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PROFINET – the Ethernet standard for automation
PROFINET is the world's leading Industrial Ethernet standard for automation with more than 40 million nodes installed worldwide.
PROFINET makes companies more successful, because it speeds up processes and raises both productivity and plant availability.
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Flexibility
Short response times and optimized processes are the basic requirements for competitiveness in global markets because the product lifecycles are becoming shorter and shorter.
PROFINET ensures maximum flexibility in plant structures and production processes, and it enables you to implement innovative machine and plant concepts. For example, mobile devices can also be integrated at locations that are difficult to access.
Flexible topologies
In addition to the linear structure characterized by the established fieldbuses, PROFINET also enables the use of star, tree and ring structures. This is made possible by switching technology via active network components, such as Industrial Ethernet switches and media converters, or by integrating switch functionality into the field devices. This results in increased flexibility in the planning of machines and plants, as well as savings in cabling.
The PROFINET network can be installed without any specialist knowledge at all and meets all requirements that are relevant to the industrial environment. The "PROFINET Installations Guidelines" assist manufacturers and users with network planning, installation and commissioning. Symmetrical copper cables or RFI-resistant fiber-optic cables are used, depending on the application. Devices from different manufacturers are easily connected via standardized and rugged plug-in connectors (up to IP65/IP67 degree of protection).
By integrating switch functionality into the devices, linear topologies can be created that are directly oriented toward an existing machine or plant structure. This reduces cabling overhead and cuts down on components such as external switches.
IWLAN
PROFINET also supports wireless communication with Industrial Wireless LAN, thus opening up new fields of application. For example, technologies subject to wear, such as trailing cables, can be replaced and automated guided vehicle systems and mobile operator panels can be used.
Safety
The PROFIsafe safety profile, which has been tried and tested with PROFIBUS and which permits the transmission of standard and safety-related data on a single bus cable, can also be used with PROFINET. No special network components are necessary for fail-safe communication, which means that standard switches and standard network transitions can continue to be used without any restrictions. In addition, fail-safe communication is equally possible via Industrial Wireless LAN (IWLAN).
Open standard
PROFINET, the open multi-vendor standard (IEC 61158/IEC 61784), is supported by PROFIBUS and PROFINET International (PI). It stands for maximum transparency, open IT communication, network security and simultaneous real-time communication.
Thanks to its openness, PROFINET provides the basis for a standardized automation network in the plant, to which all other machines and devices can be connected. Even the integration of existing plant components, for example using PROFIBUS, presents no problems due to the use of network transitions.
Use of web tools
Thanks to the unrestricted support of TCP/IP, PROFINET permits the use of standard web services such as web servers. Irrespective of the tool used, information from the automation level can be accessed from virtually any location using a commercially available internet browser. This considerably simplifies commissioning and diagnostics. Users can then decide for themselves how much openness to the IT world they want to allow for their machine or plant. This means that PROFINET can be used simply as an isolated plant network or connected via appropriate security modules, such as the SCALANCE S modules, to the office network or the internet. In this way, new remote maintenance concepts or the high-speed exchange of production data become possible.
Expandability
On the one hand, PROFINET facilitates the integration of existing systems and networks without any great effort. In this way, PROFINET safeguards investments in existing plant components that communicate via PROFIBUS and other fieldbuses such as AS-Interface. On the other hand, additional PROFINET nodes can be added at any time. By using additional network components, network infrastructures can be expanded using cabling or wireless methods – even while the plant is operating.
Efficiency
Greater global competition means that companies must use their resources economically and efficiently. This applies in particular to production. This is where PROFINET ensures greater efficiency. Simple engineering guarantees fast commissioning, while reliable devices ensure a high level of plant availability. Comprehensive diagnostic and maintenance concepts help to reduce plant downtimes and keep maintenance costs to a minimum.
One cable for everything
PROFINET permits simultaneous fieldbus communication with isochronous mode and standard IT communication (TCP/IP) on one cable. This real-time communication for the transmission of user/process data and diagnostic data takes place on a single cable. Specific profile communication (PROFIsafe and PROFIdrive) can be integrated without any additional cabling. This solution offers a wide scope of functions at a low level of complexity.
