iNexBot NRC Series Controllers Now Feature Integrated PROFINET
PROFINET is an open industrial Ethernet standard introduced by PI. It uses IT standards such as TCP/IP and is standardized by IEC 61158 and IEC 61784. It provides real-time capabilities and can seamlessly integrate existing fieldbus systems such as PROFIBUS, AS-Interface, and INTERBUS. A PROFINET IO controller can connect up to 512 I/O devices, with no limit on the number of nodes on the overall Ethernet network.
Thanks to its open, flexible, and high-performance technology, PROFINET does not restrict non-real-time data such as TCP/IP from being transmitted on the same bus, allowing other services to be deployed simultaneously. PROFINET can be applied in process/factory automation, motion control, and other fields. With deterministic response, microsecond-level hard real-time capability, and integrated diagnostics, PROFINET is an ideal foundation for Industry 4.0 communication.
The iNexBot NRC series controllers now deeply integrate the PROFINET communication protocol — no separate protocol conversion module required — and can be used as both master and slave stations.
Before PROFINET Integration
Connecting the controller to PROFINET PLC devices required a Modbus-PROFINET or EtherCAT-PROFINET conversion module, and the controller could only be used as a slave station.
Modbus-PROFINET
Since Modbus has a maximum bandwidth of 10M, far below the PROFINET 100M standard, transmission rates are low — even when connected to a PROFINET PLC, operation is limited to low speeds, resulting in extremely poor operating efficiency.
Modbus exchanges data only through address codes and cannot handle complex data formats such as XML.
EtherCAT-PROFINET
Even though an EtherCAT-PROFINET conversion gateway can achieve the PROFINET 100M bandwidth, it can only be used as a slave station and cannot adapt to slave devices such as I/O modules.
After PROFINET Integration
The NRC series controllers provide a dedicated PROFINET port and can connect to a PROFINET network as either a master or a slave station. No conversion module is needed, saving on both purchase and wiring costs. As a master device, the NRC controller can adapt to the vast majority of PROFINET slave devices on the market, including but not limited to I/O modules, welding machines, welding guns, and servos. Devices that have not been adapted before can be quickly integrated with just a GSD file. As a standard slave device, the NRC controller is compatible with all Siemens PROFINET PLC models and provides standard GSD files for master-station integration.
The NRC series controllers support PROFINET RT/IRT communication: RT can be used to communicate with Siemens S7-1200 PLCs and I/O modules, while IRT can be used with S7-1500 PLCs or devices with high real-time requirements such as servos. At the same time, the NRC series controllers can act as EtherCAT masters to control EtherCAT bus devices — no either/or choice is needed, suiting the vast majority of field application environments.
