PROFINET communication card for the CERN cryogenics crate electronics instrumentation

The ITER-CERN collaboration agreement initiated the development of a PROFINET communication interface which may replace the WorldFIP interface in non-radiation areas. The main advantage of PROFINET is a simplified integration within the CERN controls infrastructure that is based on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). CERN prepared the requirements and subcontracted the design of a communication card prototype to the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). The designed PROFINET card prototype uses the netX Integrated Circuit (IC) for PROFINET communication and a FPGA to collect the electrical signals from the back-panel (electrical signals interface for instrumentation conditioning cards). CERN is implementing new functionalities involving programming, automation engineering and electronics circuit design. The communication between the card and higher layers of control is based on the Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) protocol. The configuration files supporting new types of instrumentation cards, which are being developed and are compatible with the SIEMENS SIMATIC automation environment. Some minor changes to PROFINET® PCB electronics card will be performed before launching a small series production. It is worth to mention that all required data calculations (for example interpolation, calibration) and protocol handling (PROFINET, OPC UA) are performed using a multithreading application, which runs on a single netX50 chip. It allows to simplify the architecture of the control system, because there is no need for additional computing nodes in the network to execute all required calculations of the process.