B&R, powerlink vs profinet

[EStufC]

Hello everyone,
seems b&r has no support forum similar to Siemens, for example.

So I am trying to write here my question.

The B&R X20 system offers both Powerlink(its own pride) and Profinet bus controllers.


https://www.br-automation.com/en-gb/products/io-systems/x20-system/bus-controllers/x20bc0087/


https://www.br-automation.com/en-gb/products/io-systems/x20-system/bus-controllers/x20bc00e3/


They are being positioned as most

POWERLINK and PROFINET are the most used industrial Ethernet protocols for transferring machine and sensor data in true real-time.

So I am puzzled what to be selected.

 

[goghie]

Don't trust marketing too much. Powerlink is not used worldwide often. Profinet acceptance is good in EU market, but outside from EU it is present but not as leader. I find Profinet rarely when PLC is not Siemens.
Answer to your question depends of your application. We need more data.

 

[tdoa]

B&R was acquired by ABB in 2017, the brand is languishing, unless you must use it, consider other brands..

 

[JesperMP]

If you are going to use some B&R tech such as safety or motion, then go for Powerlink.

If you are going to use Profinet devices or you are unsure what you are going to connect to, then go for Profinet.
I am not sure if B&R can handle safety on Profinet (I doubt it).

N.B.
your 1st link points to a module that supports Modbus TCP, not PowerLink or Profinet.
your 2nd link points to a Profinet IO Device module, i.e. it makes that B&R PLC a slave to a Profinet IO Controller (master).

 

[LadderLogic]

Powerlink is a capable fieldbus but it would be a safe bet to state there are a great deal more Profinet-enabled devices than Powerlink-enabled ones.

So if your system has to include a robot, a laser marker, a vision system and such and such, Profinet would be the preference. But if you are staying within the B&R world (which is big and powerful), then maybe Powerlink is better.

 

[AustralIan]

if you Google Powerlink, you will see the Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group has disbanded on the end of March 2023. B&R have promised to announce something. If you can do it with Profinet, you will be happier.

Amusingly, someone in the US changed the Wikipedia article to be in past tense in April
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/1151623042