Device and network diagnostics
By retaining the tried and tested PROFIBUS device model, the same diagnostics information is available with PROFINET. In addition, module-specific and channel-specific data can also be read out from the devices during device diagnosis, enabling faults to be located quickly and easily. Apart from the availability of device information, the reliability of network operation has top priority in the network management.
In existing networks the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) has established itself as the de facto standard for the maintenance and monitoring of the network components and their functions. PROFINET uses this standard and gives users the opportunity to maintain their networks with tools that are familiar to them, such as the SINEMA Server network management software.
For easier maintenance of PROFINET devices, both on-site and remotely via a secure VPN connection, application-specific websites can be set up on the web server of the field devices using the familiar HTML standard.
Simple wiring
Particularly stringent demands are made on the installation of cables in the industrial environment. In addition, there is a requirement to set up industry-standard networks in the shortest possible time without any special knowledge.
With FastConnect, Siemens offers a high-speed installation system that meets all of these requirements. FastConnect is the standard-compliant, industry-standard cabling system consisting of cables, connectors and assembly tools for PROFINET networks. The time required for connecting terminals is minimized by the simple installation method using just a single tool, while installation errors are prevented by the practical color-coding. Both copper cables and glass fiber optic cables can be easily assembled on site in this way.
Fast device replacement
PROFINET devices are identified by means of a name assigned during configuration. When replacing a defective device, a new device can be recognized from its topology information by the IO controller and a new name can be assigned to it automatically. This means that no engineering tool is necessary for the replacement of equipment.
This mechanism can even be used for the initial commissioning of a complete system. This speeds up commissioning, particularly in the case of series machines.
Ruggedness
An automation network must be able to withstand most external sources of interference. The use of Switched Ethernet prevents faults in one section of the network from affecting the entire plant network. For areas that are particularly prone to radio frequency interference (RFI), PROFINET allows the use of fiber optic cables.
Performance
Productivity and product quality determine the level of success in the market. Precise motion control, dynamic drives, high-speed controllers and the deterministic synchronization of devices are therefore key factors in achieving superior production. They facilitate high production rates and optimum product quality at the same time.
Speed and precision
Fast motion control applications demand precise and deterministic exchange of data. This is implemented by means of drive controllers using isochronous real time (IRT).
With IRT and isochronous mode, PROFINET permits fast and deterministic communication. This synchronizes the various cycles of a system (input, network, CPU processing and output), even in the case of parallel TCP/IP traffic. The short cycle times of PROFINET make it possible to raise the productivity of machines and plants and to guarantee the product quality and high level of precision.
The standardized PROFIdrive profile permits vendor-independent communication between CPUs and drives.
Large quantity structures
The use of PROFINET makes it possible to overcome the existing restrictions regarding the scope of machines and systems that can be implemented. In one network, several different controllers can interact with their assigned field devices. The number of field devices per PROFINET network is virtually unlimited – the entire range of IP addresses is available.
High data rate
By using 100 Mbit/s in full duplex mode, PROFINET achieves a significantly higher data rate than previous fieldbuses. This means that other plant data can be transmitted over TCP/IP without any problems, in addition to the process data. PROFINET therefore meets the combined industrial demands for simultaneously transmitting high-speed IO data and large volumes of data for additional sections of the application. Even the transmission of large volumes of data, such as that from cameras, has no adverse effect on the speed and precision of the IO data transmission, thanks to PROFINET mechanisms.
Media redundancy
A higher plant availability can be achieved with a redundant installation (ring topology). The media redundancy can be implemented not only with the aid of external switches, but also by means of integrated PROFINET interfaces. Using the media redundancy protocol (MRP), reconfiguration times of 200 ms can be achieved. If the communication is interrupted in just one part of the ring installation this means that a plant standstill is prevented and any necessary maintenance or repair work can be performed without any time pressure.
For motion control applications, PROFINET with IRT in ring topologies offers extended media redundancy for planned duplication (MRPD) which operates in a bumpless mode without any reconfiguration time. If communication is interrupted (e.g. a cable break) the process can continue operating without interruption.
