Glossary
Controls and ancillaries
Modbus, Profibus and Profinet
Also known as Modbus, Profibus, Profinet, fieldbus, industrial Ethernet.
Modbus, Profibus and Profinet are the three dominant industrial fieldbus and industrial-Ethernet protocols. Sonic-horn cycle controllers typically support at least one for integration with the plant DCS or PLC.
| Protocol | Origin | Layer | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modbus RTU | Modicon (1979) | Serial RS-485 | Widely supported, low cost; common on legacy and smaller installations |
| Modbus TCP | Modicon | Ethernet | Modern Modbus over IP; easy integration |
| Profibus DP | Siemens / PNO | RS-485 | Long-established in European process automation |
| Profinet | Siemens / PNO | Industrial Ethernet | Modern Siemens-led standard; high-performance |
Specification practice
Specify the required fieldbus at RFQ stage to avoid post-installation gateway costs. Sonic-horn controllers from major vendors offer optional fieldbus interface cards; selecting at order is straightforward but field-retrofitting often requires returning the controller for upgrade.
Related terms
Related terms
- Programmable Logic ControllerA PLC is a ruggedised industrial computer running programmed control logic. Sonic-horn sequencing can be a dedicated PLC or a subroutine inside the plant's existing PLC.
- Distributed Control SystemA DCS is the plant-wide process-automation system with operator workstations, controllers and field-device networks. Sonic horns typically integrate via fieldbus to the existing DCS.
- Cycle controller and sequencerA cycle controller programmes the firing pattern of one or more sonic horns — duration, interval, sequence, zone grouping. Either a dedicated standalone unit or a PLC subroutine.