2 Features and System Configuration
2 - 2
NX-series EtherNet/IP Coupler Unit User’s Manual (W536)
2-1 Features of EtherNet/IP Slave Termi-
nals
An EtherNet/IP Slave Terminal is a building-block EtherNet/IP slave that is created by mounting a group
of NX Units to an EtherNet/IP Coupler Unit.
The NX Units can be flexibly combined with an EtherNet/IP Coupler Unit to achieve the optimum Ether-
Net/IP slave for the application with less wiring, less work, and less space.
The features of the EtherNet/IP Slave Terminals are described below.
High-speed, High-capacity Data Exchange through Tag Data Links
The EtherNet/IP Coupler Unit supports implicit communications and can perform cyclic communica-
tions with the EtherNet/IP master. In this manual, these cyclic communications are called tag data
links. Large volumes of data can be sent to and from the EtherNet/IP master at high speed.
Tag Data Link (Cyclic Communications) Cycle Time
Tag data links (cyclic communications) can operate at the cyclic period specified on connections for
each application, regardless of the number of nodes. Data is exchanged over the network at the
refresh cycle set for each connection, so the communications refresh cycle will not increase even if
the number of nodes is increased, i.e., the synchronicity of the connection’s data is preserved. Also,
the concurrency of the connection’s data is maintained. Since the refresh cycle can be set for each
connection, each application can communicate at its ideal refresh cycle. For example, processes
interlocks can be transferred at high speed while the production commands and the status monitor
information are transferred at low speed.
Note The communications load to the nodes must be within the Units’ allowed communications bandwidth.
Various, general-purpose Ethernet devices can be used within the same EtherNet/IP network because
EtherNet/IP uses standard Ethernet technology.
Refer to 1-1-1 EtherNet/IP Features on page 1-2 for more details.
The EtherNet/IP Coupler Unit is equipped with two Ethernet ports that support the layer 2 Ethernet
switch functions.
This enables you to configure, in addition to star and tree topologies, a line topology without using
Ethernet switches.
Refer to 1-1-1 EtherNet/IP Features on page 1-2 for more details.
Connection to Omron PLC
Parallel EtherNet/IP Based Networking
Flexible Network Structures
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