The Real Time Automation Industrial Networking Newsletter!

The RTA Industrial Networking Newsletter is a free email newsletter published by John Rinaldi and delivered only to those who have asked for it. See the end of this issue to shut me up forever.

In This Issue:

1. THE VIEW FROM MY COUCH: Relationships, Getting Slapped In The Face and Thoughts on Mortality
2. TECHNOLOGY OF THE MONTH: PROFInet IO
3. TRAVELS? : John Takes “Daddy Warbucks” To Dinner In Italy
4. GET YOUR FREE GIFT WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED!
5. COMPLETELY USELESS FACTS ABOUT THE MONTH OF MAY
6. MY BOOKSHELF: Lots Of Interesting Books crossed my desk lately
7. THE PRIORITY CHANNEL: Some new products and my next speaking engagement In Amsterdam
8. CONTACT ME: Get In Touch With The Professor of Industrial Networking
9. EMAIL INSTRUCTIONS: Manage Your Subscription

1. The View From My Couch – “Relationships, Getting Slapped In The Face and Thoughts On Mortality”

2005 is shaping up to be just an awesome year for myself and RTA. This truly will be our best year ever. We are working with a lot of really great new customers all over the world. Our European business, from absolutely nothing two to three years ago is skyrocketing. I’ve been to Europe four times already this year to visit with customers and give presentations on Industrial Ethernet. We’re finding that the demand for Industrial Ethernet is tremendous and we’ve hired a number of new engineers to meet the demand for those kinds of products and services. It’s a really good business to be in right now. Every day we get to work on fascinating new projects. From a 90-ton remotely guided mining machine in Australia to five mile long conveyors to infrastructure systems at NASA.

The downside of having a growing, interesting business that keeps your mind occupied 24 hours a day is that you don’t always pay a lot of attention to other parts of your life. I am a goal kind of guy. Up until a month ago I was completely focused on my lists and lists and lists of business goals. Easily 300 of them. They cover every aspect of our business and my part of it. Everything from financial things to products to office environment and on and on. There are some really big ones and a lot of tiny ones, like offering this newsletter every other month from in 2005.

But things have changed a bit. As I write this, death and my mortality seems to be a presence I can’t ignore. I’ve just lost one of my Italian uncles, “Zio Tony” (Uncle Tony in English) whose life ended much more quickly than I think he expected. Pope John Paul II, Karol Joseph Wojtyla, just passed away as did Johnny Carson and Arthur Miller. My father is now 89 and though still verbally sparing with me almost every day he is clearing getting ready for his final trip. My knees seem to be telling me that I can’t exercise the way I must to compensate for the quantity of food I enjoy every day so I am clearly seeing the signs that I too am destined to follow in the footsteps of Pope Paul, Zio Tony and others.

I was hit with this at the Glazer-Kennedy Mega Marketing seminar recently and I was angry about it. You may know that I spend more on self development than probably 99.99% of the population. I haven’t looked but probably about $35,000 last year. It’s one of the reasons I drive a 10 year old car. I’d rather buy $3,000 marketing courses than drive around in a new car every year. The speaker at this latest seminar started talking to us about doing all the things we always want to do because if you wait you may not have the time you need to accomplish your dreams. If you’re male, you are going to live to about 73 years old. That’s a precise number of days, hours and minutes from now and it is ticking down every second.

I found this very disturbing. Even though I enjoy my work tremendously and wouldn’t ever want to do anything else, there are other things I want to do with my life. I have dreams about places I want to go, books I want to read, books I want to write and people that I want to enjoy. So, recently, when I had some time to myself at an outdoor café in Bologna Italy, I did an interesting little exercise. I assumed I would only have five more years to live and made a list of the most important 25 things I really would like to accomplish in “these last five years of my life”.

If you let yourself think about it, your mortality is a great clarifier. I encourage each one of you to ask the questions; What if I had only five years to live? What really would be important to me? Who is important to me? How would I spend that time and then organize your life to do those things right now because as my Uncle Tony and others have found out, you just don’t know how much time you have.

I’ve reoriented my life, my goals, what I do every day, to living like I only have five years left. In one of my future newsletters I am going to be announcing some massive new plans for both my professional and personal life. I’ll be sharing pieces of these plans as they are implemented. I sincerely hope that you will follow my lead and do the same and create the life you always wanted, today.   jr

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2. Technology Corner: PROFInet IO Arrives!

