabilities while demonstrating...
RELATED
-
Litum IoT helps Ferrero Group enhance worker tracking
Ferrero needed a way to confirm that all its employees could be safely accounted when an emergency evacuation was underway.
-
Association for Advancing Automation Report: North American machine vision market down in 2019
Machine vision systems saw a decrease of 2% year over year, at $599.9 million. This category includes smart cameras and application specific...
-
The Death of the Family Album: Specifying the right cleanroom environment
By Mark Howard, EU Automation
It is vital to understand how cleanrooms truly operate if you are to get the best out of yours. This article... -
Inside the Rise of 5G Industrial Automation Networking
By Bill Lydon, Automation.com
5G is starting to make the goal of wireless industrial automation a reality. Companies are already starting to... -
Advancing Automation: Sensors & Instruments, Volume XXI
With so many new tools and capabilities, it can be hard to keep up with innovations. That’s why Automation.com remains committed to being the top...