Implementing Ethernet in Computer Integrated Manufacturing system

As the number of field devices in manufacturing systems grows and the functions of the system need to be more intelligent, these devices need to exchange the rapidly increasing amount of data among them. Implementing Ethernet even at the lowest level is suitable for a better interface and offer advantages of direct access of information and equipment diagnostic. This paper proposes the integration between the industrial communications network based on the Ethernet protocol and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) system. The Ethernet module is installed onto supervisory OMRON PLC to integrate several stations in the CIM-70A system to overcome real-time communication in terms of retrieving data from other stations. The workability of this communication technique is analyzed and compared with the conventional serial communication which is widely used in automation networking systems. It is found that, the Ethernet protocol approach through the communication and integration of CIM system can be accessed easily and available to be upgraded at the management and enterprise levels of industrial automation system.

1. Introduction

Ethernet usage in the automation environment provided access to data throughout the enterprise from anywhere around the world [1]–[2]. Implementing Ethernet even at the lowest level is suitable for a better interface to the last-generation PLCs [3], as Soft-PLC, allowing the reuse of existing infrastructures. Recently, the realtime industrial network has become an important element for intelligent manufacturing systems. Especially, as the systems are required to be more intelligent and flexible, the systems should have more field devices such as sensors, actuators, and controllers. As the number of field devices in manufacturing systems grows and the functions of the system need to be more intelligent, these devices need to exchange the rapidly increasing amount of data among them.