Panel PC demonstration planned for fair

Hannover Fair to see demonstration of panel PC that communicates via industrial Ethernet in 50us cycle times, which corresponds to a frequency of 20kHz.

At the Hannover Fair, Kontron will demonstrate a panel PC that communicates via industrial Ethernet (Ethercat) with the top-hat rail PC Think IO-P or the JRex-IBox in 50us cycle times, which corresponds to a frequency of 20kHz.

Cycle times such as this cannot be achieved with conventional Fieldbus systems such as Canopen or Profibus.

Commands are transmitted from the Think IO-P to the connected Wago I/O system; central control and visualisation run on one computer.

The industrial Ethernet node is also PC based, and thus powerful for complex, remote control.

Alternatively, the Wago I/O system can be connected to the central computer via simple Ethernet couplers.

Thus, every IPC from Kontron can extend its I/O function as needed, using its Ethernet interfaces.

For SPS, IPC and Drives in 2006, Kontron is planning the integration of the NetX component from Hilscher on various automation platforms, which besides traditional Fieldbuses such as Canopen and Profibus also support Ethercat, Ethernet/IP, Powerlink and Profinet-RT.

Industrial Ethernet is interesting for Kontron because with dual-core based systems two functions can be performed in one system - hard real-time requirements and demanding visualisation.

On an Intel Core Solo based system, Windows and the real-time operating system run in two separate hardware tasks.

If an Intel Core Duo based system is used, each operating system can run on its own core.

This approach increases performance for real-time critical tasks, which must run deterministically, while Windows deals with the human interface, visualisation and communications in the network.

Even if hardware with NetX is used, a real-time operating system must be used for hard real-time applications such as fast motion and control tasks in packaging machines.

When two different operating systems are used, multi-core processors contribute significantly to cost reduction, because two independent processors can administrate the different tasks in one compact system instead of two, thus saving the costs of a second system with power supply and additional space in the enclosure.

Besides automation platforms that support industrial Ethernet, Kontron also offers systems with integrated Soft-SPS.

If the IPC, Soft-SPS, and industrial Ethernet functions are combined, full-fledged automation platforms based on open PC technology are available, whose performance and production form can be tailored at any time.

Thanks to dual-core technology, the openness and scalability of the systems lead to significant changes in PC-based control technology.

The Hannover Fair runs from 24th to 28th April.

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