Traditional fieldbus networks were, and some still are, isolated automation systems which require extensive local monitoring and routine onsite maintenance. To increase productivity and reduce operating costs, many manufacturers and plant operators have deployed industrial Ethernet to converge remotely isolated fieldbus systems for centralized control and monitoring.
In addition to systems interoperability, integration of fieldbus segments and industrial Ethernet networks will require the optimization of PLC network performance and manageability. This white paper discusses how three facets of PLC network optimization can ensure high network availability, simplify network monitoring and configuration, and maximize network flexibility.