10. Developments

10.1 ProfiSafe

Distributed, remote fieldbus automation is a major feature of modern automation. More and more sensor-actuator level information is being handled by fieldbuses. Safety-related information such as emergency stop buttons, infrared safety barriers, etc., on the other hand, is handled by conventional systems parallel to the communication network, or by specialized communication buses. In 1998, a working group led by the PNO (Profibus Nutzerorganisation) proposed a specification profile called ProfiSafe, designed...