5 Simple Facts about PROFINET

1. PROFINET is fast.Red 3D Number.

PROFINET is as fast as you need it to be.  Different applications have different requirements for speed – many process applications are slow moving so updates in hundreds of milliseconds is fast enough.  Factory automation needs faster response.  Motion control needs even faster response.  PROFINET covers the gamut.

2. PROFINET is deterministic.

Determinism is the repeatability of message delivery.  If the message needs to arrive in one millisecond, you want it to arrive in one millisecond.  The amount it misses this target by is called jitter.  PROFINET takes the approach of avoiding the jitter-inducing trip through TCP/IP and UDP/IP by taking advantage of standard Ethernet capabilities.

3. PROFINET is popular.

PROFIBUS is the most-installed serial fieldbus in the world and PROFINET has built on that to become the most-installed Industrial Ethernet.  It’s popular because users want and need the depth of features PROFINET provides.  It’s popular because almost every industrial controller maker supports it.

4. PROFINET is global.

No other Industrial Ethernet has the global support that PROFINET does.  There are 27 regional associations, 53 competence centers, 10 test labs, and 28 training centers around the world accredited by the international PI organization.  PROFINET is an international standard as IEC61158.  And PROFINET is a national standard in countries like China that require such standardization.

5. PROFINET creates uptime.

PROFINET diagnostic and redundancy capabilities help prevent downtime and shorten troubleshooting time.  Redundancy of controller, IO device, and media keep systems running despite faults.  Diagnostic features quickly pinpoint errors in devices and the network.  Uptime is the money-making fact for users.

While being fast and deterministic may be just expected, it’s PROFINET’s contribution to uptime that drives its popularity and global success.

–Carl Henning

Cross-posted at GE Intelligent Platforms blog