ARCwire -- ODVA announced that the first edition of the CompoNet Specification has been approved by its Technical Review Board and is scheduled to be published by ODVA in the next publication cycle of the CIP Networks Library and associated network specifications. These specifications include EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, ControlNet, CIP Safety, and now CompoNet. CIP, the Common Industrial Protocol, is a single, media-independent protocol that provides the interoperability and interchangeability essential to open networks and open systems.
Complementary to the entire family of CIP Networks -- DeviceNet, ControlNet, and EtherNet/IP -- CompoNet meets the requirements of applications using large numbers of simple sensors and actuators by providing high-speed communications with configuration tools and combining this with efficient construction, simple set-up, and high availability -- all on a single network. Further, CompoNet offers an advanced physical layer that minimizes signal degradation and transmission delays while providing the user with a flexible network architecture, offering a range of data rates -- 4, 3, and 1.5 Mbps and 93.75 Kbps -- and overall network lengths of up to 1500 meters with repeaters.
The development of the CompoNet specification has been conducted by the ODVA CompoNet Special Interest Group and consists of participants from leading control suppliers, including OMRON and Rockwell Automation. The next step in creating the open standard for this new network technology is the release of the ODVA Conformance Test for CompoNet devices. ODVA expects to see vendors start offering CompoNet conformance tested products in 2006.