DeviceNet® Network Protocol
DeviceNet® is a digital, multi-drop industrial fieldbus network protocol designed to connect controllers with industrial devices such as sensors, actuators, motor starters, operator interfaces and I/O devices. Built on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP™), DeviceNet provides a cost-effective way to network and manage simple devices throughout industrial automation systems.
DeviceNet: Proven and Trusted
DeviceNet is designed for device-level industrial automation applications where controllers need reliable communication with distributed field devices. It uses Controller Area Network (CAN) technology at its data link layer and supports a trunkline-dropline topology. Network communications and device power can be carried through the same cable, helping simplify installation and reduce wiring requirements.
DeviceNet delivers:
- Simplified installation – A single network connection can provide device communication and power.
- Efficient device-level networking – Multi-drop architecture for an economical way to connect industrial devices throughout a machine or facility.
- Flexible communication – DeviceNet supports I/O and explicit messaging as well as controller-device and peer-to-peer communication.
- A CIP architecture – DeviceNet shares the Common Industrial Protocol with EtherNet/IP™, providing a consistent communication model across all CIP Networks and CIP Services.
DeviceNet is well established with hundreds of vendors worldwide building and supporting products today.
DeviceNet and the Common Industrial Protocol
Like other CIP networks, DeviceNet utilizes CIP at its upper layers. CIP is a media-independent, object-oriented industrial communication protocol that follows the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. CIP provides a common unified communication architecture throughout the manufacturing enterprise. DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP, for example, both use CIP while adapting it to different underlying network technologies.
DeviceNet combines CAN technology with CIP to provide industrial automation devices with a standardized communication framework. Its trunkline-dropline architecture allows multiple devices to connect to the network and delivers DC power through the network cable to simplify installation. DeviceNet can operate using a traditional controller-device relationship or a distributed control architecture with peer-to-peer communications. Support for both I/O and explicit messaging provides a single network connection for device configuration and control.
CIP encompasses a comprehensive suite of messages and services for a variety of manufacturing automation applications, such as control, safety, security, energy, synchronization and motion, information and network management. Because CIP is media independent, manufacturers can have a common communication architecture across industrial networks and applications.
DeviceNet Resources
FAQs
What is DeviceNet?
DeviceNet is a digital, multi-drop industrial fieldbus network that connects industrial controllers with devices such as sensors, actuators, motor starters and I/O. It uses Controller Area Network (CAN) technology for its data link layer and the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP™) at its upper layers.
Like all CIP Networks, DeviceNet follows the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, which defines a framework for implementing network protocols in seven layers: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation and application. Networks that follow this model define a complete suite of network functionality from the physical implementation through the application or user interface layer.
What is DeviceNet used for?
DeviceNet is used for device-level industrial automation communication. It allows controllers and distributed field devices to exchange control, configuration and diagnostic information over a common industrial network. Because it uses the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), DeviceNet leverages a comprehensive suite of messages and services for a variety of manufacturing automation applications, including control, safety, security, energy, synchronization and motion, information and network management. DeviceNet can communicate seamlessly with other CIP Networks, including EtherNet/IP, and CIP Services.
What is the difference between DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP?
DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP both use the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) which follows the Open Systems Interconnections (OSI) model. However, they use different underlying network technologies: DeviceNet is based on CAN technology and is designed primarily for device-level fieldbus communication, while EtherNet/IP adapts CIP to standard Ethernet and TCP/IP technologies.