An integrated zone cabling plan can slash network deployment time up to 75%, cut down on material and labor costs, and allow for future expansion. As rapid advancements in networking, computing, data storage and software capabilities increase the value of automation systems, engineers are under pressure to refresh machine and plantwide system designs with solutions that merge information and control data. To address this challenge, validated architectures and tested physical solutions that integrate information and control systems are growing in importance. To get connected globally into industrial operations, users need validated logical diagrams of the functions in the network and the interface with enterprise systems. This logical networking architecture, developed by Rockwell Automation and its Strategic Alliance Partner Cisco, is commonly known as the Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) Design and Implementation Guide. This reference architecture describes the connectivity between the enterprise and industrial zones at a logical level. Key within the logical architecture is the identification of communications pathways from the Level 3 Site Operations to Levels 0-2 associated within Cell/Area zones on the plant floor. The physical layer architecture is the infrastructure required to achieve connectivity that addresses data throughput, environment, wiring distances and availability. A structured, engineered approach is essential for the physical layer to ensure that investments in network distribution deliver optimum output.
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