Profinet benefits from Ethernet developments

The broad use of Ethernet in automation systems produces potential for cost reductions in planning, commissioning and maintenance of networked automation systems for machinery and equipment building

This was one of the main sources for the PI (Profibus and Profinet International) motivation to pursue the development of Profinet.

Within the framework of the project titled "Real-time Ethernet in sensor / actor networking" supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the potential of current real-time Ethernet systems are analysed by the Institute Industrial IT of the University of Applied Science of Lippe and Hoxter (inIT).

The focus of the project was on the achievable performance under real conditions and in typical applications.

The project reveals that the underlying individual framework of Profinet offers the biggest performance potential in real machine and plant structures.

In this respect, it became obvious that in the field of complex machine / plant structures Profinet performance is significantly better than all other systems.

Optimisation potential exists only in simple line structures in case of small data volumes.

Because of the optimisation that can be included easily in current Profinet technology, Profinet can be used also in the field of simple sensor / actor networking with a pure line topology and its typically small data volumes per subscriber.

Activities have already been initiated in this respect, which are aimed at the specification and test of compatible extensions.

With this measure to optimise IRT, Profinet is developing into the best performing Ethernet system in all applications used in industrial automation systems.

In addition, the project has revealed that Profinet benefits from the evolution of Ethernet (such as the increase of the bit rate to 1GBit/s) more than other systems, which makes Profinet the fastest and most universal real-time Ethernet system which offers openness for TCP/IP and IT communication at the same time.

This guarantees a high degree of potential for future development.

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