Integration of PLC and PXI control systems

Engineers are often challenged with the need to integrate several technologies to find optimal solutions when designing new control architectures. Generally, the technical solutions chosen require the combination of various industrial products such as PXI systems for applications requiring fast acquisition, analysis and reaction times, while PLCs are commonly used for their reliability and their ability to withstand industrial environments. The needs to exchange information between these different technologies can today be solved by using industrial fieldbuses such as Profibus DP or Profinet IO. This paper describes the technical aspects of the two options, focussing on their advantages and constraints. The experience gained with integrating PXI and PLC systems as part of the 2016 consolidation project of the control of the kicker systems of the Antiproton Decelerator (AD) at CERN will be presented.