PROFINET information
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11/12/2019
3.1 PROFINET IO
In PROFINET IO the measuring system is considered as a decentralized field device, as in
PROFIBUS-DP. The device model adheres to the basic characteristics of PROFIBUS and comprises
slots, groups of I/O channels (sub-slots) and an index. The measuring system corresponds to a
modular device. In contrast to a compact device, the degree of expansion can be defined when
configuring the system.
The technical characteristics of the measuring system are described by the so-called GSDML file
(General Station Description) in XML format.
During configuration the measuring system is assigned to a control as usual.
As all Ethernet nodes act in the network on an equal basis, the familiar master/slave process is
implemented in PROFINET IO as provider/consumer model. The provider (measuring system) is the
transmitter, which transmits its data unprompted to its communication partners, the consumers (PLC),
which then process the data.
The following device classes are used in a PROFINET IO system:
●
IO controller
For example a PLC, which addresses the connected IO device.
●
IO device
Distributed field device (measuring system), which is assigned to one or more IO controllers and
also transmits alarms in addition to the process and configuration data.
●
IO supervisor
(Engineering Station)
A programming device or industrial PC, Which has access to all process and parameter data in
parallel with the IO controller.
Application relationships exist between the individual components, which contain several
communication relationships for the transmission of configuration data (standard channel), process
data (real-time channel) and alarms (real-time channel).
