Profinet integration
Profinet is a Fieldbus standard that utilizes TCP/IP and is based on Profibus. The robot can act as a Profinet Server but cannot act as Profinet Client. Therefore, it is required to have a compatible PLC that is acting as Profinet Client in the network. The functionalities available via Ethernet/IP are very much the same as via Modbus TCP/IP Server, so please consult this section for more explanations. The main functionality that is different to Modbus TCP/IP is that the Profinet implementation is done with a watchdog. This means that the Robot will stop as soon as the communication to the Profinet Client is lost. This is vital to prevent damages to machinery or equipment.
ProfiSafe integration
In contrast to the other available Fieldbus Protocols on the UR, ProfiSafe allows integrating safety signals via a network signal. The main benefit is, that you can easily integrate multiple safety devices into one single network without a high wiring effort, as traditionally connected safety devices always need at least 4 wires per device. With ProfiSafe, only one ethernet cable is required. Furthermore, via ProfiSafe a PLC can read the different Stop Categories of the UR and even reset different safety states. Ultimately an integration via ProfiSafe in conjunction with Profinet allows for a highly flexible and complex integration of the Robot via a compatible PLC. To use this Fieldbus, a license from Universal Robots is required.
Tutorials
ProfiNet
ProfiSafe