1. What is the ADIN2299 Module and Embedded Design solution?
a. The ADIN2299 is a complete network connectivity solution that enables you to incorporate Industrial Ethernet into an existing product or develop a new product in the fastest time and at the lowest cost. The ADIN2299 is available as a module and an embedded design solution. You can integrate the ADIN2299 as a drop-in module on your system board or embed the module’s design into your custom circuit card and form factor. Either way, ADIN2299 is a proven solution so that the learning curve, development time and risk are significantly reduced.
2. What makes the ADIN2299 solutions different from a reference design kit?
a. Most reference designs on the market today are simply that—kits. These kits contain a handful of components, and it is up to you to integrate them and create a solution. Customers have told us that it is very frustrating to purchase one of these kits, only then to be told that they must get support for the various components from each individual component manufacturer.
Typically, reference design kits give you pieces of the solution. You have to spend many hours trying to understand those pieces, how they must be configured, and what you have to do to get all of them to work together. This can be particularly frustrating given the various software packages required for an Industrial Ethernet solution.
The ADIN2299 solutions have been purposely designed to eliminate these hurdles and are supported by Analog directly. Furthermore, whether a customer uses a module or embedded design solution, minimal change is required to the host software for enabling communication between the host and the ADIN2299. And, once this minor modification is made, the host software never has to be altered again. We supply communication software that will run unmodified directly on Analog’s ADSP-CM409F.
3. How do I choose between the module and embedded design solutions?
a. An embedded design solution is useful when your design requires a unique form factor or has other mechanical constraints. An embedded design solution can also provide the ability to cost optimize your design. Otherwise, use a module solution.
4. How can the embedded design be almost as fast as a module.
a. A module provides a very fast time to market because it is a finished and tested unit. While it sounds fast and easy—just buy it and plug it in—you still have to integrate the module onto your circuit board and change the interface software in your host application. These are the same tasks required for an embedded design implementation. To make the hardware integration even faster, Analog provides all engineering information in electronic form so that the design can be easily imported into virtually any hardware design environment. To make the software integration faster, Analog provides communication software and a framework so your application software can either be quickly re-used or easily integrated.
5. I have a product that is already on the market with a Profibus Interface. How easy will it be for me to use the ADIN2299 solutions to create a new product with a Profinet RT interface?
a. The ADIN2299 solutions are designed to simplify integration. You probably have a host processor in your product with application software interfacing to a Profibus chip. To convert this product to Profinet, all you need to do is remove the Profibus interface chips from the schematic and drop in the ADIN2299 schematic, hook it up to your host processor via a UART or memory bus. We provide the firmware, Profinet stack, and TCP/IP stack for the ADSPCM-409F chip that controls the network traffic. The only software you need to modify is the interface software on your host. We also give you sample code in “C” and an API layer that shows how to set up the Profinet device for communications and transferring data to and from the host. It’s as simple as that.
6. I have a sensor already on the market that doesn’t have a fieldbus or Industrial Ethernet. How easy will it be for me to use the ADIN2299 solutions to create a version with an EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Profinet or Modbus/TCP interface?
a. This application is straightforward. Assuming your device design does not have an onboard processor, the ADIN2299 I/O attaches directly to your sensor’s interface. We provide a standalone software application for EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Profinet, or ModbusTCP communications. You provide application software to control the data transfer to and from your device. Your application code and our communication software are integrated to form the sensor solution. We provide a full software development environment, documentation, and field support that enables you to get your device to market quickly.
7. What type of support can I expect from Analog while I am incorporating the ADIN2299 module and/or Embedded Design into my product?
a. Customers tell us our support and tools are better than anything they have used before! We are available from the time you start evaluating the ADIN2299 solutions all the way through certification of your device. Regardless of the question, we are a one-stop shop that address questions on subject matter ranging from EtherNet/IP to low-level firmware timing questions. We are here to support you and make your product a success.
b. We protect the ADIN2299 solutions from obsolescence, and continuously maintain the protocol stacks. We provide regular updates to the ADSP-CM409F firmware and software libraries. You will not experience vendors finger pointing and being forced to figure out why their solution does not work.
8. I like the ADIN2299 solutions but I need the fastest development path. Should I use a plug-in module?
a. Yes. The ADIN2299 module is the fastest development path. The module provides you with network-side hardware that is already tested, comes pre-loaded with the required software and is ready to communicate with your host processor. The amount of design work you must do to bring your product to market is significantly reduced and low risk.
9. If I order an Evaluation Kit with one protocol, can I reprogram it with a different protocol?
a. Yes. Any of the supported protocols work with the Evaluation Kit. The kit is shipped with a specific protocol for ease of use. Once the customer is well-versed with the solution, they are free to use any
protocol. There is a Programming User’s Guide that supports reprogramming the kit with a new protocol.
10. Can I store more than one protocol into the ADIN2299 flash memory?
a. Theoretically yes. There is enough memory in to do so. However, in practice only one protocol is used at a time. If the customer wants to change protocols, it is necessary to reprogram the ADIN2299 solution with the desired protocol.