HIMA
PROFINET Controller Development for Safety Control Systems
Background
- HIMA is an independent global supplier of safety-focused automation solutions
- HIMA has customers in process industries such as Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Energy, and in the Rail sector
- HIMA plans to offer a next generation safety control systems to support digitalization
Business need
- HIMA’s safety control solutions need to offer highest availability and uninterrupted operation of plants through seamless communication between control and automation systems
- The next generation safety control systems shall be based on a future-proof architecture and use commonly communication standards
- A new communication subsystem shall be used across all next generation safety control system variants
Technical Requirements
- HIMA‘s new safety control solution shall support PROFINET
- The PROFINET controller must be kept compliant with current and future PNO-> PI specifications
- The communication subsystem must integrate with the existing HIMA host system and expansion slots
- The communication subsystem must be configurable
- The communication subsystem must be protected against IT security threats
- HIMA decided to use Softing’s PROFINET controller software stack, running on FPGA hardware integrated into HIMax and HIMatrix devices
- Softing delivered additional logic components such as a high-performance
- Ethernet switch offering maximum security and realtime capabilities
- Softing’s real-time Ethernet module (RTEM2) was used as reference design
- Softing supported HIMA with consulting services
- HIMA’s new safety control solution is flexible, easy to update, and achieves netload class III robustness
- Proven and mature Softing components contribute to highest reliability during operation
- Softing’s reference design and consulting services reduced risk and effort for HIMA’s development project
