The Sercos International user organization announced at Hannover Fair that it will soon release a powerful diagnostic tool for Sercos III automation bus networks and offer it as a free download on the Sercos websites. The diagnostic tool allows a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the data traffic in Sercos III networks.

The Sercos Monitor supports the Windows XP and Windows 7 operating systems and is based on the WinPcap interface. The tool allows both retroactive evaluation of stored network records in the pcap file format and an analysis of the network traffic in real time. A user-friendly interface plus overview functions for the typical features of a Sercos III network, such as topology, communications phases and service channel transmission, enable a fast and targeted launch of the analysis process. Experienced users are additionally provided with comprehensive protocol and analysis functions. Different views and filter mechanisms allow the customized evaluation of Sercos III real time telegrams and other Ethernet telegrams based on the individual requirements of the user. Users can add additional functions to the Sercos Monitor via user-specific plug-ins, if needed.

The Sercos Monitor was developed by Steinbeis Transferzentrum Systemtechnik in Esslingen, Germany, in cooperation with numerous providers and users from the Sercos community. Prof. Reinhard Keller, Director of Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Systemtechnik, explains: “The Sercos Monitor supports the users of a Sercos III network in various ways. Service staff and system integrators can utilize a great number of tailor-made functions. The tool not only provides detailed information about the data that is exchanged within the network, but also presents it to the user in clearly structured and easily comprehensible units. This greatly facilitates troubleshooting in Sercos III networks.”

The market for industrial networking is still strong according to a new report from IMS Research, an independent provider of market research and consultancy. An estimated 31 million new fieldbus and Ethernet nodes were installed worldwide in 2011; this number is forecast to grow by an average of 10% a year, to just over 45 million new connected nodes in 2015.

The report, “The World Market for Industrial Networking – 2011 Edition”, forecasts that, in EMEA and the Americas, new connected nodes will grow fastest in servo and inverter drives. Their grow rate will be 11.8% a year, resulting in 3.5 million inverter drives and 0.8 million servo drives being connected to a network in 2015.

“These new network nodes will grow so fast because of the high growth in shipments of servo and inverter drives” explains Graham Brown, a market analyst. “Drive shipments are growing quickly in all regions, although the industry sectors creating this growth differ by drive type and region. The adoption of medium-voltage drives, for example, is growing in the oil and gas industry; growth in shipments of servo drives is in the machine-tool industry.”

While shipment growth is a key factor, IMS Research is also seeing a steady increase in the percentage of drives that are network-enabled and connected. The current focus on improving energy efficiency in factories is largely due to the potential reduction in running costs it offers; this may also be legislated in the coming years. Networked drives offer an effective means of improving overall factory efficiency;  the number of new networked drives will likely increase by a substantial amount if such legislation is introduced. However, this is not likely to happen before 2015.

Many more networked drives are forecast to be shipped in Asia Pacific, partly because of many new greenfield projects. IMS Research projects that there will be about 4.3 million new servo and inverter drives networked in this region; equating to a growth rate of well over 15% a year, significantly above the world average rate.

“This is not surprising.” commented Brown. “Since 2009, several countries in Asia, especially China, have enjoyed strong economic growth. Heavy spending on industrial and infrastructure projects means that markets for several industrial products, particularly operator terminals and industrial PCs, are also growing quickly at over 14% a year. This suggests that the strong growth already seen in automation and in turn industrial networking in Asia Pacific is likely to continue.”

The Fieldbus Foundation today announced that its 2012 General Assembly would be held on March 6-8 in São Paulo, Brazil. The event should attract the world's leading suppliers and end users of FOUNDATION™ fieldbus.

The 2012 General Assembly will include a comprehensive, end user-oriented agenda consisting of fieldbus project case studies and tabletop exhibitions from leading automation vendors across the globe, as well as a demonstration of the new FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management technology.

The Fieldbus Foundation's End User Advisory Council (EUAC) will meet Tuesday, March 6, to discuss and offer direction for FOUNDATION technology. Wednesday, March 7, will feature a keynote address by a prominent executive from the Brazilian industrial sector, FOUNDATION technology updates, and presentations by key process end users, followed by a networking reception. On Thursday, March 8, the Fieldbus Foundation will conduct its annual business meeting for members.

São Paulo was selected as the site of this year's General Assembly due to its status as one of the world's fastest growing industrial regions, and the overwhelming demand for FOUNDATION technology within the area.

The event will be themed, "In a World of Choices, FOUNDATION™ Brings it all Together."

For registration and event sponsorship information visit the General Assembly Page at www.fieldbus.org.