ABSTRACT
Fieldbus systems, which are suitable for networking sensors and actuators with control systems, have represented state-of-the-art technology for some time. The main fieldbus systems are INTERBUS as Type 8 of IEC 61158 and CPF6 of IEC 61784, with an installed base of 17 million nodes and more than 1000 device manufacturers. INTERBUS has been designed as a fast sensor/actuator bus for transmitting process data in industrial environments. INTERBUS uses a master/slave procedure for data transmission. This chapter deals with transparent IP communication at field level, taking into consideration the real-time requirements. The integration of the IP in INTERBUS creates a seamless communication platform to enable the use of new IP-based applications, which can make it considerably easier to engineer distributed automation solutions. The INTERBUS Club and various partner institutes have offered certification for several years to ensure maximum safety when selecting components.
