Area of application

The integration of a PROFINET IO controller or EtherNet/IP™ scanners into the control technology of SEW-EURODRIVE enables even more flexible machine concepts.

For example, systems and machines can work with a high-performance EtherCAT^®/FSoE cable for time-critical tasks such as motion control and safety ("hard real-time communication") while an additional independent PROFINET or EtherNet/IP™ network and other periphery are being used for the process (e.g. reading process data). This enables the physical decoupling of time-critical and process-relevant processes as well as the optimization and increase of the system robustness of the time-critical processes.

This results in a mixed topology consisting of EtherCAT^® as the system bus for the high-performance motion control of drives and PROFINET or EtherNet/IP™ for the reading of data from sensors or other peripherals and the writing of data (and thereby control) of simple actuators and other peripherals.

In addition, many components are available as a PROFINET device slave or EtherNet/IP™ slave and not as an EtherCAT^® slave such as industrial printers, for example. A broad spectrum of network-based industrial periphery (e.g. switches, optical data transmission devices), and sensor technology can thereby be integrated.