PROFINET Communications

Note:

  • The In-Sight Explorer software contains below GSD files. Please use the appropriate GSD file based on your vision system model and its firmware version.

    Firmware Version and In-Sight model GSD file Description
    5.8.0 or later, except In-Sight 5705/5705C vision systems* V2.34 (GSDML-V2.34-Cognex-InSightClassB-xxxxxx.xml) Supports Conformance Class B (newer PROFINET stack). The Class B configs are suffixed with CC-B, indicating that the config is Class B (for example, In-Sight IS2XXX CC-B).
    5.7.x or earlier and In-Sight 5705/5705C vision systems V2.3 (GSDML-V2.3-Cognex-InSight-xxxxxxx.xml) Uses the original Conformance Class A PROFINET stack.

    *The In-Sight 5705 and 5705C vision systems do not support Conformance Class B and V2.34 GSD.

  • V2.34 is not compatible with V2.3. When you upgrade an In-Sight vision system's firmware version to 5.8.0 or later and if the vision system has PROFINET enabled and the V2.34 GSD file is used, follow these steps:

    1. Go into the Siemens HW Config tool and delete the vision system from the PROFINET I/O system.

      Tip: Cognex recommends to take a screen shot of the IO module address of the existing In-Sight vision system/sensor before deleting it. This will make it easier to restore the same IO address to the new CC-B version.
    2. Select the In-Sight ISXXXX CC-B version from the Hardware Catalog, and add that to your configuration, recompile and then download.
    3. When adding new configurations, it is important to double-check the IO module addresses because they may have changed.

    If you do not perform the above steps, the PLC will no longer connect to the vision system.

  • SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) v2 is supported only when the V2.34 GSD file is used. PROFINET uses the topology technology to detect and identify devices on SNMP.
    • Supported MIBs:
      • LLDP-MIB
      • LLDP-EXT-DOT3-MIB
      • MIB-II
    • Writable OIDs:

      • 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.4.0 (sysContact, defaults to “Someone <someone@somewhere.net>”)

      • 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.5.0 (sysLocation, defaults to “somewhere”)

      • 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.6.0 (sysName, defaults to “something”)

      These OIDs will be reset to the default settings after a factory reset. Other OIDs are also supported in the above MIBs but have read access only.

Distributed I/O (Remote I/O) is connected through PROFINET IO. In this configuration, which retains the I/O view of PROFIBUS, user data from field devices are periodically transmitted into the process model of the control system.

PROFINET IO describes a device model, which consists of insertion places (slots) and groups of I/O channels (subslots). The technical characteristics of the field devices are described by the GSD (General Station Description) on an XML basis.

PROFINET IO distinguishes between the three following device types:

  • IO-Controller: Controller on which the automation program is run.
  • IO-Device: A remotely assigned field device, which is assigned to an IO-Controller.
  • IO-Supervisor: A programming device (PC), which runs commissioning and diagnostic functions.

The PROFINET IO engineering process is similar to PROFIBUS: Decentralized field buses are assigned to one or more control systems during configuration; the IO-Device is configured to the actual system expansion, based on the content in the GSD file; and the IO-Device is simultaneously integrated, appropriately parameterized and configured into the PROFINET topology (1).

After the engineering process has been completed, the expansion data is loaded into the IO-Controller (2). The IO-Controller independently takes over the data exchange with the IO-Device (3).

The In-Sight system supports PROFINET IO connections from two controllers (or supervisors) at any given time. The steps provided below describe how to use PROFINET IO to transfer data between In-Sight vision systems and a Siemens PLC.