ODVA DeviceNet

DeviceNet is a digital multi-drop industrial fieldbus protocol for connecting controllers with sensors, actuators, motor starters, operator interfaces and I/O devices. It uses CAN at the data link layer and the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) at upper layers, with a trunkline-dropline topology. It supports I/O and explicit messaging, controller-device communication and peer-to-peer communication.

Source checked3/3 values · 2026-10-25

Specification

2 sources

Transports	other
Architecture	producer consumer
Encoding	binary
Standard body	ODVA
Standard ref	IEC 62026-3

Study notes

DeviceNet uses the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) at OSI layers 5 to 7; CIP is specified by ODVA.
The data link layer complies with ISO 11898-1, and a CAN high-speed transceiver compliant with ISO 11898-2 drives up to 64 modules.
Network topology is trunkline-dropline; device power may be carried on the same cable as communication.
DeviceNet supports I/O messaging and explicit messaging, plus controller-device and peer-to-peer communication.
Specified cable types include thick trunk, thin trunk and flat trunk cable; connectors include mini-style and micro-style.
Allen-Bradley, now owned by Rockwell Automation, originally developed DeviceNet; ODVA has managed it since 1995.
ODVA conformance testing for DeviceNet is obligatory.

Safety

Maximum 64 nodes may be connected to a single network segment.
Bit rate and thick-trunk cable length limits: 125 kbit/s at 500 m, 250 kbit/s at 250 m, and 500 kbit/s at 100 m.
Only CAN CC is allowed on the data link layer; CAN remote frames must not be used.