ABSTRACT
PROFINET is the open standard for Industrial Ethernet of PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) that covers all automation technology requirements. With PROFINET, real-time (RT) capable solutions can be implemented for discrete manufacturing and continuous process automation, safety applications, and the entire range of drive technology up to and including isochronous motion control applications. PROFINET enables existing fieldbus systems such as PROFIBUS to be integrated without modifications. In addition to the RT capability and utilization of IT, protection of investment also plays an important role with PROFINET. It transmits some message frames (e.g., for synchronization and neighborhood detection) using the MAC address of the respective port instead of the device MAC address. Scalability and a uniform communication basis represent two of the major strengths of PROFINET. PROFINET I/O is a performance-optimized communication system, offering scalability with regard to the functionality supported by the particular application.
