IO Controller 2 (IO Device 1) operating in i-Device mode
Many of the design, engineering and deployment issues for PROFINET resemble those of PROFIBUS. However, PROFINET offers additional capabilities.
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- Simple device replacement: Just physically replace a device when it fails. There are no switches to set and no computer is needed.
- Device names: Meaningful names can be allocated by the user which contributes to much simpler replacement procedures. The PLC assigns an IP address to the node.
- Standard wireless: Familiar WLAN and Bluetooth protocols are used.
- More topology options: Ethernet offers many more topology options, including star, ring and tree structures which make it easier to design and commission according to the layout and functions of a plant, especially where redundancy, long distance, and remote connections are needed.
- Shared Device/i-Device: One device can be accessed by more than one controller. This flexible assignment of modules to different controllers suits many applications, for example, a single sensor that participates in a safety function and needs to communicate with a failsafe PLC. An IO-controller can also operate in a so-called i-Device mode, in which it combines the IO-Device functionality with an IO-Controller function on the same interface (see diagram).
Much more about PROFINET in this short webinar:
An Introduction to PROFINET
