Yaskawa SmartTrac AC1 - Manual (Page 47)

SMART TRAC AC1
Technical Manual TM 3554-000 Networking the Smart Trac AC1
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5-1
Networking the Smart Trac AC1
Types of Networks for Your Smart
Trac AC1
Several methods exist to network your Smart Trac AC1: Arcnet, Ethernet,
Profibus, DeviceNet, and others. The methods you choose depend on whether
you will have a "self-contained " network or you will interface to an enterprise-
wide LAN. Below are a few guidelines to help you choose which method or
combination is right for your application. More than one type of network card
may be stacked in the Smart Trac AC1.
A typical use of Ethernet involves the addition of an Ethernet card in the stack to
provide a fast, reliable, PC-based interface to the Smart Trac AC1. As an
alternative to a serial RS-232 connection, an Ethernet card may be used for high
speed monitoring, program uploading and downloading, and running
diagnostics. A TCP/IP address is assigned to the ethernet card, as is true of all
ethernet cards running the TCP/IP protocol. However, any valid and unique
TCP/IP address may be assigned, if the device will not interface to a corporate
network.
Most industrial drive networks are self-contained, communicating with each
other to control sections of a specific machine. They do not necessarily interface
with the Internet or a corporate local area network (LAN). ARCNET, Profibus,
DeviceNet, Modbus and Ethernet may be used in self-contained networks.
Ethernet would provide for PC-based operation of Smart Trac AC1s attached to
the network.
Arcnet, or Attached Resource Computer Network, was developed by Datapoint
Corporation. A relatively simple, inexpensive and reliable LAN, it uses token
passing in a star or bus topology to transmit data at up to 2.5 Mbps. Many PLCs
are networked using this networking method. Choose Arcnet if your application
requires multiple Smart Trac AC1s to be coordinated.
RG-62 coaxial cable should be used to connect devices in an Arcnet network.
Up to 255 nodes may be configured using UTP or coaxial cable and hubs.
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The IRQ, I/O port address and node ID of each arcnet node must be set
manually. Because of the way Arcnet initializes stations when the LAN
is first activated, it is important to locate devices with sequential
physical addresses located close to one another.
PC-based Operation
Self-Contained,
Control Networks
ARCNET