PROFINET (PN) communication can also be realized over a standard IEEE 802.11 wireless connection. While some PROFINET IO (PNIO) devices have built-in wireless client capabilities, the majority of PNIOs only support Ethernet interfaces. In those cases, system integrators will need to connect the PNIO to a wireless client device that acts as a wireless adapter to communicate with the PN controller.
Even though wireless technology has improved over time with every new iteration of the IEEE 802.11 standard, it is important to note that designing a wireless network is inherently more complex compared to fully wired infrastructure.
In order to design and deploy the right wireless solutions to support PROFINET communication, several key aspects of wireless networking need to be taken into consideration. These include L2 transparency limitations, higher latency, and radio frequency (RF) management to configure the wireless environment for optimal performance.
The following section describes the considerations and challenges integrators need to take into account when designing IEEE 802.11 industrial wireless networks for PROFINET-based applications. Typical wireless integration scenarios observed in industrial automation and control systems today rely on external wireless devices to serve as the PROFINET IO’s wireless adapter.
It is important to evaluate these areas systematically when designing wireless networks, in particular when used for critical PROFINET-based control and automation processes. The following sections of this document will outline several typical wireless deployment scenarios, how each of the wireless design considerations relate to different scenarios, and Moxa’s solution to address the challenges presented by each scenario.
WLAN infrastructure overview
Before evaluating potential WLAN solutions, it is recommended to thoroughly review and map out the requirements of the application first. Since different PROFINET applications require different types of architecture, some variables to consider are:
The number of PNIO devices to integrate.
The scale of the wireless network (the number of wireless devices to deploy).
Device mobility requirements.
The need to connect standalone Wi-Fi clients such as personnel smart phones, tablets, and laptops.
Different types of wireless deployments such as Point-to-point (P2P) and Point-to-multipoint (P2MP) topologies commonly adopted in the industrial sector fit into one of two main configurations: AP/Client or Bridge configurations.