Introduction
Welcome to SYBERA. In this video, you will learn everything about clock-synchronous Profinet Profidrive on a PC basis…
Hardware & Setup
Hello and welcome …
For a long time, clock-synchronous Profidrive operation was exclusively reserved for PLC systems like the Siemens S7 – with dedicated microcontroller hardware. But with Sybera technology, this is now also possible on a standard PC.
With a standard PC and a PTP-capable Ethernet chip like the Intel i210, clock-synchronous Profinet Profidrive becomes a reality – without special hardware.
The Intel chip has a precise PTP timer that forms the basis of the IRT protocol (Isochronous Real Time). This is exactly what we are testing in this tutorial.
Profinet Controller & Drives
Here you see a PC with an Intel i210 Ethernet controller, which we are using as a Profinet Controller for real-time communication.
For this demonstration, we are using three IRT-capable Stöber drives. The Sybera Profinet stack handles the real-time communication and Profidrive control of the drives.
Configuration with PNIO Verify
First, we create the configuration using the PNIO Verify software – the Sybera Profinet Configurator. With this, we set up all parameters for clock-synchronous operation.
We assign station names and IP addresses, select slots and subslots, and configure timing, topology, and Isochronous Mode for the individual drives. Afterwards, we start the bus scan to detect all Profinet drives and select the appropriate device types.
Next, we add required modules and remove unnecessary submodules to optimize the cycle time. Then, we configure the connections, define frame offsets, and stabilize the cycle time.
Application in Visual Studio
Next, we create the application in Microsoft Visual Studio. The Sybera Profinet stack is integrated as a C library. We use a simple console application for real-time control.
The code consists of two parts: the Windows part for visualization and management and the real-time part for data exchange and drive control. The data is located in so-called DriveSet structures, and the Ethernet mode for IRT is activated.
Real-Time Operation & Profidrive
We activate the stations for cyclic Profinet operation. The drives are enabled, synchronous operation starts, and data transfer occurs in the appropriate endian format.
Finally, we analyze the startup process with Wireshark. The Hilscher Net Analyzer records the data with nanosecond precision. We observe the drives and the Net Analyzer readings in real-time.
Conclusion & Further Content
I hope you enjoyed this Sybera tutorial. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to learn more about Profinet, Profidrive, and PC-based real-time automation.