The December issue of Industrial Ethernet Book has lots of PROFINET articles:
“Moving up to Industrial Ethernet: PROFINET” provides a good introduction to PROFINET. It also reminds me of something I should have pointed out in response to an anonymous comment in the blog about PROFINET real-time (RT) messages not being routable: the spec provides the ability to have RT over UDP to allow routing. My only criticism of the article is that its opening over-emphasizes Siemens’ participation, under-emphasizes Phoenix Contact’s, and obfuscates the fact that PROFINET is a many-vendored thing. (You can tell by looking at the company names of those on the Working Groups.) [PROFINET, like love, is also a many-splendored thing. Insert your own song parody here.]
My friend and colleague, Peter Wenzel authored “Vertical integration to the field level under Profinet.” For even more on the topic from Peter read our white paper “MES and PROFINET.”
Although PROFINET is mentioned only in passing in “Embedded Industrial Ethernet: the real challenge to Fieldbus?”, the article shows why Ethernet switches are being embedded in devices. Many PROFINET devices already have embedded switches that allow fieldbus-emulating, line topologies. This trend is also reported in “RTOSs to support further protocols” where “Green Hills Software is adding support for CANopen, IEEE1588, EtherNet/IP and Profinet protocols for royalty-free RTOSs running on a myriad of Freescale’s embedded microprocessors and microcontrollers.” Freescale is a PTO member. Note the inclusion of both PROFINET and Ethernet/IP.
Sometimes it’s wise to take the bus; sometimes it’s necessary to take several busses. “Choose the right bus for the right job,” I always say. That’s what’s reported in “The Ups and Downs of Taking the Bus.” Foundation Fieldbus, AS-I, and PROFIBUS combine for the solution in this reprint on the easydeltav.com website. The challenge: “Sure, I’d like to take advantage of Fieldbus but, I’m in the pharmaceutical business and I just don’t think that stuff is ready for my demanding applications.” The answer: yes, it is! I should feel compelled to argue that they don’t really need FF with PROFIBUS PA available, but, then, it’s not my plant.
There’s more discussion about one of my favorite topics, the relationship between IT and Control Engineering, in Walt Boyes’ blog: About security…a word from a “recovering IT person.”
“Peristaltic technology helps Swedish Confectionery” is a pump commercial in the form of a press release, but they do mention using PROFIBUS to make candy which has to be a good thing (although chocolate candy would be better).
Finally, a Superbowl/marketing article: “What Marketers Can Learn From Bill Belichick.” “He may have the personal flair of a lint brush, but what has made him so successful as a coach also would make him an excellent marketer. He has the three key qualities essential to excelling at the business of marketing: discipline, imagination and respect.”