How To Use Your Preferred Fieldbus to Commission a Servo Axis
In the automation industry, there are many computer network protocols that can be used for real-time distributed control of your machine. This computer network protocol, i.e., fieldbus, is a control network used in process control and industrial automation. Fieldbuses are bi-directional, digital serial networks that eliminate any point-to-point links between devices, like actuators and sensors, and their controllers by a single digital connection. This digital connection communicates all the information consecutively in serial order and multiplexed over time to all devices.
There are several fieldbus options, including Ethernet IP, EtherCAT, Profibus, Modbus, and others. One reason there are many options is because certain PLC brands can only communicate using a certain type of fieldbus. If the end user specifies a certain brand of PLC, the machine builder is then limited to using a matching fieldbus type.