Berlin, November 4th, 2026
Support for PROFINET RT Announced
Kithara Software, based in Berlin, announces support for PROFINET RT via EtherCAT bridge terminals for Kithara RealTime Suite. The new functionality allows corresponding devices to be integrated into EtherCAT-based real-time applications on Windows systems.
The first supported option is the Beckhoff EL6633-0010 terminal, which enables data exchange between EtherCAT and PROFINET RT in the Device role. Communication is integrated directly into the existing real-time environment.
A key part of the implementation is the integration into EtherCAT DataSets. The transmitted process data can be mapped within the existing structures and processed together with the remaining data. Existing EtherCAT applications can therefore be extended with additional PROFINET data without the need to create a separate data structure.
In a further development step, support for corresponding bridge terminals operating as Controller/I-Device is also planned. This will make both connection variants available with Kithara RealTime Suite in the future.
The PROFINET RT extension complements the existing EtherCAT functionality of Kithara RealTime Suite and connects both communication systems within a single real-time application. This provides additional options for heterogeneous automation environments.
