CC-Link IE now compatible with 100Mbit Ethernet devices

CC-Link IE Field Network Basic (or “Basic Mode”) is easily implemented on devices or master controllers by software alone, enabling compatibility to be added to existing products without any hardware modification. This significantly reduces the cost of development and time to market.

CC-Link IE was the first, and is still the only open industrial Ethernet protocol offering gigabit speeds and the high bandwidth required in modern data-critical, real-time applications. As such it has become a de-facto protocol for businesses looking to optimise productivity and future-proof their operations in line with anticipated increases in data transmission required by an Industry 4.0 production environment. However, there are products and lower level applications where the benefits of gigabit performance are still being understood, so CLPA has responded with Basic Mode which can be implemented on any existing 100Mbit device.

John Browett, general manager of CLPA Europe, explains: “While CC-Link IE has become an established technology leader, it is clear that while some device makers are undoubtedly interested in the benefits offered by CC-Link IE’s core technology, for various reasons they are not ready to support a gigabit physical layer. In some cases this is because of the communication platform that their products are currently based on, in others it will be because their products are targeted at a level in the market where gigabit performance is still a future requirement. Basic Mode addresses all these kinds of issues by bringing accessibility to the network and its benefits without the need to support the gigabit physical layer.”