PROFInet IO is now available from Siemens through Profibus International (PI). I recently attended the very first boot camp for PROFInet IO developers in Johnson City and came away very impressed with the product. I still think it is overly complex and that there is too little clear documentation on the product and how to implement it but because it provides the Ethernet interface for S7 PLCs it is going to be a required application layer protocol for many device manufacturers.

PROFInet IO has a lot to offer over other Industrial Ethernet application layers:

• Built-in support for redundant operation
• Ability for PROFInet IO devices to communicate on a peer-peer relationship
• Very fast operation; 1000 points, 32 devices, 1msec cycle time.
• Multi-controller data exchange with a single device
• Built in Diagnostic and Alarming capability
• High precision time synchronization
• The ability to easily integrate Profibus and Interbus-S into a PROFInet IO automation system.

 

PROFInet IO is one of two PROFInet application models. First released was PROFInet CBA, the component model of PROFInet. CBA implements an automation strategy that associates components of your automation system using MS COM to form a programmable controller-less system. Interfaces for each PROFInet CBA device are dragged and dropped to other PROFInet CBA device interfaces to form connections. When complete, the entire connection set is transferred to the network and the devices start cooperatively exchanging data. It is breathtaking to see it operate but how practical today’s system designers and integrators who are so wedded to Programmable Controllers will find it remains to be seen.

PROFInet IO, the follow on to CBA, is the programmable controller version of PROFInet. This is the Profibus-like version on Ethernet. From an S7 Programmer viewpoint, PROFInet IO devices are identical to Profibus devices. IO data is dragged into the S7 data tables in exactly the same way. This will make PROFInet IO very popular with the huge Profibus community.

PROFInet has two communications options. CBA runs in standard TCP/IP mode and a Real Time mode (RT). RT accelerates system response by bypassing the TCP/IP stack and moving messages directly from the IP layer to the application. IO runs in RT mode and a, special, ASIC-driven IRT version for motion control The Motion Control version, not readily available yet, promises exceptionally fast response (up to 250 nano seconds) with little to no jitter.

PROFInet IO abstracts a device into a series of virtual slots, subslots, and channels. Slots which can be thought of as a hardware module are major pieces of the device. Each Slot is composed of some number of Subslots. Subslots typically organize similar data for the slot. You might create a Subslot for every eight discrete inputs or outputs for example. Channels are the physical data endpoints. Each input is assigned a channel number. Diagnostic data is assigned on a per channel basis so you can associate diagnostic data like short circuit and open circuit to each channel. Subslot 0 is a special subslot designated to abstract data for the Slot as a whole. Subslot 0 never represents any data.

Let’s take a look at a valve controller with 16 valves and 8 inputs. The valve controller could be represented as a single slot device with an 8 input subslot and a 16 Output subslot. An S7 Programmable Controller could associate its data table with that Slot and exchange data with that device using that Slot/Subslot representation. But you could also organize your valve controller as Slot 1/Subslot 1 with 8 inputs, Slot 2/SubSlot 1 with the first 6 valves, Slot 2/SubSlot 19 with the next 2 valves and Slot 3/SubSlot 5 with the next 8 valves. You can create almost any Slot/Subslot virtual representation of your device data that you want. The beauty of this scheme is that in a PROFInet IO system, Programmable Controllers associate and perform data exchanges with a Slot, not with the device as in DeviceNet or EtherNet/IP. Because associations are made at the Slot level, multiple Programmable Controllers can associate and simultaneously exchange data with your device as if the other Slots were separate devices.

In addition to IO data PROFInet provides built-in support for Alarm, Diagnostic, parameter, configuration and identity data. While IO data is exchanged with Programmable Controllers in precisely timed cyclic message frames, this data is accessed using read/write messages similar to Profibus.

A PROFInet IO implementation differs from other Industrial Ethernet application layer protocols in a number of ways:

1. While Modbus TCP can be built from the ground up by the average programmer, EtherNet/IP can be built from scratch by a really competent programmer, PROFInet is much too complex to build from scratch. Instead the source code from Siemens is the required starting point for this effort. (Real Time Automation is a distributor for this code and can help you get started).
2. Unlike EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP, PROFInet requires an RTOS. And even worse, it is supported on only a few RTOS products right now and porting is not trivial.
3. PROFInet IO is a licensed technology from Siemens. You must purchase a license from Siemens or an authorized distributor like Real Time Automation (call me for pricing). Siemens license PROFInet on a per product line basis and at this date the licensing may be fairly strict. Extending PROFInet IO to multiple product lines may get costly. And like EtherNet/IP, each product must be certified by a licensed PROFInet test laboratory.

