Main Tasks of PI

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The main tasks of PI are:

• Maintenance and further development of the PROFIBUS and PROFINET technologies. All members have the right to participate in the working groups and can therefore influence further development. All new results are presented to the members for comment before being released.
• Support for the global reach of the technologies.
• Protection of investment for users and manufacturers through influence on standardization.
• Representation of the interests of members to standards bodies and unions.
• Global technical support through the PI Competence Centers.
• Quality control through device certification.

Full Local Support from RPAs

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For its maintenance, ongoing development, and market penetration, an open technology needs a company-independent institution as a working platform. This is one of the main tasks of the umbrella group PROFIBUS/PROFINET International (PI), which was founded in 1995. With 24 Regional PI Associations (RPAs) and more than 1,300 members all over the world, PI represents the largest interest group in the world in the area of industrial communications. The RPAs support their members in marketing activities, organize presentations and informational evens and also ensure that new requirements in the market are taken into account during further development.

The contact details of the RPAs can be found at REGIONAL SUPPORT on this Website.

Membership at PI / an RPA

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Membership is organized regionally. It is open to all companies, organisations, institutions, and persons wanting to participate constructively in the development and spread of the PROFIBUS and PROFINET technologies. Through the combined efforts of often very different members from different industries, especially in the WGs (Working Groups), a significant synergetic effect and a healthy exchange of information is generated. This leads to innovative solutions, effective use of resources, and finally to competitive advantages in the market.

Information on membership in an RPA as well as contact details of the RPAs can be found at REGIONAL SUPPORT on this Website.

Technical Support from PICCs and PITLs

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PI has established more than 30 PI Competence Centers (PICCs) worldwide and has accredited 7 PI Test Laboratories (PITLs) for certification tests of PROFIBUS and/or PROFINET devices. These institutions advise, train, and support end-users and manufacturers in many ways, or perform testing for certification. As part of PI, they provide their services in the context of PI’s international regulations and in a company-independent manner. They are regularly checked for their suitability in special accreditation processes customized for each group. Contact addresses of the PICCs and the PITLs can be found on this website.

You can find the contact details of the PICCs and PITLs on the respective pages (see menu bar at the left side of this page).

Documentation

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As support for users and manufacturers, PI provides a wide variety of documentation. This is available in the English language. The documents can be downloaded as a PDF-file from this website. A list of documentation available can also be obtained from the website (see “Bookshop” at the menu bar on the left).

• PROFINET Standard
  Contains the basic specifications of PROFINET CBA and PROFINET IO, along with a selection from other documentation, like the GSDML device description for PROFINET IO.
• PROFINET Recommendations
  Includes specifications for implementation, test processes, and installation.
• PROFINET Profiles
  Include the approved profile specifications. There is a distinction drawn here between industry-specific and general application profiles.
• Brochures and books
  Significant topics are presented in brochures from a marketing standpoint. There is a corresponding brochure available for PROFINET.

Certification

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PI has established a qualified certification system for PROFIBUS and PROFINET devices. In officially authorized Test Laboratories (PITLs), which are all listed on this Website, devices are tested regarding conformance with the PROFIBUS or PROFINET Specifications and Guidelines as well as interoperability with devices from other manufacturers. The test shall result in a positive test report, based upon which PNO (PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation, who is responsible for the certification on behalf of PI) issues a certificate for the device.