Renesas introduces certified PROFINET-IRT and PROFIdrive software protocol stacks for RZ/T and RZ/N series microprocessors

Renesas Electronics today announced the availability of certified PROFINET IRT and PROFIdrive software protocol stacks for its RZ/T and RZ/N series of industrial network system microprocessors (MPUs). The initial software version is suitable for RZ/T2M MPUs designed for servo motor control applications, as well as RZ/N2L for Industrial iot gateway applications such as remote IO or industrial Ethernet devices. Using Renesas products with this software stack simplifies the certification process for customer equipment.

The new software stack is Renesas' first certified PROFINET software solution to support PROFINET IRT (isochronous real-time) and PROFIdrive. As the mainstream industrial Ethernet protocol for automation system, PROFINET can promote the high-speed communication of industrial automation equipment. Its highest performance level, PROFINET IRT, ensures accuracy and timeliness in data transmission and is ideal for real-time applications such as servo drives and motion control systems, making it particularly suitable for areas where real-time operations are required, such as manufacturing, robotics and process control.

Mohamed Dogar, Vice President of Embedded Processing Business Acceleration at Renesas said: "We are pleased to provide full support for the RZ/T and RZ/N series MPU extended Industrial Ethernet systems. We expect that the introduction of our advanced network protocol stack integration will further accelerate the success of the RZ/T and RZ/N MPU families in the market." At the same time, as PROFINET is the market leading industrial networking protocol, we are very excited to integrate Siemens PROFINET IRT device development kit with Renesas products to bring users a better product experience."

Efrossini Tsouchnika, Vice President Control at Siemens Digital Industries, said: "The partnership with Renesas has yielded exciting results - by using the Siemens PROFINET equipment development kit, Renesas successfully launched the first certified PROFINET IRT solution. Industrial customers can now enjoy the seamless integration options offered by Renesas in the PROFINET ecosystem. Thanks to Renesas' continued and committed investment in future iterations of PROFINET technology, we look forward to continuing to deepen our collaboration."

PROFINET software protocol stack on Renesas RZ/T and RZ/N series processors

The implementation of Renesas' certified PROFINET IRT software stack covers all key functions required for industrial equipment communication, including PROFINET RT (real-time) communication. The software supports cyclic data exchange with the PROFINET IO controller and can handle diagnostics, process and status alerts, as well as plug and pull alerts. It assigns IP addresses and device names via PROFINET and device applications, and includes quick-start capabilities, shared device support, media redundancy (MRP), and system redundancy (S2).

PROFIdrive simplifies the drive system embedding process

PROFIdrive enables seamless integration of variable frequency drives, servo motors and other motion control devices in automation systems, ensuring efficient communication and operation. PROFIdrive standardizes the exchange of data between devices, providing key parameters such as speed, torque and position, which are essential for precise control of the drive. It supports both real-time communication via PROFINET IRT and regular Ethernet communication, making it flexible for various industrial applications.

PROFIdrive profile on Renesas RZ/T and RZ/N MPU

Renesas has implemented a certified PROFIdrive application example for application Category 4, including a drive object implementation with a speed setpoint interface. It supports cyclic data exchange over standard messages 1, 2, and 3, as well as acyclic data exchange over the PROFIdrive parameter channel. In addition, the application example includes PROFIdrive diagnostics and PROFIdrive universal state machine. It contains the PROFIdrive encoder channel and its corresponding encoder state machine and provides a simulation of the driver control system.