RUNES
Reconfigurable Ubiquitous Networked Embedded Systems

RUNES partner Sira Technology Ltd. has been active in the recently established Working Group "Wireless Communication in PROFINET Environment". Other participating companies include Siemens AG, Phoenix Contact & Co KG, Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH, ABB AS, Institut f. Automation u. Kommunikation e.V (ifak) and Hirschmann Automation and Control GmbH.

The objective of the Working Group is to define the prerequisites for using wireless communication in the PROFINET field and to work out application profiles and basic conditions for wireless transmission of monitoring and control data. The industrial experts study the requirements that are placed by PROFINET on the mechanisms of a wireless data transmission system and also examine to which degree existing standards and implementations already meet these requirements today, or which requirements must be fulfilled additionally. It is the goal to use existing standards and to specify new standards only in particular cases. This also includes security concepts and their alignment with the mechanisms specified for PROFINET.

In the future the Working Group will also deal with topics such as the support of the operator with planning and operating wireless components in the PROFINET network, or in cooperation with WG PROFIsafe implementing safety concepts via wireless communication. It is the task of the Working Group to identify and evaluate such requirements.

The kick-off meeting was held at Profibus User Organization (PNO) offices in Karlsruhe in April and the second meeting at Siemens AG in Nurnberg in June 2005.