Safety included – CIP Safety on sercos

CIP Safety on sercos is the protocol used to transfer safety-related data on the sercos interface. It was defined in collaboration with ODVA and has been certified for compliance with IEC 61508 up to SIL 3. No additional safety bus is required as the safety information is sent in addition to the standard data on the sercos interface network in real time.

The combination of drives, peripherals, safety bus and standard Ethernet in a single network simplifies handling and reduces hardware and installation costs, and it makes it easy to deploy integrated safety controllers and homogeneous safety solutions.

CIP Safety on sercos means:

• The CIP Safety standard is used as the functional safety protocol
• CIP Safety adapted to sercos
• sercos-specific safety profiles

With CIP Safety on sercos, the data is sent on the same medium using the same connection as standard communication. The function of the cross-media CIP safety protocol is performed by the end units, making it possible to simultaneously operate standard and safety devices in the same network.

Reliable communication can take place between all network levels including peer-to-peer communication and crossnetwork communication. The master does not necessarily have to be a safety controller. It can also route data without being able to interpret it.
This makes it possible for users to flexibly configure the safety network architecture for implementation of safety programmable controllers or peer-to-peer communication between sensors and actuators.
In addition, use of a standard CIP network as a backbone network enables seamless communication between safety devices in different subnetworks.

Safety-related data is sent in a safety data container which is placed on the real-time data channel (MDT and AT) similar to standard data.
A multiplex protocol, the so-called sercos Messaging Protocol (SMP), is used to transmit differently sampled safety data without a loss of bandwidth and despite short cycle times.
CIP Safety has been certified by TÜV Rheinland for use in applications up to Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL3) and complies with IEC standard 61508 for functional safety ("Functional safety of electrical/ electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems").