Development work on stage 1 of Profinet, a new worldwide standard to connect different fieldbus systems and Ethernet, is complete and its software is now available
As well as an update of the Profinet specifications the other results of stage 1 are the released program sources of the Profinet runtime software and the porting instructions that goes with this.
The specification covers all aspects of Profinet: the object and component model, runtime communications, the proxy concept and the engineering.
The Profinet software covers all the runtime communications.
The specification and the porting instructions allow to integrate the Profinet software into various operating system environments of devices.
The Profinet runtime software consists of a fixed core together with a series of modules that have to be adapted to the relevant target system. The modifications are confined to clearly set port interfaces. The porting instruction describes the proceeding of porting to Windows NT by providing appropriate examples of code.
In this way the individual steps involved in porting become easily reconstructable for equipment developers.
Tests on the pilot products were completed, with extremely positive results.
The experiences gained were included into the specification and the Profinet software.
The software was then ported to Windows and Vx Works systems and tested.
The first product plans from the companies Applicom, Bosch Rexroth, Hilscher, Moeller and Siemens are available and the first products will be available later this year.
Profinet has become the most advanced basic technology geared towards all automation sectors.
In following steps the relevant features of various industrial branches will be supplemented.
With the recently announced development of OPC DX, Profinet will be extended permitting cross-system data exchange. As an open system, Profinet first specifies the runtime communication and engineering within a Profinet system, which can be extended by lower-level Profibus and other fieldbus systems. OPC DX enables on system level to exchange data from controllers of different systems (PLC, DC, PC) on the basis of a single international standard.
This new worldwide standard is connecting the different fieldbus systems worlds and their Ethernet solutions thus protecting the investments made.
