Networks/Fieldbuses are designed for distributed and/or centralized control with varying degrees of timing, synchronicity, physical layers and update rates. Networks connect modules, workstations or nodes in a manufacturing plant and also nodes, controllers, IO devices, and drives at the machine level. Common commercial examples include CANOpen, Profinet / Profibus, DeviceNet, AS-Interface, Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT, Ethernet POWERLINK, SynqNet, SERCOS, and MACRO among many others.
