Connector standardization helps further the interoperability of EtherNet/IP products in open, multi-vendor environmentsAnn Arbor, Mich., April 5, 2004 - ODVA today announced that the four-pin, D-coded M12 connector has been chosen as the pin-and-socket style connector for EtherNet/IP. The M12 connector, widely accepted in industrial applications, joins the IP67-rated RJ45 connector that is already part of the network's specification to give users standards for the physical-media infrastructure in EtherNet/IP installations. Connector standardization is essential to drive interoperability of EtherNet/IP in open, multi-vendor systems. ODVA has an agreement with ControlNet International to co-manage the EtherNet/IP specification. Specification enhancements to EtherNet/IP are developed in joint Special Interest Groups (jSIGs) by members from both organizations - which include many of the world's leading suppliers of network physical media. Participants in these jSIGs assign or license these enhancements jointly to ODVA and ControlNet International. This process insures that vendors and users will be able to use the technology contained within the EtherNet/IP specification without additional licensing agreements or fees. "Our membership recognizes that, in order to meet the requirement of users, ODVA must drive standardization and limit the number of variants of Ethernet connectors that have been designed for the industrial environment," said Katherine Voss, ODVA executive director. "ODVA will continue to drive this standardization through the collaborative work in the EtherNet/IP jSIGs and ODVA's advocacy work in international standards bodies in order to promote open standards for industrial Ethernet." "Standardization of connector variants for industrial Ethernet is critical to market adoption of Ethernet in factory automation," said Randy Below, vice president of OEM Business for The Siemon Company and an EtherNet/IP Physical Layer jSIG participant. "The EtherNet/IP specification is leading the industry in meeting this market need."Peter Schäffeler of Hirschmann Electronics, also an active jSIG member, agrees: "The addition of the D-coded M12 variant expands the flexibility of EtherNet/IP by incorporating a widely used connector technology into the EtherNet/IP specification. The jSIG recognized the need for the combination of ruggedness with a small physical size and excellent performance capabilities."In addition to its joint technology agreement for EtherNet/IP with ControlNet International, ODVA is a leading advocate for Ethernet standards in the industrial environment. To this end ODVA has a cooperation and cross license agreement with the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) for the purpose of building common industrial Ethernet specifications, a memorandum of understanding with IAONA for the advancement of Ethernet TCP/IP-based communication technology for industrial automation, and has recently been approved as a Category Class D Liaison to the SC 65 Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).About EtherNet/IP EtherNet/IP extends commercial off-the-shelf Ethernet to the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP(tm)) - the same upper-layer protocol and object model found in DeviceNet. CIP allows EtherNet/IP and DeviceNet product developers, system integrators and users to apply the same objects and profiles for plug-and-play interoperability among devices from multiple vendors and in multiple sub-nets. Combined, DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP promote transparency from sensors to the enterprise software.About ODVAODVA is an international association comprised of members from the world's leading automation companies. Collectively, ODVA and its members support network technologies based on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP(tm)). These currently include DeviceNet(tm), EtherNet/IP(tm), CIP Safety(tm) and CIP Sync(tm). ODVA manages the development of these open technologies, and assists manufacturers and users of CIP-based networks through tools, training and marketing activities. In addition, ODVA offers conformance testing to help ensure that products built to its specifications operate in multi-vendor systems. ODVA also is active in other standards development organizations and industry consortia to drive the growth of open communication standards. For more information, visit its web site at www.odva.org.
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