PROFINET is an industrial Ethernet standard for automation, maintained by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI). Devices exchange their I/O image cyclically in real time alongside standard TCP/IP traffic.
PROFINET
PROFINET is an industrial Ethernet standard for connecting controllers to field devices, maintained by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI).
- Cyclic real-time I/O - Devices exchange their process data on a configured cycle every few milliseconds, with no application-level read request.
- Classes of timing - Real-time traffic for most automation, and isochronous real time for motion control that needs tighter timing.
- Configuration and diagnostics - Slower, acyclic services handle parameters and alarms alongside the cyclic data.
- Ordinary Ethernet underneath - TCP/IP traffic can share the network with the real-time exchange.
PROFINET data reaches APIs through controllers and edge gateways, which is where freshness and cycle timing have to be stated rather than assumed.
It is one of fourteen protocols mapped to five communication patterns in OT Fabric’s software architect’s guide to OT.
Industry: Manufacturing
