Feature Communications & Networking Fieldbus uptake on a downward curve
Following the findings of a new study by IMS Research, Tom Moore, analyst - Discrete Automation, looks at the future of an industrial fieldbus infrastructure and asks, is it sustainable?
grated system. This is difficult to achieve with fieldbus technologies. Instead end users will usually have separate office IT divisions and factory IT divisions. Ethernet adoption across a plant or factory provides a better environment for sharing information and a single division with responsibil- ity for the overall network. The bene- fits of which are likely to be less down-time and lower overall cost.”
What will the future hold? The future still is strong for fieldbus, with new connections still increasing year on year. However, it is undeniable that industrial Ethernet growth will remain higher than that of fieldbus. IHS believes that within ten to 15 years industrial Ethernet will be the dominant networking technology in industrial environments and almost all components will offer Ethernet con- nectivity as standard.
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erial connectivity and networking specialist, Brainboxes, has launched the first two products in a new range of industrial specification devices. As with all its Ethernet to Serial port devices, these new products are designed to provide easy, fast and reliable connections between networked computers and devices with seri- al ports - be it across the desk or across the world.
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In addition, the new ES-511 and ES-522 boast a host of additional features that make them suitable for tough industrial environments. As factories expand and modernise, older equipment and remote devices need to be networked, but cabling can be expensive and impractical, especially over larger areas. Brainboxes’ Ethernet to Serial range provides a solution to securely and remotely manage a wide range of serial accessories for various applications in an organisation. Performance, power and temperature can be monitored remotely to make main- tenance easier. The input voltage from 5V to 30V is well suited for the factory floor but allows configuring through a USB port. Brainboxes’ ‘Easy Wire’ feature has removable numbered and colour coded
screw terminal blocks for fast and error-free wiring. The slim ‘end on’ case with integral mount and ground, clips straight onto a DIN-rail. All the products in the Industrial range are able to operate in a temperature range of -30ºC to 80ºC.
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new study by IMS Research (now part of IHS Inc) has esti- mated that fieldbus protocols accounted for 75% of new industrial automation component net- work connections in 2011. This is pro- jected to fall to 69% in 2016. New network connections using fieldbus protocols are still some way ahead of Ethernet, yet growth of Ethernet con- nections is expected to be consider- ably higher by 2016.
More industrial automation compo- nent vendors are offering Ethernet provision as standard on their devices. A number of vendors released new products in 2012 which
put the emphasis squarely on connec- tivity via Ethernet technology. As these vendors push the adoption of Ethernet protocols it requires machine builders and end users to switch from older fieldbus technologies. A IHS analyst for industrial Ethernet, fieldbus and wireless research commented, “While fieldbus solutions offer connection speeds that may be fast enough for certain applica- tions, they do not offer a unified net- working approach, such as with Ethernet technologies.” It’s not just unification which is an issue. Simplifying the network can reduce company overheads through an inte-
Long product lifecycles and conser- vatism in industry will maintain field- bus in the near term but eventually it will be relegated to a supporting role. “With the reduction in adoption will likely come an increase in cost also, further fuelling the transition to indus- trial Ethernet,” commented Moore. ‘The World Market for Industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus Technologies - 2013 Edition’ is now available. This includes extensive analysis of industrial Ethernet and fieldbus technologies.
IMS Research
www.ihs.com T: 01933 402 255
Ethernet to Serial devices for industrial applications
Enter 213
Eamonn Walsh, managing director of Brainboxes, said, “Brainboxes’ decades of serial port solution development brings serious expertise to the industrial mar- ket. We have developed features that offer great usability and genuine answers to the issues facing engineers on the factory floor.” Brainboxes
www.brainboxes.com T: 0151 220 2500
Enter 214 APRIL 2013 Automation
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