Posted to News on 26th Jan 2009, 16:30
Ethernet/IP and Modbus options for multi-axis network manager
Inmoco's Elmo Maestro multi-axis network manager can control up to 126 axes of motion, and this capability is being further enhanced by the addition of Ethernet/IP and Modbus communication protocols. The new protocols enable Maestro units to deliver improved motion control for manufacturing applications. They interface Maestro units to most programmable logic controllers (PLCs), providing a high level of visibility on the manufacturing plant floor.
Ethernet/IP for Maestro is a communication protocol that uses TCP/IP for general messaging and exchange services, and UDP/IP for I/O messaging services in control applications. The protocol provides the network tools to deploy standard Ethernet technology for manufacturing applications while enabling Internet and enterprise connectivity.
Modbus for Maestro enables both Ethernet Server-Client and RS-232 Master-Slave communication with PLCs, touch screens and SCADA systems. The Modbus support offers OEMs significant ease of implementation and cost savings when managing a broad range of multi-axis industrial applications.
Gerard Bush of Inmoco says: "By taking advantage of existing Internet network infrastructure and requiring fewer cables, Ethernet/IP offers a highly attractive and cost-effective solution to connect many devices within an enterprise network. Elmo's implementation of Ethernet/IP maintains the Maestro's superior capability to provide motion control and higher network flexibility over existing solutions. The same is true for Modbus; its integration into Maestro demonstrates Elmo's commitment to offering OEMs a comprehensive, easy-to-use and economical network-based motion control solution."
Elmo's Maestro is a network-based multi-axis motion supervisor that operates in conjunction with intelligent servo drives to provide full multi-axis motion control. The Maestro is based on a distributed motion control architecture, which spreads the processing power across the network. When working with Elmo's SimplIQ family of servo drives, the Maestro can allocate tasks to the drives so that they can perform them autonomously. This vastly reduces the amount of network traffic and the load on the processor.
