The S/IP (SERCOS/Internet Protocol) specification has been released by SERCOS International. The protocol allows standard Ethernet IP communication with a SERCOS III network both during cyclic real-time network operation and during non-real time operation. During real-time operation, the S/IP telegrams are transmitted via a non-real-time channel, without any negative effect on the real-time network behavior, according to a Dec. 27 SERCOS International announcement. Unlike some competitive Ethernet motion networks, a SERCOS master need not be operational for IP communication to function, the organization said. SERCOS, for SErial Realtime COmmunications System, is a digital interface for communications between controls, intelligent drives and decentralized peripheral devices, such as sensors and input/output devices (I/O). With the new S/IP protocol, the vertical integration of devices into a production system is improved. Any Ethernet device, such as a notebook computer, can be plugged into any unused SERCOS III port for upload/download of parameters and status information for set-up, reporting and remote maintenance and diagnostics over an intranet or the Internet. In addition to reading and writing the parameters of a device, S/IP supports the possibility of combining several tasks and sending them to the final device for processing. Manufacturer-specific services can also be added to the fixed, preset, standardized protocol services, which makes SERCOS III particularly flexible for users and developers. SERCOS North Americawww.sercos.comSERCOS International e.V. www.sercos.de
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