PROFINET Can Multicast. But Why Do It?
There was a recent blog post over at Schneider called “It’s all about choice: EtherNet/IP and unicast and multicast traffic.” You can follow the link to read the whole thing but the gist of it is: “PROFINET people think EtherNet/IP cannot unicast, but it can do both multicast and unicast. PROFINET can only unicast. So…
Read MoreThe Virtualization of Control
I always love it when a speaker begins their presentation with: “Are you all ready to geek out for a little while?” So began Rich Carpenter, Chief Technology Strategist for GE Intelligent Platforms, in his breakout session at the inaugural GE-IP User Summit. And while there were many interesting talks at the event, perhaps because…
Read MorePROFIBUS PA Redundancy
Redundancy is not covered by the PROFIBUS PA specification, but vendors have jumped in with their own solutions. There are several choices including these two from PI North America members: 1. MooreHawk provided a nice video showing how their solution works for both Foundation Fieldbus and PROFIBUS PA. 2. Siemens has a solution as well,…
Read MorePROFINET on a Big Project or Small – What’s the Difference?
At our recent General Assembly Meeting, we had attendees from very different kinds of plants. This setup some very interesting discussions and some interesting feedback on the meeting survey. On the complex side we had Ford, Audi, and VW plants, and an AGV-based amusement park ride. On the simple side we had an SI who…
Read More3 Questions to Ask Your PROFINET Supplier
1. Is your product certified? Certification is required, but some vendors try to slip through without doing the right thing. The profibus.com Product Finder shows you which products are certified, but not every vendor includes that information there. If the certification number is not there, ask to see a copy of the certificate. A certified…
Read MoreGeneral Assembly Meeting Wrap-Up 2
Industrial Internet of Things (cont’d) I’ve been asked to give a little background on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) covered in the first GAM 14 post. In general, the Internet of Things refers to the collection of smart objects connected to the Internet. It can be broken down into three realms: Consumer Commercial Industrial…
Read MoreGeneral Assembly Meeting Wrap-Up
2014 General Assembly Meeting Wrap-Up Being our 20th anniversary, we set out to make this year’s Meeting a bit of a special event. From the Tuesday evening reception to the Wednesday evening boat-cruise-networking-event to the discussions during the day, all in all it was a very successful event. Industrial Internet of Things The Industrial Internet…
Read MoreIs PROFINET Product Certification Required?
In the PROFINET group on LinkedIn the question was raised: “Is PROFINET certification mandatory for a weight indicator with PROFINET IO fieldbus?” Dennis van Booma answered quickly and succinctly: “Yes, PROFINET IO devices have to be certified.” Someone else jumped in with a longer answer whose essence was to certify if your customer will let…
Read MoreHow to Explain PROFINET to Your Mom
You’re at a party and someone asks you what you do. I actually used to fear the question, but now I have a stock answer: “I evangelize an industrial automation communication technology.” Eyes immediately glaze over; then we can talk about the weather or sports. But once, a grandniece expressed (feigned?) continued interest. So instead…
Read MorePROFINET Communications, Mandatory; Wires, Optional!
I would like to use PROFINET, but my application is an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV). It’s battery powered with no preset track. I would like to use PROFINET, but the machine rotates and slip rings wear out too fast. If these are your applications, fear not. Since PROFINET uses plain old IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, it…
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