Rockwell Automation Publication CNET-UM001F-EN-P - February 2018 11
Chapter 1
ControlNet Overview
The ControlNet network provides high-speed transmission of time-critical
I/O and interlocking data and messaging data. This data transfer capability
enhances I/O performance and peer-to-peer communication in any system or
application.
The ControlNet network is highly deterministic and repeatable and remains
unaffected as devices are connected or disconnected from it. This ensures
dependable, synchronized, and coordinated real-time performance.
The ControlNet network is most often used in these ways:
• As the default network for the ControlLogix platform
• As a backbone to multiple distributed DeviceNet networks
• As a peer interlocking network
This chapter describes how you can use ControlNet modules in a network
control system.
Topic Page
Use ControlNet Communication Modules in a Control
System on page 11
9 on page 11
Bridge Across Networks on page 13 11 on page 13
Exchange Information on a ControlNet Network on page 16 14 on page 16
ControlNet Network Capacity and Topology on page 22 21 on page 22
You can fit various ControlNet modules into your control system.
Figure 1 on page 10 shows the following:
• The controllers produce and consume tags among themselves.
• The controllers initiate MSG instructions that send/receive data or
configure devices.
• The computer uploads and downloads projects to the controllers.
• The computer configures devices on the ControlNet network and
configures the network itself.
Communication
Modules in a
Control System