PROFIBUS Manual: A collection of information explaining PROFIBUS networks

PROFIBUS Manual

A collection of information explaining PROFIBUS networks compiled by Max Felser

In the last 20 years I have been personally involved with PROFIBUS: teaching it at the University, working on projects and leading workshops for industry. During this time, various descriptions and guides to different aspects of PROFIBUS were developed. I was helped in this by the contacts I had with industry and a range of experts in my capacity as chairman of PROFIBUS Switzerland and head of the PROFIBUS Competence Centre (PICC) at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. I have now brought these documents together in the form of a manual. Its purpose is to simplify entry to the world of PROFIBUS for a wider public. Now I generated an electronic book version with active links for the usage on iPad or Android tablet computers.

This manual will give answers to the following questions:

What is PROFIBUS?

For any first contact with PROFIBUS, I recommend starting with the introduction chapter, which introduces the structure of the PROFIBUS system.

How is PROFIBUS used?

End users will find a step-by-step planning guide and detailed guidelines about PROFIBUS installation.

How does PROFIBUS work?

Experts will find detailed descriptions of the different protocols, including lists and tables with different coding for the different layers of protocols.

How do I get a PROFIBUS Interface?

Developers of the field devices will find some practical hints about the evaluation and dimensions of a PROFIBUS interface.

Although all information and details in this document have been carefully checked, no responsibility can be assumed for any errors in this document or for damage arising from them. Brand names are used in this document with no claim of derivation.

Imprint:

PROFIBUS Manual by Max Felser

Edition 1.2.2 published at Thursday, August 09, 2012 by epubli GmbH, Berlin, www.epubli.de

© 2012 Max Felser

ISBN 978-3-8442-2946-2

Introduction

This chapter shows the fundamental way in which a PROFIBUS system is structured and where to find the standards for individual parts. An additional section sets out how a PROFIBUS system should be planned and the tools available for this purpose.

System structure

PROFIBUS defines the technical features of a serial field bus system, by which distributed digital automation devices, from field to cell level, can be networked together. PROFIBUS is a multi-master system and so allows the combined operation  on one bus of several automation, engineering and visualization systems with remote peripherals. PROFIBUS achieves this by differentiating between various device types.

PROFIBUS is based on recognized, international standards. Protocol architecture follows the OSI (open system interconnection) reference model, according to the international standard ISO 7498.

The standard requires each layer of transmission to take on precisely defined tasks: layer 1 (Physical Layer) defines the physical side of transmission , layer 2 (Data Link Layer) defines the bus access protocol  and layer 7 (Application Layer) defines application functions. Application profiles (User Layer) determine how communications functions should be used in different device classes and applications.

Structure according to the OSI reference model

PROFIBUS offers different services for automation technology: cyclic data exchange  for process data and acyclic data exchange  for parameter setting data.

Stations

PROFIBUS differentiates between the following station or device types:

Masters determine data traffic on the bus. A master can send messages without an external request if it is in possession of the bus access token. Masters are also described as active stations.

Slave are peri­pheral devices, such as input and output devices, valves, drives and transmitters. They do not receive a token authorizing bus access. This means that they can only acknowledge messages received or, at the request of a master, send messages to it. Slaves are described as passive stations. They only require a small portion of the bus protocol, which means they make implementation possible with little effort.

Masters and slaves can be used for different protocols, such as

• FMS (field-bus message specification)

• DP (decentralized peripheral)

For this reason, the relevant protocol is often prefixed to their name:

An FMS master controls a relationship with an FMS slave. This is not further explained in the present volume.

The DP master controls a DP system. The DP slave is part of a DP system.

The DP master can assume different functions in a DP system. These functions are known as classes:

DP master, class 1:

These masters are controllers of a DP systems and the DP slaves assigned to it. Typically they will be controllers, PLCs or PC based systems.

DP master, class 2:

These masters are tools for commissioning, engineering and maintenance. They allow programs to be loaded  into controllers and DP slaves to be diagnosed and their parameters set. Typically they will be PC based systems.

DP master, class 3:

Is a clock master and distributes time.

Structure of a DP system

Every station - master or slave - in a DP system has a unique address.

Addressing stations

Every PROFIBUS station must have a unique address for communication. These PROFIBUS addresses are coded in one byte and comprise the range 0 - 127. However, individual address values are reserved and no longer free to be assigned.

