Understanding Integrated Architecture

Like many other vendors, Rockwell Automation has recently rebranded and reorganized its offering. The ControlLogix family is part of Rockwell Automation's larger solution offering, called Integrated Architecture. Integrated Architecture is a relatively new term in the world of Rockwell Automation, but the concept has been in place for quite some time. It represents a convergence of the control and information systems within an operating environment. We have seen a continuous increase in demand for operational information to be provided to the corporate information system in real time to fulfill maintenance needs, environmental reporting, accounting, and other corporate requirements. At the same time, we have seen operational technology move from proprietary protocols and data access technology to traditional IT technologies, such as TCP/IP and Ethernet. The promise of Integrated Architecture is the ability to implement plant-wide optimization quickly, reduce technical project risk, increase machine performance, and improve long-term reliability.

The five core technologies of the Integrated Architecture PAC product line include the following:

• ControlLogix

• CompactLogix

• GuardLogix

• DriveLogix

• SoftLogix

• MicroLogix/Micro800

The following diagram outlines the Integrated Architecture structure and where ControlLogix fits into the mix:

FlexLogix (Bulletin 1794) controllers were also part of the Logix PAC family that was used to communicate PLC-5 and SLC-500 Flex I/O blocks. However, FlexLogix has now been retired from the lineup, so it will not be covered in this book. However, 1794 Flex I/O racks continue to be supported, so these will be discussed.

The product formally known as RSLogix 5000 (used for programming ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers) is now included within the Automation Engineering and Design software suite called Studio 5000 and is now referred to as Logix Designer. For the remainder of this book, we will refer to Logix Designer, which is essentially just the newest version of RSLogix 5000.

Rockwell's rebranding of Studio 5000 has also generated several other products and features. One such feature is the Connected Components Workbench software, which aims to streamline the development of the overall control system by incorporating PLC programming, device configuration, and HMI editing into a single product offering. We will not touch on the Connected Components Workbench software in this book, but it is important to be aware of its role in the Rockwell product ecosystem.