Ethernet industrial protocol (automation) (EtherNet/IP)
Ethernet Industrial Protocol (EtherNet/ IP) is an open industry standard for industrial real-time Ethernet, based on TCP/IP and UDP/IP. With the EtherNet/IP protocol, Ethernet is extended by the Common Industrial Protocol( CIP) on the application layer. With EtherNet/IP, all Ethernet components and the known network and transport protocols can be used in the industrial environment. This also includes the two- wire technology of Single-Pair Ethernet( SPE).
In EtherNet/IP the lower layers of the OSI reference model of Ethernet with the transmission, switching, network and transport functions are adopted. This means that EtherNet/IP supports bridging functions and routing and uses the TCP protocol as transport protocol, alternatively the UDP protocol. The latter for real-time applications, since the UDP protocol is much more compact and has a lower overhead than the TCP protocol. While the UDP protocol is used to transmit time-critical control data, the TCP protocol is used to transmit information data in parallel.
Above the transport layer, the encapsulation of the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) takes place, which is mapped on the TCP/IP protocol. The application layer is about HTTP and the File Transfer Protocol( FTP).
EtherNet/IP supports real-time applications in automation, production, and manufacturing, and has the advantage of providing continuity from the corporate network through the Internet or other IP networks to production networks. With such networks, a continuous flow of information can be established within the company but also beyond the suppliers.
The standardization of EtherNet/IP was accompanied by various consortia. For example, by ODVA, which represents the interests of DeviceNet, ControlNet International( CI), which represents the interests of ControlNet, and the Industrial Ethernet Association (IEA), which promotes Industrial Ethernet. The cabling and services are based on ISO/IEC24702 and use an RJ45 connector with bayonet lock.