Ethernet has become the network of choice for most bottom-line-oriented manufacturing managers. As Ethernet advances technically, it is driving further out into the networks — in some cases, all the way to the sensors. The latest IMS Research report (Dec. 2011) forecasts worldwide growth of new Ethernet-based nodes will have a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13 percent in the period spanning 2010-2015.
Ethernet provides standardization and future-proofing for industrial communications infrastructure, which leads to benefits including:
- lower costs for components, installation and support
- higher network reliability
- compatibility between enterprise and plant communications systems, which streamlines information flows
- shorter time-delays for detection of out-of-tolerance conditions
- increased data flow for monitoring, controlling and managing operations more effectively