Rockwell Automation 22-COMM-E EtherNet/IP Adapter - Manual (Page 153)

Glossary G-3
products. DriveTools SP (version 3.01) can be used with Allen-Bradley
drives. Information about DriveTools SP can be accessed at http://
www.ab.com/drives/drivetools.
Duplex
Duplex describes the mode of communication. Full-duplex
communications let a device exchange data in both directions at the
same time. Half-duplex communications let a device exchange data only
in one direction at a time. The duplex used by the adapter depends on the
type of duplex that other network devices, such as switches, support.
E
EDS (Electronic Data Sheet) Files
EDS files are simple text files that are used by network configuration
tools such as RSNetWorx for EtherNet/IP to describe products so that
you can easily commission them on a network. EDS files describe a
product device type, revision, and configurable parameters. EDS files for
many Allen-Bradley products can be found at http://www.ab.com/
networks/eds.
EtherNet/IP Network
Ethernet/IP (Industrial Protocol) is an open producer-consumer
communication network based on the Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3),
TCP/IP, UDP/IP, and CIP. Designed for industrial communications, both
I/O and explicit messages can be transmitted over the network. Each
device is assigned a unique IP address and transmits data on the network.
The number of devices that an EtherNet/IP network can support depends
on the class of IP address. For example, a network with a Class C IP
address can have 254 nodes.
General information about EtherNet/IP and the EtherNet/IP specification
are maintained by the Open DeviceNet Vendor’s Association (ODVA).
ODVA is online at http://www.odva.org.
Explicit Messaging
Explicit Messages are used to transfer data that does not require
continuous updates. They are typically used to configure, monitor, and
diagnose a device over the network.
F
Fault Action
A fault action determines how the adapter and connected drive act when
a communications fault (for example, a cable is disconnected) occurs or
when the scanner is switched out of run mode. The former uses a
communications fault action, and the latter uses an idle fault action.