PROFIBUS and PROFINET Ubiquity
loading… In reviewing this past week, I see that a number of PROFIBUS application stories have appeared along with some nifty PROFINET new product announcements. The PROFIBUS application stories: Topaz completes RAK Cement installation Process Dynamics and Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 – the automatic choice for Parmalat Accuweigh supplies coated platform scales to Gold Coast…
Boston: “Tell me more about CBA”
loading… One of the follow up questions on the Boston PROFINET one-day training class feedback forms indicated that we should say more about Component Based Automation (CBA). For those who didn’t hear enough about CBA in Boston, you can find more information in Section 15 of “PROFINET Technology and Application.” You can find it on…
You can take an engineer on vacation, but…
loading… You can take an engineer on vacation, but… he’s still an engineer. Sandwiched around the Boston PROFINET one-day training class, I took some vacation time in New York City, Boston, and northern Arizona. In NYC, even an engineer will first see the symbolism of freedom… …then be disappointed that the museum gift shop does…
From Analog Computers to Davenport and Boston
loading… You can still do things the old way. My second computer was an analog computer (the first was a Geniac): [From the favorite catalog of my youth, the Edmund Scientific catalog. “[T]he Edmund catalog was virtually a Whole Earth Catalog for items related to scientific fields,” according to Wikipedia.] Those analog computer principles still…
Growth of PROFINET and the PI Organization
loading… A report from the 21st PI international meeting in Krakow, Poland: PI Chairman, Joerg Freitag reported that PROFIBUS growth may be flat this year, an anomaly due to the economy. But despite the economy, PROFINET continues to grow. Speaking of growth, there are currently 25 Regional PI Associations (RPAs) with India in planning as…
Upgraded to First Class (to the wrong city)
loading… Business travel can be such a joy. This trip was to Krakow for the PI (PROFIBUS and PROFINET International) meeting. Upgraded to First Class (to the wrong city). Yes, it was that kind of trip. My wife and I had a short layover in Chicago between Phoenix and Frankfurt – at least that was…
PI Meeting Impressions
loading… We of PROFIBUS and PROFINET International (PI) are in the middle of our 21st meeting. We are in Krakow and moments ago we had our picture taken by Geoff Hodgkinson: (click for larger image) The size of the community is amazing. We have about 80 folks from 22 countries and 6 of the 7…
What are the differences between PROFIBUS V0, V1, and V2?
loading… The question was prompted at the Vancouver PROFINET one-day training class. (Yes, we get PROFIBUS questions at the PROFINET class and vice versa.) Here’s the summary: DPV0: Cyclic Data Exchange, Diagnostics (all devices) DPV1: Acyclic Data Exchange, Process Alarm Handling (process automation) DPV2: Clock Synchronization & Time Stamp (drives) It’s important to note that…
The Smell of the Rosin; The Roar of the Amplifier
loading… A Fathers Day tribute at the intersection of personal and professional. I read a HubSpot blog post called “How Do You Balance Personal and Professional on Social Media?” I keep my personal and professional lives separated online by using Facebook for personal and LinkedIn and Twitter for professional as I’ve posted before. But today’s…
Is PROFINET routable? (Report from Vancouver)
loading… The question came up at the PROFINET one-day training class in Vancouver: “Is PROFINET routable?” In other words, can PROFINET messages be sent through a router? First, a little background. In an Ethernet network, several types of device can be used: hubs, switches, and routers. Each works at a different layer of the ISO/OSI…