PROFIsafe Key Frequently Asked Questions
loading… Safety systems protect equipment, people, and the environment. Traditionally, safety systems rely on separately wired circuits that are expensive to build, commission, and maintain. Nowadays, functional safety can be done over the bus shifting from safety in hard relays to safety in logic. With over 11 million installed nodes worldwide, PROFIsafe is the industry-leading…
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? It is your Choice.
loading… Do you need to establish a wireless connection? PROFINET offers you the option to connect wirelessly through two well-know IEEE standards: WLAN and Bluetooth. Which one should you choose? With PROFINET it is completely your choice! PROFINET supports WLAN and Bluetooth connections without restrictions. Real-time data can be transmitted wirelessly, as well as safety…
PROFINET & Advanced Physical Layer [APL]
loading… “What is the Advanced Physical Layer / APL?” … is a question getting a lot of attention. As of today you cannot land a standard PROFINET cable directly on an instrument that is located in a hazardous environment, where a spark might cause an explosion. (Well, technically, you can do it once. Just once……
Industrial Wireless Access Points
loading… PROFINET supports WLAN and Bluetooth as part of its specification. PROFINET enables wireless connections without limitations*, even with safety messages (PROFIsafe). Since PROFINET is based on standard Ethernet, it does not require specialized networking hardware. Commercial off-the-shelf Wireless Access Points (WAPs) can be part of a PROFINET network. Even though specialized industrial WAPs are…
Make the Connection: PROFINET over Wireless
loading… Wireless connections open up a wide variety of applications which are very difficult or impossible with regular cabling, such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and portable control panels. PROFINET is based on standard unmodified Ethernet and can connect seamlessly with any wireless standard from IEEE 802.11 (WLAN) or IEEE 802.15…
More on Network Topology
loading… Since PROFINET is based on standard unmodified Ethernet, it gives users all topology options: cabled topologies and wireless connections(via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi). The table below summarizes the benefits and challenges of different PROFINET topology configurations. Topology Description Benefits Challenges Line Most PROFINET devices have at least two ports, with such ports being part of…
Topology Options: Fieldbuses and Industrial Ethernets
loading… Topology is a generic term to describe device connections in a network. The term is not exclusive to industrial networking. Social networks, for example, have their own topologies between people. Network topology, specifically, is the network layout. In Industrial networking, wired topology options include line, tree, star, and ring. Topology Options Fieldbus Networks Line…
PROFINET and TSN – Q&A Block
loading… Last week we hosted a highly anticipated webinar on PROFINET and TSN. Due to time limitations, we were not able to answer all the questions that came in, but we would like to answer them in this blog post. If you are not familiar with the new terms mentioned below (TSN domains, NME, etc.),…
OPC UA & PROFINET: Update
loading… It’s worth spending a minute looking again at the relationship between OPC and PROFINET. Both technologies have been around for a long time, so it’s interesting that only now are we really starting to see their complementary nature get enhanced. Boy, things do move slowly in this industry. Here’s an update on where we…
PROFINET Shared Device
loading… PROFINET offers many features for custom-tailored architectures and automation applications. One of these features is PROFINET Shared Device, it gives multiple PROFINET IO controllers access to the same IO device. How Does It Work? PROFINET Shared Device offers a device the ability to support connections to more than one controller at the same time….