CIP Safety spec surfaces

DVA stresses that CIP Safety is unique among safety network offerings because the safety functionality is in the end node. “Accordingly, CIP Safety will provide users with the ability to deploy standard and safety devices on a single CIP Network along with a choice of safety network architectures,” said Katherine Voss, executive director of ODVA. “Safety is a key issue in manufacturing automation today. Manufacturers are under growing social and legislative pressure to do everything possible to protect workers from physical injury, while at the same they are under economic pressure to improve manufacturing productivity and return on investment. The user benefits of deploying CIP Safety will be significant.”

Publication of the CIP Safety specification culminates work started by ODVA and its members in 2002 to integrate functional safety services into its CIP Network architecture. During this time, both CIP Safety and DeviceNet Safety received approval by TÜV Rheinland in accordance with the international standard IEC 61508, "Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic Safety-Related Systems," for applications up to Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3). 

ODVA says the next step in its safety initiative will be the extension of CIP Safety to EtherNet/IP. ODVA members have indicated that CIP Safety devices will be available for DeviceNet networks by mid-2005. These devices will provide fail-safe communication between nodes such as safety input/output blocks, safety interlock switches, safety light curtains and safety PLCs. 

The specifications for CIP Networks are published as The CIP Networks Library. The CIP Safety Specification is Volume 5 in this series. For more information, visit the ODVA web site at: www.odva.org.