Configure a PROFINET IO Device

The Runtime manages a mapping table containing the PROFINET IO Inputs and Outputs.

The KAS-IDE contains a fully integrated configurator for a PROFINET IO RT controller or device.

The PROFINET maximum data size is 1440 bytes Input length and 1440 bytes Output length.
To calculate the size, use the slot configuration view to count the number of bits per slot and convert to bytes.
Example: 7 slots containing 16 outputs of 32-bits each, is 7 x 16 x 32 = 3584 bits = 448 bytes.


  • Referring to the PROFINET standard, the units of a PROFINET network are named as IO Controllers (Masters) and IO Devices (Slaves).


  • PROFINET is only supported on AKD PDMM, PCMM, and PCMM2G controllers.

Configuration Procedure

  1. Open the fieldbus configuration window.
  2. Right-click in the window and select Insert > Insert Network.
    The Add Configuration dialog opens.

  3. Select PROFINET IO device and click OK.

    The configuration is represented as a tree:

    • Profinet IO Configuration
      • Profinet IO device (*)
        • Group (*)
          • Variable (*)

      (*) These items can appear several times in the configuration (depending on the bus topology).

    The I/Os of the PROFINET network must be connected to the variables via a PROFINET IO device.

  4. Right-click the PROFINET IO device network and click Insert Master/Port.
    This starts the declaration of a PROFINET device.
    The PROFINET IO device dialog opens:

  5. Click OK to save the changes or selections and close the dialog.
  6. Click the Configure Slots button.
    The Slot Configuration dialog opens.

  7. Select the modules in the upper list.
    With the buttons Insert and Append the modules are copied to the lower list.

    You can not configure each module.
    Only modules with some sub modules respectively with a sub module with parameter data can be configured.
    Mark the according module in the lower list and click the Configure button.

  8. Click OK to close the Slot Configuration dialog.
  9. Click OK to close the device window.
  10. Click the Insert Variables button.
  11. Right click on the master and select Create Variables.
    This automatically populates the variables and groups.

    • Every PROFINET variable is expanded to a set of Boolean variables in PLC by default.
      Example: A SINT slot is mapped to eight PLC BOOL variables.
      If you have many configured slots, many PLC variables are produced.
      The controller is slowed by a large amount of PLC variables.

      To avoid this, you can right click on a slot in the Create variables dialog and select Pack bits.
      Example: With a SINT slot, this creates one SINT variable in KAS instead of eight BOOL variables.
      This helps reduce the number of PLC variables and reduces the load on the controller.


    • The Pack bits action may be applied to all slots by right clicking on the root node in the Create variables dialog.

  12. Right-click the device and select Insert Slave to add a group.

  13. Now you can connect the variables with the I/Os.
    Right-click the group and choose Insert Symbol to append a variable to a device.

    The offset of a variable is relative to a sub module.
    Thus also depending from a slot and subslot.
    The offset of the first variable of a sub module is always 0 (zero).

  • All settings can be changed in the table.
  • The information refers to the items below of the selected item in the configuration tree.
  • If KAS is connected to a target system and the system is running, the table shows the real-time data of the variables.