Embedded Industrial Networking Technology Overview

Embedded Industrial Networking Technology

Embedded technology is the HMS core business. HMS has been supplying this type of technology since 1988. through the brand name Anybus®. Today, Anybus has become the platform for a whole family of products and has made HMS the world's No 1 supplier of embedded industrial network technology.

Anybus Embedded interfaces and plug-in modules now support 18 industrial networks with further new solutions in development. These embedded Anybus products are "Interchangeable" solutions, that mean once you integrate Anybus into your product, you can simply exchange the Anybus module for another Anybus module supporting different network, or alternatively have multiple Anybus slots to support three or four networks at one time. The flexibility that Anybus provides your product with is unrivalled on the market today!

Anybus - Communication without limits!
Today's Anybus embedded technology is powered by the new Anybus ®-NP30 technology, a single chip high performance network processor. The ASIC is a high performance RISC processor including Profibus, Ethernet, CAN and other communication interfaces as well as internal RAM and Flash memories. With its 10x10mm BGA housing it is the smallest true single chip network processor for industrial communications!



A very small size and low power consumption combined with processing power to run most Fieldbuses and Industrial Ethernet protocols makes it possible for HMS to create products for applications where communication wasn’t possible earlier due to size or power constraints.

”The Anybus-NP30 shows our commitment to maintain HMS' position as the leading supplier of embedded industrial network technology and will be the base technology of our new generation Anybus products as well as custom designed interfaces” , says Nicolas Hassbjer CEO & Founder of HMS.



Where do I find Embedded Anybus Technology?
Many of today's leading industrial automation products use embedded Anybus technology to solve there industrial communication requirements. Products like PLC, Drives, Motion Controllers, Robot Controllers, HMI's, Valve Manifolds, Temperature Controllers, Weighscales, Frequency Inverters, Bar Code Scanners, I/O Blocks and many more, have or are integrating Anybus technology in order to meet market requirements for industrial communication.

Why do I need an Industrial Network solution like Anybus?
Industrial Networks are not new. They have been around for 10-15 years and most of the leading OEM manufactures already have this technology in their devices. For their next generation of products they my decide to develop one or two industrial networks themselves. After all you don't need to be a rocket scientist to develop a basic Profibus-DP solution. At least not after taking a first look at the technology. So lets take a closer look!

An implementation of say "Profibus-DP" would probably take one engineer around 6-9 months to complete. Once completed, you will then need fieldbus certification for your product, taking more time and more resources! Not to mention the risk that your design wasn't approved during certification! Even once your product is certified you then need to maintain it. This includes updating to new standards, and re-submitting your product once again for certification, and this is just for one Fieldbus network! Imagine if you need two, three, or four Fieldbus networks and what about Industrial Ethernet?! What about environmental considerations? What is RoHS? Do i need to consider this for my next product generation? The questions go on and on...

On the other hand, an Embedded Anybus implementation can vary between 1-3 months, depending on the type of solution you require and the networks that you want to support. Once integrated, the interchangeability of Anybus means that you product will then be able to support multiple networks, by simply exchanging modules. Anybus is already pre-certified (where applicable) by all fieldbus organizations, thus making sure your product certification goes through quickly and smoothly. HMS has committed not only to develop products, but also maintaining, upgrading and improving the Anybus products to always keep-up with the latest features for all networks. Environmental demands have also been met as all Anybus products will be RoHS compliant by June 2006.

The time, money and resources involved with development of just one fieldbus network are considerable. The resources required to develop multiple fieldbus/ethernet solutions are very substantial. With Anybus inside, the connectivity problem of your product is solved instantly, without lengthy and costly engineering work, enabling you to focus on core product development.

Which network do I need to support?
The growing adoption and fragmentation of Industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus market makes it even more difficult to decide which networks to support when you release a new product. Is only Profibus enough for you or do you need to support several fieldbuses? What about Ethernet, which industrial versions will be the right choice? Should you have USB or RS232? Will your customers ask for wireless like WiFi or Bluetooth? Is there any new technology coming up? Where do you intend to sell your product, which networks are used in different countries and different industries?

For example; Your product say an "AC Drive " needs to have EtherNet/IP and DeviceNet capability for the US market. Your dilemma is you also want to export your product the Europe and Asia, and require additional fieldbus and Ethernet capability like Profibus, CANopen, Profinet, Modbus & CC-Link.

There are many factors that need be considered before selecting the right communication interface for your product. With Anybus you have full flexibility and can choose from a wide range of connectivity solutions for your product. Gone are the days of a long and complex design work for network connectivity. The flexibility of Anybus is unrivalled. You can choose from modules supporting any Fieldbus network, Ethernet protocol, USB, Wireless or even a Serial interface without having to make any hardware or software changes to your product. With fewer requirements to size, cost, interface methods and performance, the Anybus reaches an even wider target market for automation devices.