No sooner has digital communication arrived in the process industry than the next technological revolution is around the corner. Profibus DP is now regarded as an established standard that is tried and tested and has become commonplace in many process plants. Profinet goes one crucial step beyond. Device manufacturers have already recognised this and are increasingly adopting solutions with a Profinet connection.
This is not a complete reinvention of the wheel, nor is it a revolution that brings everything that has gone before into question. In fact, Profinet uses the same tested technologies that proved themselves with Profibus DP. Evolution would therefore be a more appropriate term for this than revolution. With the new Profinet gateway, Plant operators can now gradually move into the future and begin to rely on future-proof infrastructure components for modernisations and new installations.
Profinet is basically an industrial Ethernet variant that has been specifically expanded to include the Profibus DP functionality and has already become extremely well established in factory automation. This allows communication at the control level to be integrated seamlessly into the rest of the company’s IT landscape. Communication with Profibus PA at the field level is implemented via Profinet gateways. The specially defined proxy technology enables simple and practical integration of bus systems established in process automation such as Profibus PA.
From Big Data to the Internet of Things
There is another reason why Profinet is the way to the future. In a process plant, intelligent field devices generate large volumes of data. However, a large part of this data is currently still untapped, but can easily be converted into useful information via Big Data solutions. The information is then available anywhere via Ethernet-based systems, opening up a wealth of new applications that are only just beginning to emerge.
The strict separation between the IT environment and industrial automation has made consistent use of this data considerably more difficult, since the transparency of the process plant does not go beyond the control centre. Profinet is the key to eliminating such limitations.
Significantly reduced complexity
A consistently homogeneous system is of course much less complex than a heterogeneous environment consisting of specialised system landscapes. Profinet is ideal for eliminating the previously strict separation between the automation environment and IT. The field level still communicates according to the proven protocols, standards, and technologies, while gateways create the direct connection to an industrial Ethernet-based control level.
The manufacturers of infrastructure components have recognsed this development trend and are increasingly starting to prepare their solutions for the Profinet environment. Pepperl+Fuchs is one example of this. The company has always been at the forefront of the development of new technologies and therefore knows exactly where the trend is heading.
Power Hub with Profinet gateway
The Power Hub concept is one of Pepperl+Fuchs’ core technologies. The company has now thoroughly overhauled this concept and put the entire product family on a new foundation. The key ideas are: extremely compact design, different redundancy concepts, and, for the first time, a Profinet gateway.
The fact that line redundancy and the S2 system redundancy of Profinet are supported is particularly interesting. The latter is based on the principle that a gateway is connected to two separate masters via separate communication paths. The result is a high-availability system without the need for additional hardware. If one communication path fails due to a cable break, the second path is automatically used and communication is maintained.
Profinet also offers system redundancy for high-availability communication with up to four communication paths. As soon as control systems are available that allow R2 system redundancy, Pepperl+Fuchs will also offer this solution.
Transparent communication in a compact format
It is always crowded in the switch cabinet, therefore Pepperl+Fuchs has pulled out all the stops to reduce the form factor of its latest generation Power Hub solution. For example, the previous Segment Couplers 2 and 3 have been replaced with a new model. This requires less space while offering significantly enhanced functionality. The new basic Segment Coupler replaces the previous Segment Coupler 1. It is only 20 mm wide and thus four times smaller than the previous solution.
Up to four fieldbus segments can be connected, which reduces the number of switch cabinets. Because of the low power dissipation, active air conditioning is not required, further improving the energy performance and system availability as a whole. The fieldbus segments also require significantly less engineering and installation work.
Remote configuration and explosion safety
The new Power Hub allows remote configuration and diagnostics via a device type manager or web server. Configuration tools for integration into virtually any automation system are also available. The advanced diagnostic module enables the Power Hub to be incorporated into the ongoing monitoring of the physical fieldbus level.
Of particular interest for the chemical industry is the option of an intrinsically safe power supply for Zone 0-2 (Division 1/2) hazardous areas and field devices according to the Ex ia, Ex ib, and Ex ic types of protection. In conjunction with the high-power trunk concept, the Power Hub allows an intrinsically safe power supply to the instrumentation according to IEC 60079-11 – and for a large number of end devices, even if they are connected via long cable runs.
The Dart technology that Pepperl+Fuchs helped to develop is available as an alternative. This effectively prevents ignitable sparks in hazardous areas. Due to the high active power available, Dart provides the intrinsically safe high-power trunk, the ideal combination of achievable cable length, multiple devices and safety.
Profinet ensures that technical development never stops. It does not take much imagination to envision a possible scenario in the near future: a field level networked using Profibus PA that communicates with the Ethernet-based Profinet control level via gateways. One thing is certain: this future will start with completely novel Big Data applications that have so far been the stuff of dreams.
For more information contact Mark Bracco, Pepperl+Fuchs, +27 (0)87 985 0797, [email protected], www.pepperl-fuchs.co.za
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| www: | www.pepperl-fuchs.co.za |
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