Re: [PATCH v5 0/6] Add Fieldbus subsystem + support HMS Profinet card

[David Lechner <david@lechnology.com>]

On 12/4/18 4:02 PM, Sven Van Asbroeck wrote:
> This patch:
>    1. adds a Fieldbus subsystem
>    2. adds support for the HMS Industrial Networks AB Profinet card.

Does this actually need a new fieldbus subsystem or could it just be
implemented as a new network protocol?

> 
> 1. Fieldbus subsystem
> ---------------------
> 
> Fieldbus device (client) adapters allow data exchange with a PLC aka.
> "Fieldbus Controller" over a fieldbus (Profinet, FLNet, etc.)
> They are typically used when a Linux device wants to expose itself
> as an actuator, motor, console light, switch, etc. over the fieldbus.
> The framework is designed to provide a generic interface to Fieldbus
> Devices from both the Linux Kernel and the userspace.

Then this generic interface to a fieldbus device could just be a socket.

> 
> 2. Add support for HMS Profinet Card
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Profinet is an industry technical standard for data communication over
> Industrial Ethernet, designed for collecting data from, and controlling,
> equipment in industrial systems, with a particular strength in delivering data
> under tight time constraints (on the order of 1ms or less).
> 
> The profinet card itself is connected to the system via an industrial bus
> called 'anybus'.
> 
> I have followed the bus driver/client driver pattern, and created an anybus
> bus driver, plus a client driver for the profinet card.
> 
> In case this patch set gets (eventually) accepted, drivers for other anybus
> client cards may follow: flnet, cc-link, ...
> 
> The anybus slot on the host is located on an 'anybus controller', which is
> custom h/w designed by arcx. It exposes a dual anybus host implementation,
> plus a power readout unrelated to the anybus.
>