TwinCAT supports PROFINET IO controller and device profile

Besides a large number of standard fieldbus systems, the TwinCAT automation software supports all market-relevant Industrial Ethernet solutions. Beckhoff continues its philosophy of open control technology on Ethernet. In addition to EtherCAT, TCP/IP and Modbus TCP, the PROFINET IO profile has now been added both as controller and device.

The ‘TwinCAT PROFINET IO Controller’ software module turns every Beckhoff Industrial PC or Embedded PC into a PROFINET master. One of the Ethernet interfaces on the PC is used as a PROFINET master port. Alternatively, a PROFINET EL6631 EtherCAT Terminal can be integrated anywhere in an EtherCAT network. In this case, the PROFINET messages are tunnelled to the remotely mounted EL6631 via the high-performance EtherCAT system. Every EtherCAT network is now able to exchange data with PROFINET IO devices. The EL6631 can be configured as a PROFINET controller or a PROFINET device.

On the hardware side, the BK9103 PROFINET Bus Coupler joins the long list of Bus Couplers for the Beckhoff IP 20 Bus Terminal system. For IP 67 systems the IL230x-B903 PROFINET Coupler Box has been added. In addition to hardware slaves, TwinCAT driven systems can become PROFINET slaves using the ‘TwinCAT PROFINET IO Device’.