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PROFINET with Wandelbots NOVA

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Get started with PROFINET communication protocol supported by Wandelbots NOVA. Learn how to set up PROFINET, configure the controller, and connect to Wandelbots NOVA.

PROFINET is a widely used industrial Ethernet standard that enables real-time communication between automation devices. It is particularly useful for connecting Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) with field devices like sensors, actuators, and robots.

Communication architecture

When using PROFINET with Wandelbots NOVA, the following components interact with each other:

  • A controller, in this case the PLC, which coordinates communication, sends commands, and receives data from field devices.
  • A field device, in this case Wandelbots NOVA, which receives instructions from and transmits data back to the PLC.
  • A network infrastructure including ethernet hardware, switches, etc.
  • A configuration tool, in this case the Siemens TIA Portal.

The default cycle time for PROFINET communication is 8 ms. For higher frequency, refer to Prerequisites.

To communicate with cell periphery via PROFINET, you must obtain the PROFINET license 6ES7195-3AA05-0XA0. If you’re using a SIEMENS IPC as your NOVA instance, a PROFINET license might already be included. Please check with your SIEMENS representative or refer to the documentation of your IPC.

Attach the license sticker directly onto your NOVA instance. This is a legal requirement to ensure you have the necessary rights for using PROFINET technology.

info

A Wandelbots NOVA license does not include the PROFINET license. You must purchase the PROFINET license separately.

Further details on obligations regarding third-party software, see Usage of third-party software.

Naming conventions

Before setting up PROFINET with Wandelbots NOVA, it is important to take note of the necessary naming conventions. If not, issues will occur and a connection will not be established. Thus, the product must use a PROFINET device name compliant with the PROFINET naming rules defined in IEC 61158-6-10. These are:

  • The name must not look like an IPv4 address and must not start with port-xyz.
  • The only characters allowed are lowercase letters (a-z), digits (0-9), hyphen (-), and period (.).
  • The complete device name may be up to 240 characters long. Each label between periods may be up to 63 characters long.
  • Labels must not begin or end with a hyphen (-).
  • Invalid forms include names that match an IPv4 address and names beginning with port-xyz.

Recommended examples: cell1.io-device-01, line2.drive-03, wb-station-a.remoteio-01. These examples are consistent with the Siemens summary of the naming constraints.

How to set up PROFINET with Wandelbots NOVA

Setting up PROFINET with Wandelbots NOVA involves the PLC, the TIA Portal, the NOVA instance and the Wandelbots NOVA API.

Prerequisites

You’ll need:

  • An ethernet cable,
  • A Wandelbots NOVA instance,
  • A PLC that supports PROFINET,
  • The TIA Portal software installed on your computer
  • The PROFINET license 6ES7195-3AA05-0XA0.
  • Wandelbots NOVA includes a real-time kernel and robot-realtime tuned profile by default, enabling PROFINET cycle times shorter than 8 ms.

Connect Wandelbots NOVA instance to PLC

  1. Plug the ethernet cable into the PLC’s port.
  2. Plug the other end of the ethernet cable into the Wandelbots NOVA instance’s port.
    Remember the port number. Ensure that PLCs and robot controllers are plugged into separate ports.
  3. Open http://<instance's IP address>:9090 and go to Networking to access the instance’s IP addresses.
  4. Note down the MAC address of the port you just connected to.
    You will need this MAC address to connect to the PLC from your NOVA instance. Ensure that the PLC’s IP address is in a different subnet than any attached robot controller.
  5. Note down the port name and IP address of the port where the IPC is connected to the internet.
    You will need this information to connect to the PLC from your NOVA instance.

  1. Open the Setup app on your NOVA instance.

  2. Navigate to the desired cell and open the Profinet tab.

  3. Click Connect to PLC.

  4. You now have to confirm that you’re in possession of the PROFINET license, see Legal requirements.

  5. Select the PLC type Physical for physical PLCs and SoftPLCs and Virtual PROFINET client if you want to simulate connecting to a PLC.

  6. PROFINET port: Enter the MAC address noted in Connect Wandelbots NOVA instance to PLC and the PLC IP address.

  7. Port with internet connection: Enter the IPC’s port name and IP address plus the gateway noted in Connect Wandelbots NOVA instance to PLC.

  8. Click Connect.

    The PLC successfully connected to the NOVA instance is now displayed in the Profinet tab.

