Rockwell Automation 1788-EN2DN Ethernet-to-DeviceNet Linking Device - Manual (Page 6)

6 Ethernet-to-DeviceNet Linking Device
Rockwell Automation Publication 1788-IN055C-EN-P - September 2011
About the Linking Device
The 1788-EN2DN Ethernet-to-DeviceNet linking device lets you seamlessly
connect your information- or control-level networks with your device-level
network.
The linking device provides full DeviceNet master functionality, so you can
connect up to 63 DeviceNet slave devices to an Ethernet TCP/IP interface that
supports the EtherNet/IP network and an HTTP web server. As examples, you
could use the linking device:
• as a gateway to connect information- or control-level networks to
device-level networks for programming, configuration, control, or data
collection.
• as a router/bridge to connect the EtherNet/IP network to the
DeviceNet network.
The linking device provides centralized data storage, or I/O tables, for data
shared between the DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP networks. Data is placed into
the I/O tables by one network interface, allowing the data to be read through the
other network interface.
The linking device appears as a single device on either network by using standard
protocol mechanisms. No special, or extended, protocol features are required for
the devices on either network to read or write the data flowing through the I/O
tables; all cross-network activity is transparent to the devices on either network.
All connections, whether power or fieldbus, to the linking device are made on
one end of the module. Phoenix connectors are provided for power and
DeviceNet connections. A RJ45 style connector is provided for EtherNet/IP
connection.
The linking device can be mounted to a DIN rail.