Profinet

Profinet (Process Field Network) is the open industrial Ethernet standard for communication in the automation technology.

Profinet uses TCP/IP and IT standards. It is capable for real-time Ethernet and enables the integration of fieldbus systems. The Profinet concept is modular. It basically differs in the perception of Profinet IO and Profinet CBA. Both channels are able to communicate at the same time and on the same bus system either individually or in combination (parallel operation). In the broader sense, Profinet IO can be considered as direct successor of Profibus DP.

1. Profinet IO (Input - Output) is created in order to connect decentralized periphery with a controller. The available functions and the real-time attributes are divided into the three conformance classes CC-A, CC-B and CC-C with respect of the different applications.
2. Profinet CBA (Component Based Automation) is intended for component based communication via TCP/IP and the real-time communication in the modular plant engineering.

• IO controller for automation tasks
• IO device controlled by an IO controller. The IO device consists of several modules and submodules. The submodules contain individual input and output signals.
• IO supervisor is a development tool (typically based on a PC) in order to parametrize and diagnose specific IO devices.