Siemens and Hilscher Partner to Provide a Wide Range of Flexible Communication Solutions

Summary

Siemens, a leading supplier in the field of automation and industrial software, collaborates with Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation mbH, a leading provider of industrial communication solutions, to offer a wide range of communication protocols to industrial companies.
 
By integrating the cifX PC card technology from Hilscher into Siemens’ SIMATIC IPCs, the two companies provide customers flexible access to all relevant fieldbus and real-time Ethernet systems – the technology for communication between devices and the exchange of data between machines and plants in the existing very heterogeneous IoT world. This supports the digital business transformation of industry and helps address today’s complex technology challenges such as achieving faster time-to-market and greater efficiency.
 
The Simatic Box and Panel PC—a series of highly reliable rugged industrial PCs from Siemens with optional industrial-grade touch screen display—enables customers to connect, innovate, and run applications so they can turn data into valuable insights.
 
PC cards in the M.2 format from Hilscher’s cifX PC card family can be integrated into Siemens’ SIMATIC IPC by a simple plug-and-play setup and activation. Hilscher's intelligent netX network controller then enables the integration of 19 different fieldbuses and real-time Ethernet protocols in the M.2 PC card.
 
Users benefit from unified device drivers, one configuration tool, as well as a consistent API across all protocols. With this scalable platform, they can easily and efficiently integrate all relevant automation protocols:

• PROFIBUS-DP
• CANopen     
• DeviceNet
• PROFINET-IO
• EtherCAT
• EtherNet/IP
• OpenModbus/TCP
• POWERLINK^*
• SERCOS
• CC-Link IE Field Basic^*
• Varan
• ^* Device only

Switching to the required protocol can be carried out via Hilscher’s loadable firmware, which is included in the scope of delivery. Hilscher also offers protocol stacks for Controller as well as Device applications.
 
The variety of protocols ensures that the SIMATIC IPC can adapt to the communication requirements of different market segments and different regions around the world, e. g. Ethernet-IP in USA or Korea or Modbus in India. In addition, users can rely on the fact that specific network requirements of different devices, machines and systems of the global automation market are reliably met.
 
The M.2 bundles for ready-to-use integration, e. g. into the SIMATIC IPC227G and IPC BX-39A, are available directly from Hilscher. Customers benefit from the flawless interaction of the tested combinations of SIMATIC IPC and cifX M.2 PC cards.