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PROFIBUS-DP

One of the world's most successful fieldbuses, PROFIBUS-DP is a serial bus protocol, which allows several devices to be connected on a single pair of wires. The PROFIBUS-DP protocol was designed by Siemens for distributed industrial I/O. Like PROFINET and PROFIBUS-PA, PROFIBUS-DP is managed by PROFIBUS and PROFINET International (PI), based in Germany.

PROFIBUS-DP is currently the most popular fieldbus in Europe. It is primarily utilized by Siemens, but PROFIBUS-DP controllers and devices are available from several manufacturers. A variety of automation device profiles for equipment such as encoders, robots, and the like are available from PI to encourage "plug and play" interchangeability between different vendors' equipment.

PROFIBUS-DP uses a variety of physical layers. RS-485 is the most popular physical layer, but optical media and Manchester Bus Powered (MBP) are also utilized in explosive environments. The data link layer, FDL, uses a hybrid master-slave and token passing scheme.

PI maintains a mandatory certification system for all PROFIBUS-DP devices to insure conformance and interoperability. All PROFIBUS-DP devices must supply a device description file, called a General Station Description (GSD) file. This file describes the device in a defined format, which allows it to be read by both the human, and the PROFIBUS-DP controller.

What Can AB Tech Solution Do for Your PROFIBUS-DP Product Development?
  • Obtain manufacturer and product identifiers from PI™
  • Develop a fully-compliant product for you
  • Add PROFIBUS-DP capability to your existing product
  • Enhance the features and functionality of your product
  • Develop the required GSD (device description) files
  • Perform interoperability testing
  • Obtain PI compliance certification for your products