PLC Networking

Types of PLC Communication

1. Wired Communication

• Serial Communication (RS-232, RS-485)

• Ethernet-based Communication

• Fieldbus Communication

2. Wireless Communication

• Wi-Fi (Industrial IoT applications)

• Bluetooth (Short-range control)

• Radio Frequency (RF) & Zigbee

 Common PLC Communication Protocols

A. Industrial Ethernet Protocols

1. Modbus Transmission Control Protocol TCP/IP – Open standard, widely used in
industrial automation.
2. EtherNet/IP – Used in Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley) PLCs.
3. PROFINET – Preferred for Siemens PLCs, high-speed industrial communication.
4. EtherCAT – High-performance real-time communication.
B. Serial Communication Protocols
5. Modbus Remote Terminal Unit RTU – RS-485-based, master-slave protocol.
6. DF1 – Allen-Bradley proprietary protocol for serial communication.
c Fieldbus Communication Protocols
1. PROFIBUS – Used in Siemens PLCs for device-level communication.

2. CANopen – Used in automotive and industrial applications.

3. DeviceNet – Rockwell Automation’s protocol for device networking.

4. CC-Link – Mitsubishi Electric’s open networking standard.

D. Wireless and IoT Protocols

5. MQTT – Used in Industrial IoT (IIoT) applications.

6. OPC UA – Platform-independent communication for Industry 4.0.

Device Communications:
1.Modbus
Modbus is a protocol that is used for transmitting information over a serial lines or Ethernet,
based on master-slave technology.
• Here we have two types of devices in this communication. The devices which request
information are called Modbus Master and the devices which provide the information are
called Modbus Slaves.
• It is further categorized into Modbus RTU, Modbus ASCII, and Modbus
TCPIP. This protocol was developed by Modicon (now Schneider
Electric).
• Modbus RTU is the most popular protocol, use three physical media.
RS 232,RS 485,RS422
Daisy Chain Network
Modbus and PROFIBUS are protocols built on RS 485, they used daisy
chain architecture for connection.
2. Profibus
• It is similar to Modbus RTU, which also works on serial line communication. The only
difference is that it is owned by Siemens Automation.
•PROFIBUS PA,PROFIBUS DP,PROFIBUS FM
•PROFINET,
•PROFISAFE.
3. Optomux
• It is a serial network protocol that works on RS-232/RS-485 and works on ASCII standard.
It was developed by Opto22.
4. DF-1
• It is an asynchronous byte-oriented protocol that is used to
communicate with only Rockwell devices based on RS-232.
5. Interbus
• It is a serial network protocol which works on RS-232/RS-485 and works
on RTU standard.
It was developed by Phoenix Contact.
6. Data Highway (DH+)
• It is a protocol developed by Rockwell Automation and uses transformer-coupled
differential signals; meaning that the transmitter and receiver stations need not be at
the same ground potential.
• It works with the differential signaling concept. It uses two wires for data transfer and
the data is represented with voltage differences in the two wires. Here the data is
carried with differential voltages, the noise will be easily removed in the two wires.
• It uses half-duplex transmission for communication. It is a very old
protocol and is used only in Rockwell PLCs. Nowadays, it has become
obsolete and rarely used.
• It works on token-passing protocol and uses trunk lines with drops.
7.Point to Point (PP)
• As the name suggests, it is a communication protocol which is used to
communicate between only two connected devices.
• It is byte-oriented and is full duplex
• It reduces the wiring and manpower done to connect the field
equipment to the PLC. It works in master-slave technology..
Open Smart Grid Protocol

• This protocol has been developed to connect all the electrical devices in a power grid
through communication and make it a smart grid system.
• The devices are meters, direct load control modules, solar panels, gateways, and other
smart grid devices.
• Due to use of communication, all the information is transmitted in a safe and efficient
way; to make the whole power grid system a better way to operate.
HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer)

• HART is a protocol in which digital data is superimposed on the traditional analog signal
of 4-20 mA; so that the user gets both the analog information as well as digital
information.
• HART-enabled field transmitters and actuators are of great use in industrial automation;
Multidrop Communication

To connect more devices on the same line, and have a distance

greater than 50 feet, one can use RS 485, or RS422. This standard
supports 32 nodes over 4000 feet( roughly 1200 meters).
Foundation Fieldbus H1

Foundation Fieldbus H1 is a bidirectional communication protocol with 3125 Kbits/S

speed.
It utilizes twisted pair cable to connect field devices to the controller.
Process Fieldbus is one of the standards for field bus communication in
automation technology.
PROFIBUS is also a Master/Slave protocol. But with additional token ring
protocol to allow multiple masters as shown in the figure below.
PROFIBUS has certain protocol features that let certain versions of it
operate in multi-master on RS 485 which Modbus could be the only a single
master.
Compare Modbus, Fieldbus, and
Profibus
PLC Communication:
These three protocols are commonly used in industrial
1.DeviceNet, automation and PLC communication, particularly in fieldbus
and real-time control applications. Here’s a breakdown of
2.ControlNet their differences, advantages, and use cases.
3.CANopen

1. DeviceNet (Rockwell Automation / ODVA Key Features

Standard) Device-Level Communication – Used for sensors,

actuators, and other low-level devices.
Overview
Multi-Drop Network – Allows multiple devices
 Developed by Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) and to communicate on the same bus.
maintained by ODVA. Baud Rates: 125 kbps, 250 kbps, 500 kbps.
 Based on CAN (Controller Area Network) technology. Topology: Bus (Trunkline/Dropline).
Max Devices: 64 per network.
 Uses CIP (Common Industrial Protocol) for data
exchange.
2. ControlNet (Rockwell Automation / ODVA Standard)
Overview
 Also developed by Rockwell Automation and part of the CIP (Common Industrial Protocol) family.
 Provides real-time, high-speed deterministic control.

