The Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group was founded in 2003 as an independent association. Its goals are the standardization, promotion and further development of POWERLINK technology, which was first presented to the public in 2001. POWERLINK is a patent-free, manufacturer-independent and completely software-based communication system for hard real-time that has been available as a free open-source solution since 2008. The EPSG’s POWERLINK office handles public relations, coordinates the implementation of shared projects and provides information for existing and prospective members.
Ethernet POWERLINK uses the same concepts as CANopen for object dictionaries, device descriptions and communication mechanisms, including process data objects (PDOs), service data objects (SDOs) and network management (NMT). As with CANopen, direct cross-traffic is also one of the essential features of POWERLINK. All CANopen applications and device profiles can be directly implemented in POWERLINK environments as well – the applications will not see a difference between the two protocols. For this reason, POWERLINK can also be referred to as “CANopen over Ethernet”.
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