With the new LB PROFINET gateway, Pepperl+Fuchs is connecting LB remote I/O systems to the PROFINET world. End-to-end communication also ensures optimal use of existing intelligence in the field, representing a crucial step toward making plants suitable for future requirements and Industry 4.0.
In early 2019, Pepperl+Fuchs will launch the new LB PROFINET gateway, delivering not only conventional PROFINET functionality but also full access to all connected HART devices. In practical terms, this will give users access to HART auxiliary variables as a second measuring value in addition to process variables. Furthermore, the diagnostic data from the field devices can be read out via HART-IP, thus significantly increasing transparency and plant availability. The new gateway also offers maximum flexibility since different protocols can run via the same cordset (e.g., PROFINET and HART-IP), and, of course, it represents a high-performance solution: up to 80 field devices can be connected to a fully occupied remote I/O system. These devices communicate without a time delay.
Maximum Safety and Easy Handling
Another highlight of the gateway is the intelligent redundancy concept. An integrated switch ensures the functionality of the network at all times based on the medium redundancy protocol (MRP). If a line fails, the ring network is reconfigured to send the data packets via the alternative route. Since the potential for hazards increases as a result of big data being used alongside increased networking of industrial plants, the new PROFINET gateway also fulfills the appropriate safety requirements. The large display, the largest available on the market for this device type, is another highlight that makes the new gateway from Pepperl+Fuchs easy to use. The device status and additional diagnostic data can be read at a glance via RGB LEDs.
