RIO for Factory Automation (RIOforFA) is a Common Profile Specification for PROFINET and PROFIBUS which defines the qualifier, behaviour, and representation of IO data for Remote IO (see [RIO FA]). RIOforFA defines the minimal and typical requirements for Remote IO.

RIOforFA has the following properties (excerpt, See [RIO FA], sec. 1.2):

• Defines qualifiers for values of physical signals, to be able to communicate and use data access (Process Image) in the host in a standardized way.
• Defines a RIOforFA channel for digital IO and for analog IO. One RIOforFA channel consists of value and qualifier. The qualifier shall be synchronous and consistent with the value.
• A RIOforFA submodule uses RIOforFA channels only.
• The profile does not add any definition to standard PROFINET diagnosis and I&M functions.

Figure 1 shows an example of an Input submodule according to RIOforFA. The RIOforFA channel provides the value and its qualifier, which both are available in the process image of the user program (see [RIO FA], sec. 1.3).

Figure 1 – RIOforFA Input Channel