ODVA Adds Level Sensors to EtherNet/IP Process Device Profiles

ODVA has announced the addition of level sensors to the suite of process device profiles in The EtherNet/IP Specification. This update supports the ongoing effort to help simplify device replacement and commissioning across industrial environments. Process device profiles are designed to help reduce complexity and streamline the installation of new devices during unplanned replacements. They achieve this by enabling standardized semantics and scaling for process variables and diagnostics, helping to enhance interoperability among vendors and preparing data for use in edge and cloud analytics.

Device profiles are now available for:

• Level measurement

• Coriolis flow

• Electromagnetic flow

• Vortex flow

• Standard pressure

• Scaled pressure

• Resistance temperature detector (RTD)

• Thermocouple temperature sensors

This broader coverage allows for easier access to consistent data, such as process variables, diagnostics, and cumulative totals, which can help to further optimize operations in complex systems. The inclusion of level sensors further expands the utility of the EtherNet/IP ecosystem.

One of the key objectives of process device profiles is to help ensure that device replacement is as seamless as possible. Plug-and-play functionality helps to lessen the need for field personnel to have deep expertise in electronics or Ethernet, thereby helping to increase efficiency during scheduled maintenance and reduce unplanned downtime.

The new EtherNet/IP profile for level transmitters supports devices that use:

• Free wave

• Guided wave

• Capacitive

• Magnetostrictive

• Radiometry

• Buoyancy-based measuring technologies

Additionally, NAMUR NE 107 diagnostics are supported for level transmitters that rely on:

• Free wave

• Guided wave

• Radiometry

While the move reflects ODVA's broader goal of further enabling interoperability and standardization, it’s also a reminder of how industrial automation continues to lean on consistent frameworks, such as PA-DIM to prepare systems for scalable analytics and AI-driven insights. With support now extended to temperature, flow, pressure, and level measurements, organizations have additional flexibility to integrate EtherNet/IP-capable devices in critical environments regardless of vendor. A more harmonized data structure further supports easier sensor replacement and integration into asset management systems.

EtherNet/IP process device profiles offer standardized access to process variables using semantics and scaling aligned with the PA-DIM model. They also support diagnostics, including NAMUR NE 107 status signals. These elements contribute to the development of more consistent data structures that facilitate analytics, monitoring, and optimization efforts within process automation. ODVA’s ongoing updates reflect a continued effort to meet the evolving requirements of process industries by incorporating technologies, such as Ethernet-APL, PA-DIM, NAMUR, FDI, and process device profiles. The latest specification includes expanded support for level measurement.

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