Virtual Automation Networks - one way from incompatibility

Paper deals with existing situation in industrial communication. Apart from proprietary serial communication systems exist many standardized fieldbuses. Due to increasing requirements on rapid data transfer and in hope of better transparency of communication in the overall plant control architecture, Ethernet has established as a well known and broadly used industrial communication technology. The paper shows one of possible methods for at least partial overcoming of the existing heterogeneity and incompatibility in large highly distributed control applications. The way is virtual automation networks and paper specify requirements and key features of the solution. The most important part of the paper deals with questions of the real - time features of virtual automation networks and the data security in heterogeneous communication environment.