This is the second in our series on network management with PROFINET. It covers PROFINET device naming, PROFINET Discovery and Configuration Protocol (DCP), and Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).
There are so many choices of ways to add PROFINET to an automation device that it is difficult to know where to start. Where to start depends on the type of product, its existing design, quantity expected, and time to market needed. This article provides an overview of starting points plus a list of resources to help device makers through the process.
The new guideline, "Recommendation for Design and Implementation of PROFINET Devices," addresses technological aspects as well as organizational issues such as certification and marketing when developing a PROFINET device. It guides vendors through this process from initial questions to market launch of a product.
To assist manufacturers of automation devices in adding PROFINET to their products, many tools are now available. One is a PROFINET driver for controllers, and a second is a chip for devices. Both are from Siemens. A third, from Hilscher, also includes PROFIdrive controller functionality.
Did you know that IO-Link enables devices that were previously inconceivable? IO-Link sets new standards for the design of input/output modules. Whether integrated in the control rack or as a fieldbus module, one and the same module can process a wide range of signals. IO-Link masters can replace both binary and analog inputs and outputs. This facilitates spare parts management and enables flexible machine design. There is no longer a need for so many different types of modules.
In the very first issue of PROFINEWS North American Edition way back in March 2005, there was a PROFINET quiz. Taking a few questions from there and adding some more allows us to present the 2016 PROFINET Quiz. Test your knowledge.
In the automation environment of today and tomorrow, end users need a system which is built with effective diagnostic capabilities and is easy to manage at both the network and application levels for minimum downtime and increased productivity. PROFINET should be your network of choice because it has best in class diagnostic mechanisms which are in short: ‘suite and simple’.
Did you know that IO-Link is backward compatible with binary sensors? The IO-Link communication interface is standardized in international standard IEC 61131-9. One of the initial goals of the multi-company standardization initiative was to create an interface that takes into consideration the existing architectures and the typical connection level in the lower field level. The point-to-point connection familiar there was simply taken over in IO-Link, complete with the standard cabling.