Infrastructural components like repeaters, couplers and fibre optic (FO) converters transmit telegrams transparently from one segment to another and therefore do not require their own address.

Relationships

Individual stations in a DP system have a variety of relationships with each other:

Relations in a DP system

These individual relationships between masters and slaves (MS) have different tasks and properties:

Cyclic data transmission:

Acyclic data transmission:

The above illustration also includes a relationship between masters (MM). This is only used very rarely in practice and is therefore not described in greater detail in this volume. You will find further information about this relationship is chapter 9 of Manfred Popp's book.

The different stations have implemented individual protocols in their structure:

Protocols in a DP system

Cyclic process data

A controller designated by PROFIBUS as master class 1 will control its remote peripherals in a cyclic exchange of data. This is called an MS0 relationship and is explained in detail in chapter 4.

In an initialization phase the controller will initialize each peripheral device and also check during cyclic data transmission whether the peripheral device, which has been designated by PROFIBUS as a slave, remains addressable.

For its part, the slave monitors whether the controller remains active with a response monitoring watchdog.

Phases in an MS0 relationship

During initialization the controller delivers initial parameters to the slave and checks the slave configuration. This configuration defines how much data will be exchanged in cyclic data traffic between master and slave.

In cyclic data exchange the master sends its output data to the slave and receives input data in reply. The PROFIBUS network for cyclic process data is therefore like a distributed process image of the controller.

The minimum cycle time can easily be estimated if the number of input and output bytes is known:

TBCycle = (380 + Slaves x 300 + Bytes x 11 )/Bitrate + 75 μs

Where

Slaves        = number of slaves in the network

Bytes                = total number of input and output bytes

N.B.: More precise formulae can be found in the chapter on cyclic data.

In a PROFIBUS network, there must always be at least one class 1 master present. However, several class 1 masters may also be on the same cable. This means that they will share the bit rate, i.e. the cycle time will be longer accordingly. A slave can only be controlled by one class 1 master!

These basic functions for cyclic process data are known as DP-V0. With protocol extensions DP-V1 and DP-V2, it is possible to fix the controller's cycle time to a specific value (equidistant cycle) and, with special telegrams, even synchronize the slave's cycle time with the PROFIBUS cycle (isochronous cycle).

If an application requires two slaves to exchange data directly with each other, the DP-V2 protocol will be needed. These protocol extensions allow data to be exchanged directly between slaves.

Acyclic parameter data

In any installation it is frequently necessary to adjust device parameters during runtime. For this purpose, PROFIBUS provides communication with acyclic parameter data.

A parameter master, which PROFIBUS calls a class 2 master, can establish a connection with a slave and exchange data acyclically. This is known as MS2.

Several class 2 masters may exist in a network alongside the class 1 master or masters and can simultaneously exchange data with the same slave. Any class 1 master can also simultaneously be a class 2 master.

Any class 1 master that has a cyclic MS0 relationship with a slave can also exchange data with it acyclically as MS1. In addition, an alarm model has been defined. Each slave has a status machine for alarms and checks the variously caused incoming and outgoing alarms, verifying acknowledgement by the class 1 master.

These protocol extensions for acyclic data exchange are part of the DP-V1 extensions and are optional.

Functional scope

PROFIBUS technology is modular in structure. This allows individual versions of a function group to be selected and ensures flexibility in adapting the properties of a PROFIBUS network to requirements.

Functional scope of individual levels

Transmission methods

The standard includes three different methods of data transmission:

• asynchronous electrical transmission as RS-485 for general purposes

• synchronous electrical transmission with the option for intrinsically safe transmission and supply via the bus, intended above all for process automation.

• optical transmission via glass or synthetic fibres for overcoming long distances, potential differences, or strong electromagnetic contamination.

Alternative methods of transmission, such as wireless radio, wireless optical, slip-rings, etc. are available from a variety of manufacturers.

Protocols

The fieldbus data link (FDL) protocol is common to all levels of PROFIBUS development. Not all FDL services are required for every function.

The decentralized peripheral (DP) protocol is available in three expansion levels. Each level of expansion adds further functions. Most of these additions are optional.

m = mandatory

o = optional

A device will frequently be designated by its expansion level: a DP-V1 master or a DP-V0 slave. This is for information purposes only. In particular, the designation DP-V2 will not be found in the IEC standards.

Profiles

A profile defines the behavior of a type of device