Networking
5-2 AutomationSystem S7-400 Hardwareand Installation
A5E00850741-01
5.1 Configuring a Network

Subnets

Youcan connect an S7-400 device to various subnets:
•Via Simatic Net CP Ethernet to an Industrial Ethernet subnet
•Via Simatic Net CP PROFIBUS to a PROFIBUS-DP subnet
•Via the integrated MPIinterface to an MPI subnet
•Via the integrated PROFIBUS-DPinterface to a PROFIBUS DP subnet

Same Configuration

We recommend you use the same bus components as for a PROFIBUS DP
network configuration when configuring an MPI network. The same configuration
rules apply.

Multipoint Interface (MPI)

This interface of the CPU uses a Simatic S7-specific protocol for the
communication with programming devices (by means of STEP 7), operator panels,
and other S7 CPUs. The bus structure corresponds to PROFIBUS.

Configuring Communication

In order that the individual nodes of an MPI or PROFIBUS-DP network can
communicate with each other,you must assign MPI or PROFIBUS-DP addresses
to them. The Manual Configuring Hardware and Communication Connections
STEP 7 describes how to assign these addresses and what you must take into
account.
All the CPU-related data you need to know to configure communication can be
found in the Reference Manual CPU Data.