Should you implement PROFInet IO? If you are doing Industrial Ethernet and you already have Modbus TCP or EtherNet/IP, I think the answer is an unqualified YES. PROFInet will be the standard for Siemens Industrial Automation and PROFInet IO will be the most widely implemented Ethernet application layer in that environment. With the huge worldwide base of Siemens Programmable Controllers it is going to be a must for many automation manufacturers.

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3. I Take Daddy Warbucks To Dinner

            It’s Bologna Italy, about ten pm and I am having dinner with one of my best customers and a good friend. We are talking as much Italian as my abilities allow when all of a sudden I hear a slow, growling, marbly voice from the next table almost shout “I’m Gettin Ripped Off”. Then I hear it a second time.

            I turn around to find the ugliest American I have ever seen in my life. He’s grossly overweight. He’s bald. He has these deep set, penetrating dark eyes surrounded by thick, black circles. He has so many chins that they practically hang down and touch the round protruding belly in front of him.

And against my better judgment I ask him what the problem is. He growls back to me “I want my water. I want my ham. I’m getting ripped off”. So I call the waiter over and in Italian tell him what this guy wants and that he appears to be in a hurry.

Unfortunately for me I now have a conversation started with Mr. Ugly. He tells me that he visits Italy about five or six times a year and doesn’t speak a word of Italian. Why he would disclose such an ignorant fact to me lowers my opinion of him even more. He goes on to growl –  which I know believe is his normal speaking – voice that “I’m from Philadelphia and in Philadelphia we have an Italian restaurant that is better than all these restaurants in Italy. I don’t know if you ever heard of it – it’s called the Olive Garden”.

Now I’m ready to strangle this ignorant, corpulent stranger from Philadelphia. Italy is the center of the food universe and the very epicenter of culinary cuisine in Italy is in Bologna and this idiot is telling me that he can get better food at a chain restaurant in Philly. Luckily for his sake he leaves quickly, but not without complaining about the bill, before I can do violence to his plump body.

But the story of the portly stranger doesn’t end there…

The next day I am lounging around the Bar (combination coffee shop/liquor bar) in the hotel when Mr. Olive Garden appears. It turns out that he is staying in my hotel. And much to my dismay he proceeds to come over and sit with me. And things begin to really change then.

He starts to tell me that the reason he visits Italy so much is that he does a lot of business there. In fact he is the sole owner of eleven companies that do 975 MILLION DOLLARS in sales. I practically crush the tiny espresso cup in my hand hearing that 975 Million figure. Mr. Ugly turns into Mr. Attractive. He went from the ugliest American I have ever seen to one of the most attractive men I have ever men in fact. I want to get to know him better, much better. Could there be a relationship here? So, I ask him to dinner. He points at me with his gnarled, arthritis ridden finger and says in that growlly voice I have now come to love “OK, You Buy!”

We get to dinner that night and he tells me that he doesn’t eat very much, just a little soup. So, I call the owner over and in Italian ask him if he has soup tonight, that my best friend here just wants some soup. He says fine and we order. I get a nice dish of taglietelle and then Daddy Warbucks orders. He says, “I’ll have the soup…and the veal…and the Pasta with Lobster”…and a few other entrees that I don’t remember. He ordered three or four complete dinners. With dessert and coffee it set me back over 100 euros, nearly 200 American dollars!

Dinner conversation was somewhat interesting. This guy does a lot of diamond commodity trading. He promised to get me in on some Russian diamond deals which sounded interesting. I’m thinking that when he adopts me, I could run the Russian diamond part of the family business. He goes on to tell me about shady characters all over the world. He knows Russian mobsters, Robert Vesco, the guy Clinton pardoned at the end of his term and many more I can’t remember.

