April 12, 2016- Siemens is launching a software tool for the design and simulation of Profinet automation networks. The Sinetplan network planner, from Siemens, is aimed at plant designers, constructors and operators and supports them from the planning stage, through commissioning, to the operation of a Profinet communication network. In order to ensure subsequent operational reliability and to avoid problems during commissioning, the network is designed with a topological structure at the planning stage and any possible bottlenecks caused by peak loads, for example, are simulated. In the operating phase, Sinetplan offers transparency about the network capacity up to the port level of the individual stations by means of online scans, traffic shapers or reporting functions.
Sinetplan is used in particular for the planning and operation of Profinet networks that use acyclic data services such as TCP/IP in addition to cyclic real-time communication. Projects already planned in Step 7 are easy to import, and existing systems are scanned online, verified and simulated.
Using the Sinetplan network planner it is possible to check the operational reliability of a Profinet network while it is still in the planning phase and find out whether a network is topologically suitable, what reserves the selected topological design offers and how you can protect the network against unforeseen peak loads (bursts). To do this, the tool calculates the loading on the network caused by the time-critical Profinet I/O data traffic as well as the acyclic, TCP/IP-based data traffic, e.g. from remotely operated servers, cameras, PCs or web server accessing. Depending on the topology and the connected network stations, the network loads are simulated, highlighting any critical points where network loading is too high.
About Siemens
A producer of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a supplier of gas and steam turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems.
