profibus system engineering and monitoring - andy verwer

PROFIBUS System

Engineering and

Monitoring

Andy Verwer,

Verwer Training

& Consultancy

Ltd

Accredited PI

Training Centre

PROFINET,

PROFIBUS and IO-

Link Seminar

Siemens

Manchester, 9th

November 2016

PROFIBUS System Engineering & Monitoring, Andy Verwer, page 2Practical Aspects of PROFIBUS, PROFINET and IO-Link, November 2016

Facilities for health checking and fault finding on PROFIBUS

systems are essential.

Access points must be provided on every segment of every

network. (Piggy-back sockets).

Tools and accompanying training are essential.

Network layout should allow devices to be replaced without

shutting down the network or disturbing other devices on the

network.

Replacement of devices should, if possible, not require re-

configuration of the system.

Health checking should be carried out at regular intervals to

detect degradation of performance, deteriorating

communications and developing problems.

Health Checking and Fault Finding


Permanent Monitoring

Health checking takes time and can only show degradation at the time of the health check.

How much better to integrate the health checking tools into the network?

To give permanent monitoring of system health.

Automatically report failures.

Give pre-warning of impending failures and performance degradation.

A number of tools have appeared on the market which are designed to be permanently connected to the network to provide 24/7 network monitoring.


Permanent monitoring tools

PROCENTEC COMbricks

(Monitors up to four separate networks with 20 DP, Fibre-

Optic or PA segments)

Indu-Sol’s INspektor

network monitor (one DP segment)

Softing’sPROFIBUS Monitor (one DP segment)

PROCENTEC diagnostic hub

(five DP segments)

Siemens diagnostic repeater (three DP segments)


COMbricks

COMbricks is a modular repeater and gateway system from

PROCENTEC with built-in ProfiTrace functionality accessible

over Ethernet.

COMbricks provides:

Networking,

PROFIBUS DP and PA,

PROFINET, Ethernet, copper

and fibre-optic connection.

Monitoring

ProfiTrace OE built-in and

accessible over Ethernet

(web based).

Control

Remote IO capability allowing

low cost control and plant

monitoring over the network.


Head Station

with ProfiTrace

built in

Repeater

modules with

optional

‘scope and

redundancy

PROFIBUS

DP slave

modules

IO modules

digital, relay,

analogue etc.

PROFINET IO

device

modules

Optical link

modules

(1 or 2

channel)

mix and match to produce the required functionality

The Modules available include:

PA module

Coupler

and/or MBP

monitor with

‘scope

COMbricks


Head

Station

Each of the 4 segments can

have up to 31 devices

connected.

But each channel can be

connected to a separate

network if desired, allowing

up to 4 separate networks

to be monitored

simultaneously.

2 channel

repeater

2 channel

repeater

ProfiTrace - built into the

head station monitors all 4

segments simultaneously.

Accessible remotely over

Ethernet.

Example 1 – 4-channel hub/monitor

We have built a 4-channel

DP hub which divides our

network into 4 segments.

DP (RS485)

DP (RS485)


Example 2 DP/PA coupler/monitor

1 channel

‘scope

repeater

Head

Station

PA coupler

module

This unit can be used as a

stand-alone DP/PA

coupler with both DP and

PA segments monitored

by the head station.

The unit acts like a

transparent link allowing

high-speed DP operation

(up to 1.5Mbit/s)

Ethernet

DP

(RS485)

PA

(MBP)

The same unit can also

simply be configured to

just monitor the signals

on an existing coupler or

link.

These modules incorporate an

oscilloscope function providing

remote waveform visualisation

and bar chart.


Multiple network monitoring

Each COMbricks unit can monitor up to four different

networks, each running at different speeds.

Each network can incorporate DP (RS4845), PA (MBP) or Fibre

Optic (FO) connection via plug-in modules

Up to 20 segments can be connected to a single Head Station.

Multiple COMbricks units can be

incorporated into a factory or

plant.

Centrally located reporting can

be used to provide 24/7

monitoring and health checking.


Engineering Access

Engineering access to the networks and devices is essential

for:

Setting up new/replacement devices;

Configuring equipment;

Accessing device parameters and diagnostics.

Such access can be achieved in a number of ways:

Direct (local) or centralised (remote) access, over the network;

Manufacturer specific interface/software;

Open standardised, vendor-independent methods.

Open methods have the major advantage that the same

software, tools and methods can be used on all supporting

equipment.


OPC

Originally standing for “Object Linking and Embedding for

Process control”, OPC has become the main standard for data

sharing in distributed control and monitoring systems.

OPC is almost universally used for accessing process and

engineering information on automation and control systems.

OPC is actually a set of open standards administered by the

OPC Foundation (www.opcfoundation.org).

OPC servers provide read/write access to data which they hold.

OPC clients can remotely access the data in a vendor

independent way.

There are thousands of different OPC servers and clients

available.


FDT/DTM

Another widely-used standard is the “Field Device Tool” (FDT)

standard.

This defines an open standardised framework for engineering

tools that are used in automation and control systems.

FDT tools are low cost (can be free!) and provide manufacturer

independent access to a wide range of devices.

FDT tools require “Device Type Managers” (DTMs) to access

the data within devices.

There are two different types of DTM provided (usually free):

Communications DTMs (CommDTMs) – establish a

communication route to the devices.

Device DTMs – to access data within a particular type of device.


Simple web browser

07 November

2016

ProfiTrace streaming

FDT/DTM Tools

OPC / SCADA access Alarm handling

Remote monitoring via Ethernet

COMbricks unit


Our Demo

For our demo, we have a COMbricks unit consisting of a head

station, A DP repeater module and a PA coupler/link module:

1 channel ‘scope

repeater

PA coupler module

Ethernet

DP (RS485)

PA (MBP)

The Head Station monitors both the DP

and PA segments via the built-in ProfiTrace,

which communicates via standard Ethernet.

The DP repeater module and PA coupler/link

module together make a transparent DP/PA

coupler which provides access to the PA devices

for the controlling master.

• And provides access for the FDT tools via the built-in commDTM.

• And provides OPC server access for network performance statistics and data.


FDT/DTM

• The FDT provides a standardised framework in

which the required DTMs can be loaded and run.

• The device DTMs operate underneath the

CommDTM in order to provide a route to the

devices.

CommDTM

Device DTMs

DP

PA

COMbricks

transparent

coupler and

Ethernet

gateway

Devices

Eth

ern

et