Ethernet usually refers to the baseband LAN specification created by Xerox company and jointly developed by Xerox, Intel and DEC company. It is the most popular LAN technology currently. It is not a specific network, but a technical specification. This standard mainly defines the cable type and signal processing method used in LAN
Industrial Ethernet usually refers to the Ethernet technology applied in the field of industrial control. It is compatible with ordinary Ethernet technology in technology, but it has different requirements for specific products and applications. Because the product is to be used in the industrial field, it has higher requirements on the material, strength, applicability, interoperability, reliability, anti-interference of the product; and industrial Ethernet is oriented to industrial production control, and has high requirements for the real-time, certainty and reliability of data.
PROFINET, launched by PROFIBUS International (PI), is an automatic bus standard based on Industrial Ethernet technology. PROFINET provides a complete network solution for the field of automation communication, including the contents of current automation fields such as real-time Ethernet, motion control, distributed automation, fault safety and network security.
In short, Ethernet is a LAN specification, industrial Ethernet is an Ethernet technology applied in the field of industrial control, PROFINET is a real-time technical specification running on Industrial Ethernet.