At SPS 2019, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) showcased the first products that support its latest open network technology, CC-Link IE TSN. They shed light on the growing interest and acceptance for the association’s gigabit Ethernet with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) capabilities and are key tools for Industry 4.0 applications.
The CLPA contributed to the digital transformation of businesses theme by showcasing the first CC-Link IE TSN compatible automation products from Mitsubishi Electric. The CLPA, Mitsubishi Electric and other prominent partners generated excitement as they announced the next generation of open industrial Ethernet, CC-Link IE TSN. The range of solutions highlighted included PLCs from Mitsubishi Electric’s iQ-R and iQ-F series, FR-A800 inverters, MR-J5 servos, GOT HMI as well as remote I/O modules.
“We are proud to be taking CC-Link IE TSN products a step further by now integrating high performance motion control over TSN” John Browett, General Manager at CLPA Europe
In order to demonstrate the interaction between Mitsubishi Electric’s different CC-Link IE TSN drives and controls, the CLPA hosted a live demonstration of these products operating. More precisely, PLCs shared data with each other as well as with servos, I/O blocks and a TCP/IP based Cognex machine vision system. All these were connected by means of a TSN network switch from Hirschmann.
In this way, visitors to the CLPA’s stand at SPS 2019 were able to witness how these products can deliver TSN-based high performance solutions, even for high-speed and accurate motion control applications. Moreover, the integration of the Cognex TCP/IP machine vision system in the network clearly shows how CC-Link IE TSN can handle both time-critical control data and non-time-critical network traffic whilst ensuring deterministic communications. In this way, the open network technology from the CLPA can support the merging of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT).
