Glossary · Industrial communication
PROFINET integration
Also known as: PROFINET connection, PROFINET device integration
German: PROFINET-Integration
In automation engineering, PROFINET integration is the task of connecting devices or subsystems to a PROFINET network and IO controller, including importing GSDML files, assigning device names and IP addresses, configuring modules, topology and update times, and mapping the data into the control program.
- Industrial communication
In one sentence
PROFINET integration connects devices to a PROFINET controller: GSDML import, device names, modules, topology and data mapping.
Example
To integrate a supplier's robot cell, the line builder imports the cell's GSDML, assigns the device name robotcell-03 and maps its handshake signals to the line PLC.
How it applies
- Engineering: The GSDML file lists the device's modules, submodules and parameters. The engineer configures the device name, update time and, where used, the planned topology (which port connects to which neighbor).
- Commissioning: Device names are assigned with the engineering tool or automatically via topology. A device with the wrong name or GSDML version won't start communicating.
- Interfaces between suppliers: Machines from different suppliers are often coupled via PN/PN couplers or I-device functionality. The handshake signals are agreed in an Interface specification and a Communication matrix.
- Documentation: The documentation team documents device names, GSDML versions, the configured topology, the I/O mapping and the device replacement procedure, including whether automatic naming is active.
Integration vs. protocol
PROFINET is the communication system. Integration covers the engineering work to make a specific device or machine work in a specific plant, from configuration to agreed signal meanings.