Key Features Use Cases

• Deterministic & Scheduled Communication – Uses  Time-critical industrial automation
time-scheduled communication for real-time control. applications.
High-Speed Data Transfer – Supports up to 5 Mbps.
 PLC-to-PLC and high-speed I/O
Topology: Supports bus, star, or ring configurations.
communication.
Max Devices: 99 nodes per network.
Media: Coaxial cable or fiber optics. SCADA, DCS, and large manufacturing plants
.
 3. CANopen (CAN-based Fieldbus)
Overview
 Developed by CiA (CAN in Automation) based on CAN (Controller Area Network).
 Open standard used in industrial automation, robotics, and vehicles

Key Features
Use Cases
Reliable & Fault-Tolerant – Built-in error detection and  Automotive & robotics for motion control.
correction.
 Medical devices, elevators, and industrial
Flexible & Scalable – Supports modular automation
automation.
systems.
Baud Rates: Up to 1 Mbps.  Decentralized control systems where nodes must
Topology: Bus topology with multiple nodes. communicate independently.
Max Devices: 127 per network.
Comparison Table: DeviceNet vs. ControlNet
vs. CANopen
FEATURE DEVICENET CONTROLNET CANOPEN

Protocol Base CAN CIP CAN

Speed 125-500 kbps 5 Mbps Up to 1 Mbps

Topology Trunkline/Dropline Bus, Star, Ring Bus

Max Devices 64 99 127

Deterministic No Yes No

PLC-to-PLC, Real-time Motion Control,

Best for Sensors, Actuators
I/O Robotics
 PLC Communication Hardware Components

Component Function Common Examples

Network Interface Module Allows PLCs to communicate over Ethernet/IP, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet,
(NIM) industrial networks ControlNet Modules

Communication Processors Enhances PLC communication for Siemens CP 343 (PROFINET), Allen-
(CPs) high-speed networks Bradley 1756-EN2T (EtherNet/IP)

Gateways & Protocol Converts between different Modbus to PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP to

Converters protocols DeviceNet

Managed & Unmanaged Ethernet

Industrial Switches Directs network traffic, manages PLC Switches (Cisco IE, Siemens
communication SCALANCE)
 PLC Communication Hardware Components

Component Function Common Examples

Allows PLCs to control field devices

Remote I/O Modules over the network Allen-Bradley Flex I/O, Siemens ET200

Extends network range and boosts RS-485 Repeaters, Fiber Optic

Hubs & Repeaters
signal strength Repeaters

Wireless Access Points Enables wireless communication Industrial Wi-Fi Access Points,
(WAPs) between PLCs and devices Bluetooth Modules

Converts communication medium Ethernet to Fiber, RS-232 to RS-485

Media Converters
(e.g., Copper to Fiber) Converters
 PLC Network Communication Hardware by Protocol

A. Ethernet-Based Networks Key Considerations for PLC Networking

 Hardware: Ethernet switches, routers, firewalls, gateways. Hardware
 Common Protocols: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP/IP. ✔ Network Speed & Bandwidth – Ensure hardware
 Example Devices: supports required data rates.
✔ Redundancy & Reliability – Use managed switches
• Allen-Bradley 1783 Stratix Managed Switch
for redundancy.
• Siemens SCALANCE X Industrial Ethernet Switch ✔ Industrial Ratings – Choose hardware rated for
temperature, vibration, and dust.
B. Fieldbus Networks ✔ Security Features – Use firewalls and VPN routers
for secure access.
 Hardware: Fieldbus interface modules, gateways, repeaters. ✔ Scalability – Ensure hardware can support future
 Common Protocols: PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, CC-Link. network expansion.

 Example Devices:
o Siemens PROFIBUS DP Interface Module
o Allen-Bradley DeviceNet Scanner
c. Serial Networks (RS-232, RS-485, RS-422)
 Hardware: Serial communication modules, protocol converters.
 Common Protocols: Modbus RTU, DF1, CANopen.
 Example Devices:
o Moxa Serial-to-Ethernet Converter
o Siemens RS-485 Communication Module

D. Wireless & Remote Communication

 Hardware: Wireless access points, cellular modems, radio modules.
 Common Protocols: WirelessHART, Zigbee, MQTT.
 Example Devices:
o Siemens SCALANCE W Industrial Wi-Fi
o Phoenix Contact Wireless I/O Gateway
Selection of Right PLC Communication Protocol

 For simple device communication → Modbus RTU/TCP

 For high-speed control → PROFINET or EtherCAT

 For industrial automation networks → PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, or CC-Link

 For IoT and cloud connectivity → MQTT or OPC UA