Technical Bulletin

EtherNet/IP On-Board Communications
32 PowerXL DG1 Series VFD MN040010EN—May 2014 www.eaton.com
EtherNet/IP Overview
EtherNet/IP was introduced in 2001 and today is the most
developed, proven and complete industrial Ethernet network
solution available for manufacturing automation. EtherNet/IP
is a member of a family of networks that implements the
Common Industrial Protocol (CIP.) at its upper layers. CIP
encompasses a comprehensive suite of messages and
services for a variety of manufacturing automation
applications, including control, safety, synchronization,
motion, configuration and information. As a truly
media-independent protocol that is supported by hundreds of
vendors around the world, CIP provides users with unified
communication architecture throughout the manufacturing
enterprise.
There are two common use cases of Ethernet—devices are
“human to machine” and “machine to machine.” Basic
features are presented in the pictures below.
1. Human to machine (graphical user interface, relatively
slow communication)
User Interface
Figure 20. Human to Machine User Interface
2. Machine to machine (industrial environment, fast communication)
Industrial Environment
Figure 21. Machine to Machine (Industrial Environment, Fast Communication)