In Siemens automation ecosystems (such as SIMATIC PLCs and SINAMICS drives), telegrams define the structured mapping of cyclic process data (PZD) exchanged over PROFINET or PROFIBUS.
Siemens categorizes these telegrams into four primary functional types depending on the drive, motion control requirements, and safety features.
Common PROFIdrive Telegram Types
- Standard Telegram 1: Transfers 2 words out and 2 words in; used for basic 16-bit speed control without position feedback.
- Siemens Telegram 105: Transfers 10 words out and 10 words in with cyclical clock synchronization; standard choice for S7-1500 Motion Control technology objects with a single encoder.
- Siemens Telegram 111: Transfers 12 words out and 12 words in; designed for basic positioner (EPOS) functions on SINAMICS drives controlled by S7-1200/1500.
- PROFIsafe Telegram 30: Added as an extra sub-module slot for safe motion functions like STO (Safe Torque Off) and SS1.
1. PROFIdrive Standard Telegrams (PNU 601–609)
These comply with the official vendor-neutral PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) profile and provide universal control across different manufacturers.
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Telegram 1: Standard speed control (2 PZD In / 2 PZD Out). Uses Control Word 1 (STW1), Status Word 1 (ZSW1), speed setpoint (NSET), and actual speed (NACT).
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Telegram 2: Speed control with extended signals, including drive status and timing synchronization.
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Telegram 3: Speed control with main encoder feedback. Used for positioning axes where the encoder connects directly to the drive.
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Telegram 5: Speed control with Dynamic Servo Control (DSC). Offloads high-speed position control loops down to the SINAMICS drive for microsecond response times.
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Telegram 7 & 9: Standard positioner telegrams for simple positioning tasks using an integrated drive positioner.
2. Siemens-Specific Telegrams
Designed by Siemens to unlock proprietary features, extended telemetry, and seamless integration with SIMATIC S7-1200/1500 Motion Control technology objects.
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Telegram 102 & 105: Speed control with DSC and extra torque limit/torque reduction controls. Telegram 105 is the standard choice for Siemens S7-1500T Technology CPUs.
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Telegram 111: Basic Positioner (EPOS). Comprehensive telegram (12/12 PZD) used for driving axes with SINAMICS internal positioning (includes target position, velocity override, and homing flags).
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Telegram 118 & 126: Advanced position and speed control with DSC, torque limiting, and dual encoder support.
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Telegram 352: Compact speed control telegram featuring actual current, torque, and fault diagnostics readout.
- Supplementary Telegram: 700 (PZD-0/3), 701 (PZD-2/5), 750 (3/1)
3. PROFIsafe Telegrams (Safety-Integrated)
PROFIsafe telegrams carry fail-safe commands and status signals. They operate via the “Black Channel” alongside or embedded within the standard cyclic data stream.
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Telegram 30: Standard functional safety telegram (3 bytes / 6 bytes including PROFIsafe header/CRC). Controls integrated drive safety functions such as:
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STO (Safe Torque Off)
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SS1 / SS2 (Safe Stop 1 / 2)
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SLS (Safely-Limited Speed)
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SDI (Safe Direction)
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Telegram 31: Extended functional safety telegram supporting advanced safety capabilities like SLP (Safely-Limited Position) and SP (Safe Position transfer).
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Telegram 900 / 901: Supplementary safety process data telegrams for detailed diagnostics of safety functions.
4. Free/Custom Telegrams (Telegram 999)
For specialized applications where standard or Siemens telegrams do not fit the requirement:
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Telegram 999 (Free Configuration): Allows custom mapping of PZD words (up to 62 words). Control and status parameters are manually interconnected using SINAMICS BICO (Blinker-Connector) parameters such as
p0922,p2050, andp2051.
Telegram Selection Overview
| Task / Application | Recommended Telegram | Controller Integration Block |
| Simple Speed Control | Telegram 1 | SINA_SPEED (DriveLib) |
| Drive-Integrated Positioning | Telegram 111 (EPOS) | SINA_POS (DriveLib) |
| PLC Motion Control Axis | Telegram 3 or Telegram 105 | S7-1500 TO (Technology Object) |
| Safety Integrated (STO/SLS) | PROFIsafe Telegram 30 | F-CPU Safety Program (L-DriveSafe) |
| Custom Data Readout | Telegram 999 | User-defined PZD mapping |
