Reflecting on IP/Ethernet

"Backstage" - Reflecting on EtherNet / IP / Ethernet

I started out this blog post after reply to a somewhat confused sales person about the use of the trademarked EtherNet/IP protocol with their local telecomms provider. "Could we order a driver for it ? " After several cross-country exchanges we figured out, politely almost, that perhaps the problem was that he was thinking Internet Protocol, best described by DARPA in 1981, but writing EtherNet/IP which refers to the more proprietary Industrial Protocol originated by Rockwell some 20 years later.

How best to explain this .. without being too long suffering about it.

For readers of this blog, the following excerpts from descriptive information found on the web may be a reminder of the difference.

We engineer SCADA for Crude Oil Pipelines.

More land based production means more pipelines.

There is movement in the Crude Oil status quo. Not only did Invensys recently obtain an order to provide a SCADA system on a crude oil pipeline in the UK, but also there is a rapid growth in the production of crude oil in land based formations in the USA. The means more pipelines and more automation to protect the environment. Invensys provides that kind of automation.

We have engineered many SCADA systems on crude oil pipeline networks in the past, having quite large networked SCADA systems installed in China.  It's good to see that pipeline activity is ramping up for us again in the UK.

Welcome to 2013 - A Great New Year and Ready to Rock

Downunder in Australia we get real vacations, middle of summer.. with the start of Christmas and usually people get back to full gear by the end of January.  Well - It's February and after a few weeks warm up we are back in full swing.

• You may have read about fires -- killer gigantic bushfires but the New Years fireworks were awesome.
• You may have read about floods - enough rainwater to cover most of the East Coast and a lot of damage, but the waves were great.

Social Networking

Normally I have been posting information using this blog, and following up with a tweet or two to followers.  This year I have decided to split the twitter account into two.  One focussing on what I might be doing or thinking generally. Another focussing on references relating to SCADA, SECURITY, TECHNOLOGY etc.. thus providing a more focussed publication for followers.

Also I have been kind of technically coerced into signing up with Google+ since it is auto-connected to this blog as well.  There will be a Google+ circle setup for discussion in this regard.

So in starting the year, I would recommend my current automation style twitter friends please follow me on:-

Twitter : @ChrisJSmith_PE

Blog: invensysscada.blogspot.com