We often use an age old catch phrase during our PROFINET one day classes, “But wait, there’s more!” when we get to the latter part of the day. At that time we’ve usually covered the standard PROFINET application functionality and continue talking about additional PROFINET features and options. We’ve found that most engineers and developers don’t realize what the optional features of PROFINET are and their purpose. Here is a list of those optional features and what they do.

We often get the question: Why doesn’t PROFINET use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for IP address assignment as DCHP is used extensively in the office? Answer: DHCP could be used, optionally, but there are some differences you should know between DHCP and PROFINET DCP.

Did you know that IO-Link protects against incorrect device replacement? If a sensor has to be replaced, this is usually done at a hectic pace since the machine must go back into operation as quickly as possible. Often, there is no specially trained staff available for this task. For this reason, IO-Link takes a different course. Developed as an interface "by practitioners for practitioners", it has a variety of integrated options to maximize the ease and reliability of device replacement.

DCP is part of the PROFINET protocol suite and stands for “Discovery and Configuration Protocol”.  It is used by the engineering tool and controller to discover devices, identify device information, and configure device settings such as PROFINET device name and IP address on a PROFINET network. PROFINET DCP is an Ethernet link layer protocol and offers multiple services.  (more…)

Did you know that IO-Link has an incredible number of parameter assignment methods?

This article takes a look at five different use cases for accessing IO-Link devices and how configuration settings can be transferred to them.

Example 1: How are parameters assigned for an IO-Link device that is simply lying on the table? Several manufacturers offer IO-Link masters for this purpose, which are connected to a PC via USB or a wireless connection. Each IO-Link device has an IODD (IO Device Description-file). The device tool takes the IODD, which enables it to present the device on the screen and to read, write, and edit process data, parameters, and diagnostics. (more…)

PROFIBUS’s success in the industrial controls universe is partly due to its wide array of diagnostic capabilities. Every PROFIBUS slave device must support, at a minimum, 6 bytes of standard diagnostic data. This data is defined by PROFIBUS and PROFINET International and reports the device state, its controlling master and whether the device has any extended diagnostic data (additional fault information) available.

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Did you know that IO-Link wiring needs only 3 wires of a parallel cable instead of 19?

The simple motto 3 instead of 19 wires vividly describes the saving potential of IO-Link compared to conventional wiring. The user benefits are made clear using the example of a passive distributor with 8 M12 connections. For comparison purposes, an IO-Link input module that can be connected to any IO-Link master is used.

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One of the many reasons for PROFIBUS’ success over the years has been the ability of PROFIBUS diagnostics to pinpoint instrument problems in a running system. This tech tip’s purpose is to give you a better understanding of the mechanics of how PROFIBUS diagnostics work and to show how the information is reported.

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