PROFINET Forum

What are the available solutions for adding Profinet connectivity ?​

Nil_B wrote: ↑02 Oct 2023, 13:02 What are the available solutions for adding Profinet connectivity ?​

- Software solution with standard microcontroller
- ASIC solution
- FPGA solution
- communication modules

For further information please have a look on: https://www.profibus.com/technology/pro ... ementation

Thank you. One additional question:
What are the drawbacks or constraints of using a software-based Profinet solution ?​

Nil_B wrote: ↑02 Oct 2023, 13:02 What are the available solutions for adding Profinet connectivity ?​

Our main products are stepper motor drives and currently we use Cortex architecture on it. Maybe the quickest way to add Profinet connectivity is through ASIC that handles the real-time task of the protocol and exchanges data with our application through SPI port ?
In any case we are open to any suggestion or different approach.

Nil_B wrote: ↑10 Oct 2023, 11:34 Thank you. One additional question:
What are the drawbacks or constraints of using a software-based Profinet solution ?​

You are welcome.
Drawbacks are:
- no IRT communication is possible
- additional switch/PHY is required

Raik.Zachmann wrote: ↑13 Oct 2023, 06:52

Nil_B wrote: ↑10 Oct 2023, 11:34 Thank you. One additional question:
What are the drawbacks or constraints of using a software-based Profinet solution ?​

You are welcome.
Drawbacks are:
- no IRT communication is possible
- additional switch/PHY is required

In general software based solutions do not support some of the features (like IRT) and could not lever the advantages of hardware acceleration. Since without hardware support most functionality needs to be realized in software the required compute power increases . Moreover the supported quantity structures (amount of simultaneous application relations) will most likely decrease. The impact depends on your targeted feature and design: IO controller (typically high quantity structure) or IO device, multi port node (2-port switch for line topologies), small formfactor (thermal power design), low cycles, ...