HONEYWELL Experion Local Control Network   

HONEYWELL Experion Local Control Network

Honeywell Expert Local Control Network (ELCN) is an industrial control network system based on Fault Tolerant Ethernet (FTE). As an upgrade solution for traditional coaxial cable LCN, the core is implemented through the Universal Embedded Appliance (UEA) hardware platform, supporting ELCN Bridge (bidirectional communication between LCN and ELCN) and ELCN Appliance node (ENIM/AM/EPLCG, etc.) deployment, compatible with physical/virtual nodes (x86 servers/VMware), supporting 100Mbit/sec data transmission, with a maximum of 96 nodes (with expanders). It needs to be paired with Expert R501.4+/TPN R688.1+software and Windows 10/Server 2016 system to meet the G4 corrosion level requirements of industrial environments. It can complete LCN node migration step by step and ensure the protection of existing nodes. Data objects can run without reconstruction, suitable for upgrading and expanding control networks in process industries.

Core positioning and core values of the product

Positioning: ELCN is an upgrade solution for traditional coaxial cable LCN (Local Control Network), built on fault-tolerant Ethernet (FTE), to achieve digital upgrade of the control network and support the gradual migration of LCN nodes to ELCN architecture.

core value

Compatibility: Existing LCN data objects (checkpoints, display objects, etc.) can run without refactoring or recompiling;

Flexibility: Supports mixed deployment of physical nodes (UEA hardware, x86 servers) and virtual nodes (VMware virtual machines);

Scalability: Supports up to 96 nodes (with LCN extender) to meet the needs of large-scale industrial scenarios;

Security: ELCN Bridge redundant deployment, supports automatic fault switching, and ensures network stability.

Core Architecture and Components

1. Hardware core: Universal Embedded Appliance (UEA)

Physical form: A 1U height 19 inch rack mounted device consisting of a processor module (including CPU, power supply, fan) and terminal components (communication interface), supporting dual UEA redundant deployment;

Core function: Can be configured as ELCN Bridge (communication bridge between LCN and ELCN) or ELCN Appliance (functional nodes such as ENIM/AM/EPLCG);

Key hardware parameters:

|Hardware Components | Specification Details|

|Processor | XILINX XC7Z020-1CLG400I|

|Memory | 1G DDR3 SDRAM+256MB NOR FLASH|

|Input voltage | 90-264VAC, 47-63Hz|

|Power consumption/heat dissipation | 12W (80% efficiency)/9W (80% efficiency)|

|Dimensions (processor module) | 220mm (W) × 375.6mm (D) × 43.65mm (H)|

|Weight (including terminal components) | Approximately 2.5kg (processor 2kg+terminal 0.5kg)|

2. Node types and deployment modes

Node Type Deployment Form Core Functions

ELCN Bridge Physical UEA (Redundant Pair) LCN and ELCN Bidirectional Communication, Protocol Conversion (LCN Analog Signal) ↔ FTE Digital Signal)

ENIM/AM/EHB/NG physical UEA/virtual node enhanced network interface, application module, high-speed bridging, network gateway function

EPLCG physical UEA/virtual node (engineering/training only) programmable logic controller gateway, supporting RS-232/RS-422 serial communication

ES-T/ESVT/ACE-T/E-APP physical x86 server/virtual node human-machine interface, server, application control environment node, running Windows system

Key technical specifications and limitations

1. System requirements

Software requirements:

|Software Type | Minimum Version|

| Experion PKS | R501.4 |

| TPN/LCN | R688.1 |

|Operating System | Windows 10 (ES-T), Windows Server 2016 (Server Class Node)|

Network requirements:

Network type: Fault tolerant Ethernet (FTE);

Transmission rate: 100Mbit/sec;

Cable length: Copper cable up to 100m, fiber optic cable up to 2km (requires switch SFP port);

Corrosion grade: G4 (suitable for severe corrosive environments).

2. System capacity limitation

Quantity/specification remarks for restricted items

Maximum ELCN Bridge Redundancy: 1 pair. Each LCN only supports 1 set of redundant bridges

Maximum number of nodes (without extenders): 64 bridges are not included in the total number of LCN nodes

Maximum number of nodes (with extenders) 96 including ELCN and legacy LCN nodes

The maximum ES-T nodes for a single ESVT cluster are 30, requiring Expert R501.6+/TPN R688.3+without C300 controller integration

The maximum combination of 40 ES-T+ES-CE+ES-F nodes in a single ESVT cluster

Maximum number of NG nodes (per LCN) 2, 1 primary+1 hot standby

Minimum LCN/ELCN integrated node count of 3 to avoid node loss in case of expander failure

Deployment and Migration Process

Deployment prerequisites

Hardware: Install redundant ELCN Bridge pairs (UEA) first, and then add ELCN Appliance nodes;

Software: Upgrade to Expert R501.4+/TPN R688.1+, configure BOOTP server and NCF clock;

Network: All nodes belong to the same FTE community, and K2LCN cards are upgraded to K4LCN cards.

Migration characteristics

Step by step migration: supports individual LCN node migration, during which ELCN and LCN coexist;

Compatibility: Existing user created data objects (such as CL/AM objects, display configurations) do not require modification and can be run directly;

Final state: After all LCN nodes have been migrated, the ELCN Bridge can be removed and the UEA hardware can be reused as a backup node.

Key components and compliance information

1. Core accessories

Accessory Name Model/Number Core Purpose

MAU cable 51307692-100 (A)/51307692-200 (B) LCN coaxial cable connected to UEA Bridge for signal conversion

UEA rack 51454831-100 19 inch rack installation, supports 2 UEA modules

EPLCG configuration cable 51308285-200 (Allen Bradley)/51308285-300 (Modbus) serial communication configuration

UEA processor module 51454832-100 core computing component, including firmware and application functions

2. Compliance standards

European CE certification: Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU (IEC/EN 61010-1:2010), EMC Directive 2014/30/EU (IEC/EN 61326-1:2012);

Canadian CSA certification: CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 61010-1-12;

Korean KCC certification: NRRA Notice 2016-26/79, KN 61326-1 standard.