By Maria Piazza
As networked input/output (I/O) technology advances and becomes readily available, standardization of operating networks, programming languages and communications protocols gives customers a broad range of choices for their specific applications. This openness, however, has created some confusion for users, underlining the need for solutions that are easy to integrate with diverse control systems.
The U.S. market has been slow to adapt to fieldbus networking technology. While design engineers are actively discussing fieldbus and seem to be headed in that direction, they are still in the investigating stage for the implementation of this technology.
The most common networking technologies used are based on RS-232/485 (a network media base) and are rack-based, programmable logic controller (PLC) I/O. Today?s fieldbus networks are making progress and the most commonly used fieldbus networks ? DeviceNet, Profibus-DP, Interbus-S and CANbus ? are expected to maintain their leadership positions in the near future.
Obviously, users are not putting all of their networks in the same technology basket. Companies are likely to have several network types within their facilities to accommodate the different applications, supporting the theory that each network has its own unique features.
With technology continuing to advance, communications protocols are becoming a commodity. Chips are being designed, distributed and easily incorporated into communications cards and field devices, giving users a broader selection of products for their specific applications. Standardized networks make their buying decisions easier.
Personal computer control is still only a small part of the automation picture, but it has made significant progress in the past few years, making up 10.7 percent of the overall networked business sales in 1998 (Venture Development Corp., ONetwork I/O Study,O 1999). Users no longer have to deal with just one supplier for all components of a control system. In the advent of this openness to suppliers, field engineers are wondering how all of this is put together.
In this broad and diverse market, design engineers are looking for technically advanced, easy-to-use wiring solutions. These solutions involve connectors and advanced terminal blocks to provide unique wiring solutions required for the application.
Design engineers are always seeking simpler wiring solutions: something easier to wire and easier to integrate; something unique to their application, yet easy to work with and maintain. Supported by the openness of today?s fieldbus networks and driven by technology advances, networked connectors are a cost-effective way to meet these requirements.
MARIA PIAZZA is director of Marketing, Weidm?ller Inc., 821 Southlake Blvd., Richmond, VA 23236; (804) 794-2877; Fax: (804) 379-2593; Web site: www.weidmuller.com.
