for networks.

Since TCP/IP doesn’t guarantee delivery of time critical data, PROFINET skips the TCP/IP layers to reduce variability and improve determinism.  For even greater improvements, PROFINET uses a technique called bandwidth reservation. Reserving time on the network for critical message guarantees that they won’t be delayed by collisions or other traffic. PROFINET also provides scheduling, which is important for motion control. The controller knows the topology of the network, and it uses this information when it’s broadcasting instructions to many nodes.

Messages going to the most distant nodes are sent before those going to nodes closer to the transmitter. This approach helps to ensure that messages arrive at the desired time.

While PROFINET brings a number of benefits to the plant floor, it also shines in one of the areas that initiated the drive to extend Ethernet into factories. It makes it easy for industrial equipment to communicate with business systems, giving front office managers greater insight into production.

It’s not enough that the plant and office systems both use Ethernet which only defines the cabling and signaling aspects.  The messages also must be in a format that both systems can understand.

The ISA 95 standard was developed to reduce the cost, risk and errors associated with implementing interfaces between enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution systems (MES).  PROFINET parallels ISA 95 communications, but from the plant level up to the MES level.

The standard specifies a generic activity model that applies for different types of manufacturing information such as production, maintenance, inventory, and quality. The PTO has completed a maintenance profile and is moving ahead with the other three.

This type of continuing evolution adds value to PROFINET and PROFIBUS, making them effective technologies in any sort of industrial applications.

For more information on PROFINET, please click here.

For more information on PROFIBUS, please click here.