UC Channel

Conventional Ethernet communication is synchronized in the Unified Communication Channel (UCC) in the Sercos network, e.g. for e-mail, web services or other proprietary and standardized Ethernet-based protocols. This channel is included in the Ethernet layer without tunneling and has a range of benefits:

• It is possible to test and configure slaves even without initializing the real-time network and master hardware
• connection can be made to other automation devices which support another non-Sercos Ethernet-based protocol
• Sercos devices can be directly addressed via MAC or an IP address
• standard Ethernet devices such as laptops can be connected directly to Sercos devices via any free Sercos port
• full processing power is available for the application because the master does not have to tunnel or fragment Ethernet packets

S/IP protocol

The S/IP protocol allows data to be exchanged in one cycle using any Sercos devices without requiring a Sercos master or operating Sercos communication. The S/IP protocol can also be used in a cyclic real-time operation. In this instance, the S/IP telegrams are transmitted through the UC channel without negatively interfering with the network's real-time process.