The difference between proxies and gateways is nuanced, but it can have a big impact on how your PROFINET automation system functions.

PROFINET is great at moving information across a network – we never get tired hammering that message home. But exactly how PROFINET moves that information is still a gray area for a lot of users, and deserves a closer look here.

Most of the communication in a PROFINET network flows between Devices and Controllers. Supervisors don't get much attention because they don't get involved in production work. However, a PROFINET Supervisor can be a great tool during system commissioning, checkout, and even to troubleshoot when there's a problem.

The conventional safety PLC concept meant that normal PLCs and standard I/O could not be mixed with safety PLCs and safety components in the same network. But what about the combined safety principle?