Rockwell Automation 22-COMM-E EtherNet/IP Adapter User Manual

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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.

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.

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.