SDOs Collaborate
In cooperation with fellow Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) FieldComm Group, ODVA, and OPC Foundation, PI North America hosted two events in Houston, TX USA in late September.
Presentations were given by the four SDOs covering various topics:
- Business Value for Ethernet-APL (ODVA)
- Case Studies and Installations (PI North America)
- Planning & Installation (FieldComm Group)
- High Speed Throughput (OPC Foundation)
To address cybersecurity concerns, a representative from the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency provided a presentation on Secure by Design infrastructure.
A clear takeaway from the event was that if you want to invest in Ethernet-APL technology today, PROFINET is the clear choice. All of the DCS, instrument, and field switch providers on hand offer their products with PROFINET.
PROFINET as Differentiator
Time and time again, the interactions drifted away from Ethernet-APL as a physical layer, and more into what could be achieved with it. This made it tricky for the SDO hosts as each protocol has different offerings, but PROFINET is a differentiator. Why? Because of its feature set:
- S2 redundancy
- Media redundancy
- PA Profile
- NAMUR Open Architecture
- PROFINET Security
Upcoming Event
EPCs and users wishing to learn and get more hands-on with PROFINET over APL can attend a free PROFINET One-Day Training Class:
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Venue: Houston Marriott South at Hobby Airport
Cost: None
Registration: https://us.profinet.com/houston