  1. Open the Wandelbots NOVA API v2 on your NOVA instance.

  2. Use Add Service to add PROFINET to your NOVA instance. To use the default settings, you only need to enter the following parameters:

    • bus_type: Enter profinet as a string.
    • device_name: Enter the NOVA instance name as defined in TIA Portal.
    • plc_ip: Enter the PLC’s IP address.
    • mac: Enter the MAC address noted in Connect Wandelbots NOVA instance to PLC.
    Adding the service will take up to a few seconds.

  3. Verify that the service was added successfully with Get Service.

Configure NOVA instance in TIA Portal

  1. Follow the Siemens TIA Portal documentation to create a new project.
    The NOVA instance needs to be configured as a device.

  2. Download the device description file (GSDML) from Downloads in NOVA Cloud.

  3. Unzip the downloaded file and import the gsdml-v2.45-wandelbots-pn-device-20250805.xml file into TIA Portal.

  4. Open Further field devices > PROFINET IO and add the NOVA instance as a device to the network view.

  5. Open the Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) settings of the NOVA instance, and define an IP address and a name.

  6. Add the 64 byte input module from the catalogue to the device overview, then the 64 byte output module.

  7. Take note of the I address (E address in German) and Q address (A address in German).
    You will need these module addresses to configure the PROFINET signals on your NOVA instance.

  8. In TIA Portal, download the hardware configuration to the PLC using the “Download to device” symbol in the tab bar.

  9. Go to Online access and look for accessible devices. The device you’re looking for carries the MAC address entered in Connect Wandelbots NOVA instance to PLC.

  10. Open the Online & Diagnostics view from the sidebar.

  11. Open Functions and enter the name and IP address from the hardware configuration.

    After a successful connection, a green checkmark next to the device in the Distributed I/O folder indicates that the cyclic data exchange started.

Enable importing PROFINET signals to your NOVA instance

  1. Open PLC variables > Table.

  2. Configure your desired inputs and outputs using a flat table structure.

  3. Click the export icon and select .xml as the file format.

    The file is saved and can now be imported.

Import PROFINET signals

Once you have set up PROFINET, you can import the PROFINET signals to your NOVA instance.

  1. In the Profinet tab, click Import PLC variables.

    A dialogue opens where you can select the .xml file exported from TIA Portal.

  2. Select the desired .xml file.

  3. Set the module addresses I address (E address in German) and Q address (A address in German) to the values noted in Enable importing PROFINET signals to your NOVA instance.

  4. Click Import.

    The signals are now displayed in the Signals section and can be used in your robot programs.
  1. Open the Wandelbots NOVA API v2 on your NOVA instance.
  2. Use Set PROFINET Inputs/Outputs from File to add PROFINET to your NOVA instance. Copy paste the contents of the exported XML file as a json string into the config parameter.
  3. Set the input_offset and output_offset parameters.
    The value will be subtracted from the module addresses based on the starting byte set in TIA Portal. This ensures that the device interface starts at Byte 0.
  4. Use List PROFINET Input/Output Configuration to get the input and output names to use in robot programs.

Manually add PROFINET signals

Alternatively, you can manually add PROFINET signals in the Setup app.

  1. In the Profinet tab, click .

  2. Enter the signal name.

  3. Select the data type and signal.

  4. Optional: Enter a comment.

  5. Confirm with .

    The signals are now displayed in the Signals section and can be used in your robot programs.

Known issues

When updating Wandelbots NOVA, the PROFINET BUS IO configuration on Wandelbots NOVA will be lost.

The Wandelbots NOVA backup in the Setup app/Wandelbots NOVA API currently does not include PROFINET BUS IO service data. Therefore you need to manually save the PROFINET BUS IO configuration and reapply it after updating.

FAQ

Can I import PROFINET signals via .xml file on top of manually created signals?

Yes, BUT the import overwrites any existing signals.

Can I connect a PLC and a robot controller via a switch to the same NOVA instance ethernet port?

No. PLCs and all attached robot controllers need to be plugged into a separate port each.

Why can’t PLCs and robot controllers be in the same subnet?

Ensure that the PLC and attached robot controllers are in different subnets. If a PLC and robot controllers are in the same subnet, the NOVA instance can’t determine the correct output port for outgoing packets. This can result in packets being sent via the wrong port.

Port 1 controller: 192.168.10.10/24
Port 2 PLC: 192.168.20.10/24