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ArcLink/XT
Lincoln Electric's ArcLink/XT is a communication protocol used primarily in industrial environments to facilitate data exchange between welding equipment and control systems. Designed to optimize manufacturing workflows, this protocol leverages UDP transport to ensure low-latency and real-time communication needed for precision welding operations..
ArcLink/XT is an industrial communication protocol developed by Lincoln Electric to enhance weld automation and data collection for their welding systems. It operates over UDP on port 4323 to offer lightweight and fast message delivery—ideal for the real-time requirements of industrial manufacturing environments. The protocol enables coordination among welding power supplies, robotic controllers, and supervisory control systems, allowing for synchronized operation and centralized management.
Because ArcLink/XT is designed for proprietary equipment, its protocol specification is tailored specifically towards supporting Lincoln Electric’s extensive feature set, including waveform control, job management, and parameter monitoring. This dedicated focus provides optimized performance but limits interoperability with non-Lincoln devices unless special integration is developed.
Its UDP-based transport model makes it well-suited for time-sensitive operations because of lower transmission overhead, albeit at the cost of not guaranteeing delivery or packet order. This means reliability is typically managed at the application level, often through repeated transmissions or acknowledgments within the proprietary software stack.