The PROFINET protocol is a communication standard for factory automation based on Industrial Ethernet. It includes multi-protocol I/O module systems and controllers such as those from Turck, as well as the entire data exchange between PROFINET master controllers. From this functional perspective, PROFINET is considered the successor to the PROFIBUS fieldbus protocol.
The system overview ( above ) helps you understand the network architecture and various I/O and network components. The system overview provides a preliminary impression of the network architecture and different I/O and network components. Connections can be implemented through linear, star, and tree topologies, as well as through redundant ring topology (MRP) .
Process automation integration
Chemical and pharmaceutical plants must do everything possible to protect their facilities from downtime, thus placing special demands on their I/O systems. Many areas of the plant are at risk of explosion, and interruptions to continuous production processes can result in significant economic losses.
To prevent this from happening, field controllers and I/O modules are typically designed to be redundant, meaning that if a device or connection fails, a backup solution is activated.
System redundancy
The new PROFINET standard, with its system redundancy , provides greater investment security for companies in the process automation industry. Redundancy is not achieved if the controller and field devices communicate via only one connection (S1) .
However, if the Profinet device supports communication with the master controller and supports master controller backup through this connection, it is classified as S2 . This is the most common form of system redundancy. If the master controller fails, a physical backup dual-machine setup will be activated.
I/O devices from Turck can already maintain the required logical dual connection for two independent controllers. Therefore, the TBEN-L5-8IOL is the first IO-Link master module with IP67 protection , supporting PROFINET S2 system redundancy.
Maximizing availability is only possible with redundancy in either R1 or R2 systems. This involves additional implementations on field devices with redundant communication interfaces, and their use with remote I/O . R2 and its four-way connectivity represent a high level of complexity.
Smart integration with IO-Link
PROFINET 's redundancy extensions now allow the advantages of Industrial Ethernet to be applied to process industries as well. Turck goes a step further, integrating IO-Link into high-availability systems and demonstrating what a system architecture could look like. Nothing can stop end-to-end digital connectivity for intelligent field devices such as position indicators, valve blocks, sensors, or I/O hubs. In terms of installation time, IO-Link is efficient and straightforward because data and power are transmitted over a single unshielded standard cable. Below, we discuss the advantages of PROFINET .
