Profisafe

Profisafe
Name	Profisafe
Type	Industrial communication protocol
Developer	International Electrotechnical Commission; Profibus Nutzerorganisation; PROFIBUS & PROFINET International
First implemented	1990s
Latest version	2010s
Operating system	Real-time embedded systems
Website	PROFIBUS & PROFINET International

Profisafe Profisafe is a safety-oriented communication specification for industrial automation that provides functional safety messaging over non-safety fieldbuses and industrial Ethernet. It enables safety-related data exchange between controllers and devices using fault-tolerant protocols validated against international standards, supporting applications in discrete manufacturing, process control, and robotics. Widely adopted in European and global automation sectors, Profisafe interoperates with widely used systems and certification regimes.

Overview

Profisafe was developed to overlay safety functions on top of established fieldbus and Ethernet families such as PROFIBUS, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, EtherCAT, and CANopen, enabling safety devices from vendors like Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, ABB, and Bosch Rexroth to exchange safety-critical information. The specification aligns with international standards including IEC 61508, ISO 13849, and IEC 61511, and is stewarded by organizations such as PROFIBUS & PROFINET International and national user groups like the Profibus Nutzerorganisation and industry consortia including the OPC Foundation. Implementations target programmable logic controllers from vendors like Beckhoff, Phoenix Contact, Mitsubishi Electric, Yokogawa, and Omron.

Technical Architecture and Protocols

Profisafe uses an end-to-end safety layer that encapsulates safety messages with sequence counters, cyclic redundancy checks and signature-style counters to detect transmission errors, replay attacks, and device faults. The architecture assumes transport over networks including PROFIBUS PA, PROFIBUS DP, PROFINET RT, PROFINET IRT, EtherNet/IP, Modbus, SERCOS III, POWERLINK, and IEEE 802.3 switched Ethernet, with device profiles specified for safety I/O, safety PLCs, and safety drives. Key mechanisms reference fault models from IEC 61131-3 and use concepts compatible with redundancy frameworks such as the High Integrity Level approaches found in IEC 61508 and voting architectures used in systems by Honeywell and Emerson.

Safety Principles and Certification

Profisafe implementations support Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) per IEC 61508 and Performance Levels per ISO 13849-1, enabling certification pathways through test houses and authorities like TÜV Rheinland, TÜV SÜD, SGS-TÜV Saar, UL and national bodies under the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. Certification requires conformity assessments of firmware, hardware, and system integration validated by safety manuals and documentation similar to those produced for Siemens S7-1500 Safety and Rockwell GuardLogix systems. Compliance testing often references fault injection techniques used in labs at universities like RWTH Aachen University and research centers such as Fraunhofer Society.

Implementation and Integration

Integration of Profisafe requires safety-capable devices with certified firmware stacks from vendors such as Pilz, B&R Industrial Automation, Lenze, KUKA, and FANUC, and configuration tools that map safety functions into applications built with PLCopen function blocks and IEC 61131-3 languages. System integrators use engineering platforms like TIA Portal, Automation Studio, WorksManager, Unity Pro, and TwinCAT to configure both safety and standard communication. Network design often incorporates managed switches from Cisco Systems, Hirschmann, Moxa, and Phoenix Contact to enforce VLAN segregation and Quality of Service strategies similar to architectures proposed by Schneider Electric for critical infrastructure.

Applications and Industry Use Cases

Profisafe is applied in factories operated by automotive OEMs such as Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler AG, Toyota, and Ford Motor Company for safe robot operation, in process plants run by chemical companies like BASF, Dow Chemical, Shell, and BP for emergency shutdown systems, and in logistics systems deployed by DHL, Amazon Robotics, and KION Group for safe conveyor and shuttle controls. Additional deployments include power generation sites managed by Siemens Energy and GE Power, water treatment facilities overseen by Veolia and SUEZ, and mining operations with equipment from Epiroc and Caterpillar.

History and Development

The Profisafe specification emerged in the late 1990s as industrial automation stakeholders sought a vendor-independent safety layer to leverage existing fieldbus investments pioneered by organizations like PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation and PI International. Early adopters included automation suppliers like Siemens and Pilz, with cross-vendor interoperability tested at trade shows organized by Hannover Messe and standards forums including the International Electrotechnical Commission meetings. The specification evolved through versions incorporating Ethernet support to align with efforts by IEEE, ODVA, and industrial Ethernet initiatives promoted by PI and EtherCAT Technology Group.

Comparison with Other Functional Safety Protocols

Compared to safety protocols such as Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE), CIP Safety, OpenSafety, and CANopen Safety, Profisafe distinguishes itself by providing a transport-agnostic safety layer designed for use atop multiple master protocols including PROFIBUS and PROFINET, similar in intent to Open Safety initiatives by Sercos International. Alternative approaches like FSoE integrate more tightly with specific physical layers used by vendors like Beckhoff, and CIP Safety is closely tied to EtherNet/IP ecosystems championed by ODVA and partners such as Rockwell Automation. Selection between protocols often involves considerations of existing infrastructure at companies like Siemens, ABB, Mitsubishi Electric, Yokogawa, and Emerson Process Management and certification trajectories with bodies such as TÜV Rheinland and UL.

Category:Industrial automation