At SPS Italia 2018, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) will be underlining the technology leadership position of the only open gigabit Ethernet, CC-Link IE, with a host of new developments. These include the first ‘coupler’ device between CC-Link IE and PROFINET, third party support for CC-Link IE Field Basic (IEFB), and a companion specification for OPC UA. SPS Italia 2018 takes place from the 22nd - 24th May 2018 in Parma, Italy. Visitors will be able to link up with the CLPA in Hall 6, stand F012.
The coupler between CC-Link IE and PROFINET provides a simple bridge between the two networks that will dramatically reduce the engineering work to achieve integration across different network architectures. Developed by CLPA partner Hilscher, it will make it easier for companies to source best-of-breed machinery from different suppliers in different regions of the world, with assured ease of integration. The coupler is the result of two years’ of work by the CLPA, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) and their partners, to deliver seamless interoperability between the two networks.
CLPA will also show the first third party development support from Hilscher and Texas Instruments for CC-Link IE Field Basic (IEFB). IEFB is an extension to CC-Link IE that enables vendors to easily add CC-Link IE compatibility to 100Mbit Ethernet devices. Easily implemented by software alone, it significantly reduces the cost of development and time to market.
Moreover, as a result of the cooperation between the CLPA and the OPC Foundation, visitors to the booth will also be able to learn about the new “CSP+ for Machine” concept. This allows entire machines to be handled like they were a single device significantly simplifying line configuration and maintenance. CSP+ for Machine also incorporates an OPC UA companion specification, to make it easier than ever before to extract the necessary information from process equipment, thus delivering the necessary transparency required for Industry 4.0 applications.
Finally, the booth will also feature a comprehensive display of different industry solutions, which feature a wide variety of compatible products from some of the 300 different companies that support CC-Link IE and CC-Link.
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