Energy management comes to industrial Ethernet

May 2, 2012
Users of EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, CompoNet and ControlNet technologies now have ways of handling energy management over industrial networks.

ODVA, formerly known as the Open DeviceNet Vendors Association, recently expanded the capabilities for monitoring energy usage that are built into EtherNet/IP and other CIP Networks: EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, CompoNet and ControlNet technologies.

The EtherNet/IP Specification now includes functions for energy awareness and power management and lets users conserve energy by reducing power used while devices and equipment sit idle. The new facilities will let vendors reduce the amount of time needed to build energy reporting and power management features into their equipment, ODVA says.

The newest network specs, released in April 2012, include updates for network management, including the addition of a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent in an EtherNet/IP device, and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) as another option for high availability, alongside Device Level Ring, for devices with multiple Ethernet ports and embedded switch technology. The specifications are organized as a group of publications in The CIP Networks Library.

To get a look at the new specifications, order the specifications from the ODVA website: http://www.odva.org/Home/CIPNETWORKSPECIFICATIONS/Order/Specifications/tabid/132/lng/en-US/Default.aspx

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