Parker Releases ETHERNET Powerlink

New protocol is deterministic for real-time industrial applications.

Parker’s Electromechanical Automation Division is pleased to announce that a selection of its motion control products are now enabled with ETHERNET Powerlink to increase system performance while decreasing system cost and installation time. These products include the ACR9030 and 9040 multi-axis EPL controllers and the Aries EPL servo drives. Parker has plans to release additional products later in the year.

Users of motion control technology have long relied on Ethernet for I/O control, data networking and HMI communications. As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, however, automation users want Ethernet to keep up with the higher- performance motion control systems now available – a desire that is sometimes at odds with the abilities of standard Ethernet. Using multiple devices on the same Ethernet network, for example, may cause data collisions resulting in timing delays. In other words, there is no guarantee when a data packet will arrive at its intended destination – not a viable option for real-time control.

Enter ETHERNET Powerlink, a high-speed, digital motion-bus solution connecting a motion controller to multiple drives and I/O points using standard Ethernet networking hardware. This centralized, real-time communication system for automation and motion control has helped make Ethernet deterministic for real-time industrial applications. By extending IEEE 802.3 Ethernet with a mixed polling and time-slicing mechanism, ETHERNET Powerlink gives motion control users real-time data transfer packaged in short cycles with microsecond precision.

Determinism (guaranteed timing of information) is achieved with standard Ethernet hardware by the use of network time slot management. Each Powerlink controlled node (CN) has a dedicated time slot with which to send and receive information to and from the Managed Node (MN).

ETHERNET Powerlink is an open standard maintained by the ETHERNET Powerlink

Standardization Group. Ethernet Powerlink uses standard, off-the-shelf Ethernet networking hardware and chipsets. Multiple vendors, OEMs and users drive the standard so that it

addresses the needs of the industry. Consumer volumes keep hardware costs down and ensure ETHERNET Powerlink is future-proof. As the industry migrates toward Gigabit Ethernet, manufacturers can simply incorporate the new, standard Gigabit chips into their products with relatively little effort.

ETHERNET Powerlink benefits include:

  • Combines the high performance of a centralized system with the lower costs of distributed machine architectures
  • Simplified system wiring reduces system design and installation time
  • Standard Ethernet cabling and hubs support multiple topologies
  • Both the front office and the manufacturing floor can use the same Ethernet network
  • IT techs already trained on installation and troubleshooting
  • Consumer volumes drive hardware costs down
  • Open standard for greater flexibility
  • All-digital system reduces EMI issues.

For more information on Parker’s ETHERNET

Powerlink-enabled products, please visit

parkermotion.com/powerlink.