But I’ve been back in town for over a month and he hasn’t called. Apparently it wasn’t to be. Another failed relationship…

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4. A Free Gift To Anyone Who Asks For It

Dan Kennedy, one of my personal heroes, just published a tiny, pocket guide to success. I’ve bought fifty copies as gifts to the subscribers to this newsletter. The guide is perfect for your self, your teenage or older child. It explains very directly and clearly why some people live happy, abundant and successful lives while others are lack money, happiness and success. I can’t tell you how inspirational and helpful this little book has been to me and the people I’ve given it to:

Here is a section on responsibility (reprinted with permission):

“…And most people blame a lot of other people for whatever they don’t like about their own lives. If they are overweight, it’s their parents’ fault for getting them used to eating big portions of meat ‘n taters, or the fast food industry’s fault. If they’re not doing as well as they would like financially, it’s the government, the ‘economy’, an evil employer, lack of education, where they live. If they own a business and aren’t doing as well as they’d like, it’s the ‘econonomy’, the government, Wal-Mart, etc. Funny thing is, it’s never them!…..you can divide the population into two big hunks: those who search, hunt, go after the information they need to fix what ever is ailing them and those who don’t. There are about 5% of the people in the first group, 95% in the second…

I have fifty copies of this little book to give away. If you want one, email my assistant, Lauren (Lauren at rtaatuomatiom.com) with your complete telephone and mailing address. Give us a few weeks to get them out to you.

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5. Completely Useless Facts About The Month of May

1. According to the early Roman calendar, May was the third month. Later, the ancient Romans used January 1 for the beginning of their year, and May became the fifth month.
2. The month of May was named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth.  Maia means increase or growth in Latin.
3. Did you know: Memorial Day was first observed in 1866. Mothers Day was first observed in 1908.  Cinco De Mayo celebrates the Mexican win over the French in 1862.
4. Emerald is the birthstone for May.
5. On May 6,1840, the first postage stamp was issued in England.
6. On May 10, 1869, the first transcontinental railway was completed in Utah.
7. On May 20, 1932,  Amelia Earhart began the first solo flight by a woman across the Atlantic Ocean.
8. The Brooklyn Bridge opened to traffic May 24,1883.
9. The chicken is one of the few things that man eats before its born and after its dead.
10. The IRS admits that one in five people who call their help line get the wrong answer to their question.
11. The California Department of Motor Vehocles has issued six drivers licenses to six different people named Jesus Christ.
12. True Microsoft Story:  There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.  When asked to define “Great” he said,”I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger.  He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages!
13. Police in Bari, Italy, arrested a man suspected of snatching handbags to finance his drug addiction after he sped past one woman on his motorcycle and snatched her purse.  The woman was his mother, who recognized him and reported him, said a police spokesperson adding, “We were rather surprised by the whole episode, I must admit.”

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6. My Bookshelf: Many Books to Talk About

I try to read one book a week. I don’t usually accomplish that goal but I try. Lately, I have read so many outstanding books that it was difficult to select one for this review. I’ve read some great classics like “Acres Of Diamonds”, some how-to books like Richard Kochs follow on to the 80/20 principle but I think the one that has had the most impact on me has been “Thinking Big” by David Schwartz.

Unlike a lot of other books of this genre this one delivers on it’s promises. The back cover pledges to help you change your life and it really delivers. The concepts are simple, easy to implement yet very powerful.

Here are a few of the things that I learned:

§         You will become what you see yourself becoming. If you see yourself in the future as a postal clerk you will always be a postal clerk. See you self instead as the person you want to become.

§         Take a close look at your friends. Are they what you want to be? If not, get new friends. Make friends with the kind of people that are like what you want to become.

§         Make everyone feel important. Call people by name. Appreciate everything anyone does for you. All of this will come back to you ten fold.

§         Go first class in everything you do. It reinforces your abundance, success mindset and is more economical in the long run.

There are a hundred little tidbits like this to act on. Take any four or five and you can change your life significantly. It is will worth reading and acting on if you would like practical advice for improving your relationships, happiness and career.

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7. Priority Channel

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: I am speaking at the Siemens Industrial Ethernet forum in Amsterdam on May 10, 2005. My talk is on the future of Sensor bus systems, DeviceNet, Profibus, CANopen, in an Ethernet-enabled world. I have spent very little time in northern Europe and I’ll have a week to explore Holland. I am really excited about that trip.

PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCMENT: RTA and the Profibus Interface Center have agreed to make Real Time Automation one of the few north American distributors of Profibus technology. Later this year we will be fully able to provide you with PROFInet CBA or IO Solutions.

RTA is now provides EtherNet/IP, Modbus/TCP, PROFInet CBA and PROFInet IO and DeviceNet solutions for NetSilicon, Freescale and other microprocessors

8. Contact The Doctor Of Industrial Networking

You can reach John Rinaldi by phone at (414) 453-5100 or by email at jsr at rtaatuatomion.com.

Reprinting and distribution of this ezine is highly recommended, provided that the content and links are left intact. It is currently delivered to thousands of subscribers, clients and friends.

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9. Subscription Management Instructions

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