At this year's Hannover Messe (Hall 9, Booth D33), the Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG) will demonstrate how interface-free communication can provide seamless connectivity from the sensor layer to the ERP layer and into the cloud. The foundation has already been laid with the companion specification for OPC UA and POWERLINK.

The EPSG will also be showing how the open and standardized protocols POWERLINK, openSAFETY and OPC UA TSN come together to create open architectures for real-time communication in the Industrial IoT. The TSN Ethernet extension makes OPC UA deterministic. In combination with the openSAFETY protocol, it now meets all the requirements for safe line automation at the factory level. OPC UA provides semantic descriptions of information models and security mechanisms that facilitate the convergence of IT and OT.

The Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG) is an independent organization founded in 2003 by leading companies from the fields of motion control and automation technology. Its aims are the standardization and further development of the POWERLINK protocol first introduced by B&R in 2001. This high-performance real-time communication system is an advanced protocol based on the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard designed to ensure real-time data transfer in the microsecond range. The EPSG cooperates with leading standardization organizations such as CAN in Automation (CiA), the OPC Foundation and the IEC.

Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG) – Powerlink Office, Germany. Tel: +49 . 33439 . 539 270. Email: info@ethernet-POWERLINK.org