Safety Gateways
A gateway is a hardware device that joins two networks so that devices on one network can communicate with devices on another network. It serves as an entry and exit point for a network as all data traffic passes through it before being routed. Ethernet gateways are devices that allow protocol conversion to an EtherNet/IP network. In automated industrial or SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, Ethernet gateways often facilitate connecting serial devices to an Ethernet network, allowing multiple connections and a conversion between fieldbus protocols such as Modbus or PROFIBUS (Process Filed Bus) to EtherNet/IP or PROFINET (Process Field Net).
Profibus is a fieldbus network designed for communication between PLCs and devices. This is accomplished through a master-slave communication, where the master (PLC) has multiple slave devices (sensors, motors, actuators, etc) communicating through a single cable. Profibus can handle large amounts of data at high speeds and can serve the needs of large installations. Profinet is similar to Profibus but uses Ethernet for its communication. Profisafe is software that provides additional safety over the bus in Profinet (of Profibus) networks. It ensures the integrity of failsafe signals transmitted between safety devices and a safety controller.
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