User manual

1 Publication CNET-UM001C-EN-P - November 2005

Appendix

ControlNet Overview

This chapter defines some basic ControlNet concepts and how the

ControlNet network is used for control.

Understand the ControlNet

Network

ControlNet is a real-time control network that provides high-speed transport

of both time-critical I/O and interlocking data and messaging data, including

upload/download of programming and configuration data on a single physical

media link. The ControlNet network’s highly efficient data transfer capability

significantly enhances I/O performance and peer-to-peer communication in

any system or application where it is used.

ControlNet is highly deterministic and repeatable, and remains unaffected as

devices are connected or disconnected from the network. This ensures

dependable, synchronized, and coordinated real-time performance.

The ControlNet network is most often used in these types of configurations:

• as the default network for the ControlLogix platform.

• as a substitute/replacement for the Remote I/O (RIO) network,

because ControlNet handles large numbers of I/O points well.

• as a backbone to multiple distributed DeviceNet networks.

• as a peer interlocking network.

• instead of Data Highway Plus.