Coalition aims to harmonise industrial Ethernet

Three organisations involved in developing industrial versions of Ethernet have joined forces in an attempt to harmonise the various versions and to achieve common functionality and interoperability.

Working under the umbrella of the independent Industrial Automation Open Networking Alliance (IAONA), the group includes the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA) and the Interface for Distributed Automation (IDA).

The three organisations have set a goal of establishing a common interface that will eliminate, from the end-user`s point of view, the differences between existing real-time Ethernet protocols and will guarantee a minimal level of interoperability.

The group members plan to investigate the feasibility of establishing common:

• strategies for plug-and-play interoperability;

• guidelines for cabling and wiring;

• security mechanisms for user access;

• methods of network diagnosis;

• guidelines for the use of Web-based technologies; and

• requirements for conformance testing.

IAONA has invited the Profibus Users` Organisation, PNO, and other groups developing industrial versions of Ethernet to join the standardisation process. It also hopes to involve end-users in its activities.