Field devices

The central process I/O – such as the signal modules of the SIMATIC S7-400 – only play a role in the context of SIMATIC PCS 7 with small applications or plants with low distribution.
Distributed process I/O plays a much greater role in the area of field automation. It features a wide range technical functions and offers a series of additional advantages. It has a modular and integral design and can be flexibly adapted to the plant structure. Additional plus points include reduced work for wiring and engineering and low commissioning, service and lifecycle costs.
The standard process I/Os for SIMATIC PCS 7 include the ET, distributed I/O devices (remote I/Os) connected to the automation system via PROFIBUS DP, which provide a wide spectrum of signal and function modules.