Versatility, easy configuration, integrated redundancy options and a communication based on open standards are among the benefits offered by the new range of ProfiNet-IO products from Omron. Providing users with a straightforward and reliable way of using industrial Ethernet, these combine the ease of use of the well-established Profibus-DP fieldbus system with the cost effectiveness and high performance capability of the standard Ethernet physical layer. ProfiNet-IO can even share network infrastructure with other Ethernet communications.
A major benefit of Omron’s new range is that the SmartSlice remote I/O stations incorporate integral Ethernet switches. This makes it possible to interconnect them as in a conventional linear fieldbus topology, without having to install additional hardware switches. The result is big cost savings, as well as reductions in the time needed for installation and wiring.
ProfiNet-IO is inherently reliable, but for critical applications, system availability can be further enhanced by closing the line structure of the network to form a ring. When this is done, a malfunction in any one of the connected devices will leave communication with other devices on the network unaffected.
The MRP (media redundancy protocol) specified by ProfiNet-IO assures much faster recovery than traditional ring protocols used in IT networks. Omron builds the MRP client function into the SmartSlice communication interface as standard.