Communication protocol

PROFIBUS communication is based on a master-slave principle in which a master (higher-level controller, PC or control system) cyclically requests the connected slaves (field devices, inputs/outputs or drives) to exchange data. The master is the active communication station and the slaves are the passive ones.

The PROFIBUS DP (Decentralized Periphery) communication protocol defines the rule for cyclic and acyclic communication. The version V0 of the communication protocol describes the cyclic communication. In version V1, the version V0 is supplemented with functionalities for acyclic communication, such as parameterization, operation, monitoring, and handling of diagnostic alarms.