CIP Safety for Sercos Now Available

At a press briefing during the Pack Expo 2012 show, Sercos International (SI) and IXXAT Automation GmbH (IXXAT) announced the availability of a protocol stack software for CIP Safety on Sercos.

The safety software developed by IXXAT uses the SMP (Sercos Messaging Protocol)  that enables the representation of the CIP data and services on configured, cyclic data containers in the Sercos International telegram. Due to the modular architecture of the CIP Safety protocol software, the stack can be used for Sercos III as well as for EtherNet/IP without any restrictions.
 
The software package contains the protocol stack software for Sercos III and EtherNet/IP, a safety manual, and unit tests. Because all components are made available as ANSI-C-code, porting to customer-specific safety 

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platforms is possible with a minimum of effort. The unit tests provided considerably facilitate the recertification of the CIP Safety protocol software after porting the code to a safe target platform. To keep the cyclical and clocked communication of Sercos III intact, the CIP messages and TCP/IP telegrams are transmitted in the Unified Communication Channel (UCC) which is an integral part of the Sercos transmission method. 

The blended infrastructure approach was announced in April 2012 by Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA) and SI as one of the first practical results of the machinery initiative, in which SI, ODVA and OPC Foundation collaborated.

“It is an invaluable advantage for users and suppliers to use a standardized safety protocol and a uniform protocol software for different bus systems. Development costs and investment risks are reduced to a minimum,” says Peter Lutz, Managing Director of Sercos International.

IXXAT provides various services regarding the CIP safety technology, such as consulting, code introduction, integration workshops, implementation support of the CIP Safety software in customer-specific hardware and software, and assistance in final device certification. 

At the SPS show in Nuremberg/Germany, November 27-29, 2012, booth 110, Hall 6, a demo will show various Sercos III and EtherNet/IP devices connected to controller prototypes fromBosch Rexroth and Schneider Electric using a common Ethernet infrastructure on a single cable.

Other Sercos News 

Also, Cannon-Automata announces a vendor independent interface between SSI encoders and the Sercos III Automation Bus. SSI is the standard interface for absolute encoders. With the SSI-Gateway, CANNON-Automata introduces a simple and inexpensive device that allows connection of SSI encoders of any vendor to a Sercos III network.

FSP-Encoder – the Sercos communication profile for encoders

SSI is a worldwide standardized serial protocol for exchange of absolute position values between an encoder and a control. It is supported by most manufacturers of absolute encoders. With the introduction of the encoder profile (FSP-Encoder), Sercos international has standardized the exchange of position values between incremental or absolute encoders and controls within a Sercos III network. Together with the scaling functions specified by the profile, a high level of interoperability is guaranteed. The SSI-Gateway combines these two standards in one device. Thus, Sercos users are free to always choose the encoder best suited for an application from any vendor – without having to worry about interoperability.
 
The SSI-Gateway supports up to four Sercos III real-time data connections. Thus, it is possible to make the acquired position available to any other device connected to the Sercos network–an important feature for applications with master and slave axes, cam profiles or electronic gears. In addition to the position value, the device can also measure and transmit the current velocity and acceleration.
 
The device supports a wide range of SSI protocol settings and is suitable for connection of practically all SSI encoders available on the market:  transmission frequencies from 67.5 kHz up to 2 MHz, 8 bit to 31 bit encoder resolution, binary or gray code and odd or even parity. Two digital outputs with configurable voltage levels are available:  one to invert the encoder counting direction and one to set the current position to zero. The two onboard digital inputs can be used to signal encoder-specific diagnostic information on the Sercos network.
 

The SSI-Gateway is available in protection class IP20 housing for DIN rail mounting. It is equipped with two RJ45 connectors for integration into the Sercos network and one connector for SSI signals, digital I/Os and 5VDC or 24VDC power supply for the encoder, address switches and diagnostic LEDs.