Industrial Ethernet Connector Concepts

FairCom supports the following Industrial Ethernet Connectors:

Section Description
EtherNet/IP The EtherNet/IP section provides concepts, tutorials, API references, and startup configuration for common industrial devices such as Allen-Bradley services.
Modbus The Modbus section details the concepts, tutorials, API reference, and startup configuration for the Modbus service.
MTConnect The MTConnect section details the concepts, tutorials, API reference, and use cases for the MTConnect connector.
OPC UA The OPC UA section provides tutorials on how to interact with the FairCom Edge database server using the FairCom Explorer Web Utility to pull, store, view, and use tags from an OPC UA simulator.
Siemens S7 The Siemens S7 section provides concepts, tutorials, and API reference on the Siemens S7 connector.

All FairCom Industrial Ethernet connectors provide the following features that you control through the user interface: 

  • A connector can collect data as fast as one millisecond and as infrequently as you want.
  • A connector can store each data point when it is collected, or to minimize storage consumption, you can store data points only when they change, when they fall in or out of predefined ranges (deadband), and when they exceed a minimum jitter threshold. 
  • A connector can transform bit values and specific numbers into human-readable strings.
  • A connector can interpret collected values as any type of binary data, from one-byte to eight-byte integers signed or unsigned, IEEE floating point numbers, strings, etc.
  • A connector can run JavaScript code to transform collected data, such as converting a Celsius temperature to Fahrenheit or converting a simple sensor level value into the number of gallons in a round tank.
  • A connector can take data from one device and write it to other devices.
  • A connector can standardize collected data into your factory's standard data format.
  • All data collected by a connector can automatically be sent with guaranteed delivery as MQTT messages within the factory and to the cloud. Likewise, collected data can be sent with guaranteed delivery to factory software, such as MES and ERP systems.

Before saving collected data, FairCom Edge can transform data for the following purposes:

  • 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.

 

FairCom Edge Protocol Capabilities

Protocol Read Data Bulk Read Data Write Data Bulk Write Data
EtherNet/IP Yes Arrays Yes Yes
MTConnect Yes Yes No No
OPC UA Yes Yes Yes Yes
Siemens S7 Yes Yes Yes Yes

 

Protocols supported by devices

 

Protocols supported by PLCs 

PLC Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
ABB Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) Yes Yes Yes Yes    
AutomationDirect Yes Yes   Yes    
B&R Industrial Automation Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Bachman Electronic Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Beckhoff Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Bosch Rexroth Yes Yes Yes Yes    
CONTEC (Raspberry Pi) Yes Yes Yes      
Delta Electronics Yes          
Emerson Yes Yes Yes      
Fanuc Yes Yes     Yes  
Honeywell Yes Yes Yes Yes    
HIMA Yes   Yes      
Hitachi Yes Yes Yes      
Maple Systems Yes Yes        
Mazak         Yes  
Mitsubishi Electric Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Omron Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Industrial Shields (Raspberry Pi) Yes          
Schneider Electric Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Siemens Yes   Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wago   Yes Yes Yes    

 

Protocols supported by CNC Machines 

CNC Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
AMADA     Yes   Yes  
DMG MORI     Yes Yes Yes  
EMAG     Yes Yes    
Haas Automation Yes Yes Yes   Yes  
Hurco Companies         Yes  
MAG Yes   Yes   Yes  
Makino     Yes   Yes  
Okuma         Yes  
Trumpf     Yes      
Yamazaki Mazak     Yes Yes Yes  

 

Protocols supported by Barcode Readers 

Barcode Reader Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
Allen-Bradley 48CR   Yes        
Cognex   Yes        
Datalogic Yes Yes Yes      
Keyence   Yes Yes      
Honeywell   Yes        
Ifm Efector   Yes        
Leuze   Yes Yes      
Omron   Yes Yes Yes    
SICK Yes Yes Yes      

 

Protocols supported by Robotic Manufacturers 

Robotic Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
ABB Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Comau Yes Yes        
Denso Yes Yes        
Epson   Yes Yes      
FANUC Yes Yes Yes Yes    
KUKA   Yes Yes Yes    
Kawasaki Yes Yes        
Mitsubishi Electric Yes Yes Yes      
Staubli Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Universal Robots Yes Yes Yes      
Yaskawa Electric Yes Yes Yes      

 

Protocols supported by Servo Drives 

Servo Drive Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
Advanced Motion Controls Yes Yes        
Applied Motion Yes Yes        
Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation)   Yes        
Bosch Rexroth   Yes        
Delta Electronics Yes Yes        
FANUC Yes Yes        
Kollmorgen Yes Yes        
Mitsubishi Electric   Yes        
NIDEC Control Techniques Yes Yes        
Omron   Yes        
Parker Hannifin   Yes        
Schneider Electric   Yes        
Siemens Yes Yes Yes     Yes
Wittenstein Yes Yes Yes      
Yaskawa Electric Yes Yes        

 

Protocols supported by VFDs 

VFD Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
ABB Yes Yes        
Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) Yes Yes        
Armor PowerFlex Yes Yes        
AutomationDirect Yes Yes        
Control Techniques Yes Yes        
Danfoss Yes Yes Yes Yes    
Eaton Yes Yes        
Fuji Electric Yes Yes        
Mitsubishi Electric Yes Yes        
Parker Hannifin Yes Yes        
Schneider Electric Yes Yes        
Siemens SINAMICS Yes Yes Yes     Yes
Toshiba Yes Yes        
Taskawa Yes Yes        

 

Protocols supported by Vision systems

Note PROFINET and GigE Vision are also popular protocols for vision systems

Vision System Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) Yes Yes        
Cognex Yes Yes Some      
Keyence Corporation   Yes        
Omron Some Yes        
SICK  Yes Yes        
Teledyne Technologies Yes Yes Some Some    
TKH Some Yes Some      

 

Protocols supported by Power Meters

Note BACnet/IP is also a popular protocol for power meters.

Power Meter Manufacturer Modbus EtherNet/IP OPC UA MQTT MTConnect Siemens S7
ABB Yes          
Honeywell Yes          
Siemens Yes   Yes      
Schneider Electric Yes Some