Design of a New Dual-Core Intelligent PLC for Ethernet Communication

This paper studies the design of a new intelligent PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) for Ethernet communication based on the switched network. It proposes a new solution for the Ethernet-based automation equipments and the related applications, which is used to control a variety of industrial processes in distributed locations. The points we discuss mainly involve Ethernet I/O architecture and the hardware design of communication module. For the field part, the scope of our control objects includes the remote I/Os and the interfaces with other equipments of this level, typically distributed I/Os & devices. For the devices of the architecture, we focus on discussing the hardware design of the communication module in our architecture. The design includes the system architecture with a new dual processer, reset signals and power supply supervisor, data strobe and clock, which have acted the kernel part in information exchange of intelligent PLC based on industrial Ethernet. It is a new solution for the Ethernet-based automation applications and implementations.