The FairCom EtherNet/IP connector service allows reading and writing data tags to and from the most common industrial devices, such as Allen-Bradley PLCs like ControlLogix and CompactLogix, using a variety of Allen-Bradley supported field bus communication protocols. The time between data collection events can be modified. For example, to collect data twice every second, set "dataCollectionIntervalMilliseconds" to 5000.
Once data is collected from EtherNet/IP devices, it becomes a powerful asset that data scientists and engineers can use for a wide range of sophisticated applications. Using tools like SQL for analytics and machine learning in the cloud, this data can drive numerous improvements beyond basic monitoring, including predictive maintenance, operational efficiency, quality control, energy optimization, supply chain optimization, asset management, worker safety, simulations, and augmented training.
Note: A tag is a piece of named data with an associated value. For example, the tag temperature 70 includes both the named data temperature and the value 70. In JSON, a tag is a JSON property, such as "temperature": 70. In a SQL table, a tag is a data field, such as a field named temperature with a value of 70.
This connector currently supports the EtherNet/IP and PCCC over DF1 protocols. The EtherNet/IP protocol runs over TCP/IP networks. The PCCC command protocol runs over the DF1 serial protocol.
Transforming data from EtherNet/IP devices
Before saving collected data, FairCom Edge can:
- Tag data by converting binary data into easy-to-use, flexible JSON properties and table fields.
- Standardize data using uniform tag names, data types, units of measure, etc.
- Enrich data with location, status, or troubleshooting information via lookup values.
- Run calculations to determine Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), categorize ranges of values, or convert between units of measure. FairCom Edge's JavaScript engine can perform just about any calculation you can imagine.
- Monitor conditions by capturing threshold violations, determining equipment status, creating alerts, and so forth.
Sampling of devices that support EtherNet/IP
Upon collection, FairCom Edge can instantly deliver the processed data to multiple destinations, such as publishing MQTT messages to various topics, sending data to REST endpoints, writing to other devices, or delivering to cloud platforms.
FairCom Edge integrates with devices that support the EtherNet/IP protocol, including devices from the companies in the following table.
| Type of Device | Sample Companies with EtherNet/IP Devices |
|---|---|
| PLC | Allen-Bradley, AutomationDirect, Beckhoff, Emerson, Hitachi, Kinetix, Mitsubishi, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, Wago, etc. |
| Barcode Readers | Allen-Bradley 48CR, Cognex, Datalogic, Keyence, Honeywell, Ifm Efector, Leuze, Omron, Rockwell Automation, SICK, etc. |
| Robotics | ABB, Epson, FANUC, KUKA, Mecademic, Mitsubishi, Staubli, Yaskawa, etc. |
| Servo Drives | Advanced Motion Controls, Applied Motion, Allen-Bradley, Rockwell Automation, Kollmorgen, Mitsubishi, Parker Hannifin, Schneider Electric, NIDEC, Wittenstein, Yaskawa, etc. |
| Smart Sensors | KMC Controls, Micro-Epsilon, Optris, Pepperl+Fuchs, Wenglor, SICK, etc. |
| VFDs | ABB, Allen-Bradley, Armor PowerFlex, AutomationDirect, Control Techniques, Danfoss, Parker Hannifin, Rockwell Automation, Siemens SINAMICS, Toshiba, Yaskawa, etc. |
| Vision Systems | Banner Engineering, Cognex, di-soric, GigE, Keyence, Omron, Rockwell Automation, SICK, etc. |