New gateways announced for Ethernet/IP and Modbus TCP

TURCK has released a BL20 Economy gateway that is designed and equipped with an integrated Ethernet switch and dual ports.

June 1, 2011

TURCK has announced the availability of BL20 Economy gateways for EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP. Providing a reportedly flexible in-the-cabinet system for distributed I/O, these economical gateways can be paired with a broad range of I/O slices to suit virtually any application’s communications and transparency requirements. Unique to TURCK’s modular I/O systems, RFID can be incorporated to any distributed I/O product simply by applying the necessary RFID-S slices. The gateways provide sophisticated features in an economical and compact package, including dual Ethernet ports and functionality with digital and analog, as well as specialty modules.

BL20 Economy gateways are reportedly equipped with an integrated Ethernet switch that allows a line topology between multiple gateways without using an external switch, eliminating the need for additional cable runs to the PLC. BL20 Economy gateways bridge the backplane communication to the network communication, such as EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, DeviceNet, CANopen or PROFIBUS.

TURCK’s BL20 Economy gateways also apparently accommodate up to 32 I/O modules, resulting in a system that may contain up to 512 digital I/O points or 128 analog I/O points, as well as a combination of digital and analog points, on a single gateway. Analog inputs and outputs are configurable by channel for current, voltage or RTD, so that users do not need to stock multiple cards for design or replacement. Gateways are addressed via a dip switch, I/O assistant software or through the integrated web server.

The BL20 Economy gateway is available with an integrated power supply, eliminating the need for an additional power module to feed the I/O bus. The BL20 Economy Gateway is designed to work with all TURCK Economy I/O slices, as well standard BL20 slices, which are uniquely hot swappable and available in either tension (spring) or screw bases.

www.turck.us 

" – Edited by Chris Vavra, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com"