Safety networks concern themselves with safety technology in modern industry. This safety technology relates to humans as well as the environment. In detail, risks are aimed at which result from the use of new technology and the handling of materials and goods.
Safety Networks International e.V. – Association as Integration Possibility
With its head office in Ostfildern, Safety Networks International e.V. (since 2006) is an association that was initially registered in 1999 at the District Court of Esslingen under the name Safety BUS p Club International e.V. Today, approximately 75 companies are members of Safety Networks International e.V.
In addition to the main office in Ostfildern, there are two regional institutions in Japan and in the USA. Safety Networks Japan was established in 2000, and Safety Networks International USA was established in 2001. With these three bases, Safety Networks have established themselves in the key core markets of the world.
The intent and purpose of this association include the expansion and the application of SafetyBUS p and SafetyNET p, as well as advancement of the integration of these industrial communication systems into current and future automation technologies. Members of the association can influence the development of these systems in order to improve them through new innovations.
Safety Networks Academy
The Safety Networks Academy is to be established together with Safety Networks International e.V. and other member organizations. The purpose of this new network is to achieve a better and more targeted exchange of knowledge among the participating institutions.
Worldwide Tasks of the three Safety Networks
The three bases in Germany, Japan, and USA have the task of looking after the project groups in their sector. The project groups can be divided into three sub-groups:
Supplier Group
The supplier group is focused on task areas such as uniform wiring, the integration of robot systems, drives and transmission techniques which are based on wireless technology. Opportunities and potentials are created in individual teams in order to connect different, new products and components to SafetyBUS p or SafetyNET p.
Application Group
The application group deals with themes such as drive technology, diagnosis function and network safety. Here, the priority is on development and improvement of the SafetyBUS p and SafetyNET p communication systems so that these can be better adapted to the market.
Marketing Group
The marketing group is in charge of distribution and marketing of the SafetyBUS p and SafetyNET p systems through media relations, fairs and worldwide events.
The Technology Principle of the SafetyBUS p and SafetyNET p Systems
SafetyBUS p, the first safe fieldbus system was marketed in 1999. This resulted in completely new opportunities within the field of safety technology: For the first time it was possible to realize technical safety applications via a communication system. Promising higher performance and functionality, SafetyNET p is considered as a further development.
The bandwidth of both systems is approximately 100 times larger than that of conventional fieldbuses, so that now, simultaneous, common operation of different services also becomes possible and meaningful. The SafetyNET p fieldbus has been developed as a publisher-subscriber network and as such, it does not need a central control unit. This creates the opportunity for creating modular system architecture and individually tailored partial networks.
SafetyBUS p – the first Step towards modern Safety Technology
SafetyBUS p is a fieldbus communication system that is suited to the networking of safety-oriented applications.
SafetyBUS has proven itself through the following functions:
Event-oriented transmission
SafetyBUS acts event-oriented, which means that messages are sent only at the times when changes of state at central/peripheral inputs or outputs of the bus participants can be detected. Accordingly, SafetyBUS is frequently used in installation networks with requirements such as reaction times which are as short as possible and different reporting frequencies.
Safe, reactionless communication
The transmission of safety-relevant signals is carried out separately from the data transmission of the standard control process. Accordingly, the automation process has no influence on the technical safety aspects of an installation configuration.
Safe group switch-off
Sensors and actuators are connected to the safety control of the SafetyBUS p so that, in the case of faults, connected installation parts can be switched off as groups or individually. This guarantees short down-times, as the entire production is not stopped completely.
Max. standardized safety
SafetyNET p – the logical further Development of the SafetyBUS p
SafetyNET p is an Ethernet-based communication system, which consists of an application layer and a transport layer. The application layer uses the CANopen method and is the interface from the user to the communication system. This makes it possible to achieve all of the functions of a device.
Two different procedures are used in the transport layer: RTFL and RTFN.
RTFL (Real Time Frame Line) communication
Ethernet MAC frames are used with this communication. With this procedure, the devices are networked in a line structure so that each subscriber has the same rights. The data exchange works via the publisher-subscriber principle.
Each subscribing device can publish data with the help of SafetyNET p (publisher function) / read data released by another device (subscriber function). Here, an Ethernet data frame created by a special device (root device) serves as a mechanism for data transmission. This Ethernet frame is then transmitted to the other devices (ordinary devices).
RTFN (Real Time Frame Network) communication
Unlike RTFL, RTFN uses Ethernet IP frames. With this procedure, the RTFL cells are networked with each other, and further Ethernet participants are connected to the system. In most cases, a tree topology is typical for the structure of this networking. With this, the participants are added in point-to-point connections. With this mechanism, a central control unit via a root device is not required.