6053 DNET Techbox Firmware Incompatibilities

A system commissioned with a Eurotherm DeviceNet techbox will not work if it is replaced with an SSD DeviceNet product.This will affect customers who ordered their drive product / system after 13th March 2006.

This is a legacy issue, and the DNET techboxes were suddenly discontinued in September 2022.

There is no firmware available from Parker Hannifin for these techboxes to upgrade/downgrade them, there is no upgrade/downgrade procedure. This was a Devicenet issue regarding vendor identification schemes.

Summarizing:
The DeviceNet standard, issued by the ODVA (Open DeviceNet Vendors Association) requires all DeviceNet products to incorporate a Vendor Identifier (a unique number allocated by them to each manufacturer of DeviceNet products).
When SSD departed from Eurotherm, there was a requirement to remove Eurotherm from all documentation including the DeviceNet Vendor Identifier. This change was effected in V4.1 Firmware for the DeviceNet product (can be identified from drive keypad).

Customers who are replacing old 6053 / 6055 DeviceNet Techboxes with new one will experience a communication conflict that will stop the operation of the DeviceNet within the installed system.

Customers may experience an intermittent dropping out of DNET cards as well. This can in many cases be triggered by, or look like, electrical noise on the system causing the communications to drop out. If the DNET option cards look as if they are supposed to function with the LEDs indiciating good health status, but a power cycle rectifies the issue (it does not automatically reconnect) then the issue likely stems from the incompatibilities that comes with the v4.1firmware on the cards.

JD 16NOV22