ABSTRACT
Ethernet POWERLINK (EPL) is a real-time Ethernet (RTE) network originally developed by B&R GmbH[1]andcurrentlymanagedbytheEthernetPOWERLINKStandardizationGroup(EPSG)[2]. ¥e¦rstversionofEPLwasdevelopedbyB&Rin2001andsubsequentlypublishedasanopenstandard, namelyversion2.0[11],bytheEPSGin2003.SuchaversionhasbeenthenencompassedintheIEC61784 InternationalStandard[7]whereitisreferredasCommunicationPro¦le(CP)#1oftheCommunication Pro¦leFamily(CPF)#13.AmorerecentversionoftheEPLspeci¦cation[6]iscurrentlydownloadable fromtheEPSGWebsite.Startingfromthetighttimingrequirementsofindustrialcommunication systems[15],theEPLprotocolhasbeendevelopedinordertoprovideveryfastcommunicationcycles (downto100μs)withlowjitter(below1μs)and,atthesametime,maintainingcompatibilitywith legacyEthernet.AnapplicationlayerprotocolhasbeenintroducedontopoftheEPLcommunication stack.Inparticular,thewell-establishedCANOpenstandard[10]hasbeenchosen,ensuringinsucha waycompatibilitywithawidenumberofalreadydeployedcommunicationsystems.Inthiscontext, EPL is o¯en referred as “CANOpen over Ethernet.”
