Cannon-Automata’s history is clearly linked to the Sercos and CAN fieldbusses. The company has worked intensively on both hardware and software technologies since their introduction. Cannon-Automata is the worldwide leader in Sercos components and implementations and the company’s long experience makes it a reliable and competent OEM partner and recognized manufacturer of automation devices like I/O systems, drives, and machines.
Sercos III combines the advantages of Sercos II fieldbusses and Ethernet TCP/IP communication. The result is extreme performance with low cost and ease of use. Cannon-Automata is the market leader in Sercos III hardware and software components. Our products are used by well-known manufacturers of drives, I/Os, controls and many application specific field devices. What’s more, Cannon-Automata makes it simple and affordable to use Sercos III.
Thanks to the TopoExtension, Sercos networks can now be installed more flexibly in a machine or system. In addition to ring and line topologies, branches can now be realized and field devices integrated via a single cable.
With a single cable several cabinets or machine modules can be connected without losing the advantages of ring topology. Also only a single cable is needed to integrate field devices in a ring or line topology—including a power supply.
Features include:
The evaluation kit allows master and slave implementations based on different FPGA types (ALTERA, XILINX or LATTICE). It consists of two boards (FPGA module and base board) plus an optional expansion module. The evaluation kit is compatible with the real-time Ethernet standards Sercos III, EtherCAT and Powerlink.
Three different FPGA modules are available: with an ALTERA EPC3C16/25, with a XILINX Spartan 3 XC3Ex and with a LATTICE ECP3-35K. Thanks to its compact dimensions and its wide bus and IO interface the FPGA module can also be integrated into master or slave devices. This saves costs and reduces the time to market.
The evaluation kit is suitable in particular for test implementations and performance measurements of Sercos III master and slave devices based on combinations of Sercos III master or slave IP core with micro-controller IP cores (e.g. MicroBlaze, NIOS2, Mico32, ARM, 68k) and other optional functions—so called SoPC solutions.
In addition to the programmable versions, complete low-cost Sercos III master or slave implementations based on the evaluation kit are available.
Since the Sercos interface (IEC/EN 61491) was launched at the beginning of the 1990s, its outstanding real-time characteristics has helped establish it as the defacto standard for applications requiring the synchronization of a larger number of axes. Today it is used from classic CNC machines to fast and precise motion control in all areas of automation like packaging machines, textile machines and printing presses. More and more I/O stations—in addition to drives—are being connected to the Sercos II, making a separate fieldbus redundant for most standalone machines.
Sercos II PCI boards are available with one or two SERCON816 based interfaces.
CAN is a widely used fieldbus, developed for automotive applications in the early 1980’s. Cannon-Automata has used CAN intensively in industrial machine control applications such as injection molding, woodworking machines, packaging, and textiles.
Because CAN offers reliable, easy to handle and very cost-effective solutions Cannon-Automata uses it as the standard fieldbus for all its control systems.
For users who want to upgrade their industrial PCs with CAN functionality Cannon-Automata offers various PCI-boards and related software.
