Profibus network health checking and monitoring andy verwer
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The document discusses monitoring the health of PROFIBUS networks. It states that wiring faults, interference, and power supply failures are the most common network problems. While PROFIBUS is robust, communication errors can be hidden until they reach a critical threshold. The document emphasizes the importance of system health checking to find non-critical and intermittent faults before they become issues. It presents several permanent monitoring tools that can provide 24/7 network monitoring.
Profibus network health checking and monitoring andy verwer
- 1. PROFIBUS Network Health Checking and Monitoring Andy Verwer Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd and Dale Fittes, Hitex UK Page 2Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 PROFIBUS is a very reliable and cost effective technology. It is common to find extensive installations comprising thousands of PROFIBUS devices operating on complex networks which are connected together via industrial Ethernet. The reliable operation of these networks is essential to maintaining plant productivity. So, what can go wrong? PROFIBUS
- 2. Page 3Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 PROFIBUS DP PROFIBUS DP PROFIBUS PA Ethernet HMI PLC PC PSU Instrument or I/O failure Number 1 (90%) Wiring faults: Reflections, Wire breaks, Short circuits, connector corrosion etc. Number 2 (5%) Interference pickup. Particularly on drives and servos. Power supply failure. The Most Common Netwok Problems Software problems Page 4Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 Quite often users are unaware that their system has communication errors because the robustness of PROFIBUS can hide these faults. Green light – all must be ok! Only when the rate of data corruption reaches a critical threshold will the fault become visible. But by then it is too late! Communication faults
- 3. Page 5Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 Permanent faults are relatively easy to fix. Because the fault disappears when we've fixed it! Intermittent faults can be a nightmare! Because we cannot be sure that we have fixed it. We may seem to have cured the problem, but then it comes back again later! Intermittent faults require long-term monitoring to check that the fault is cured. Statistical reporting over an extended period can be useful. Intermittent Faults Page 6Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 Health checking is an important part of the commissioning and maintenance strategy for your plant. The health check will help to find non-critical and intermittent faults that are not obvious. A health check should be carried out immediately after commissioning. We also strongly recommend repeating the health check at intervals. 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. System Health Checking
- 4. Page 7Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 Permanent monitoring tools A number of new tools have appeared on the market which are designed to be permanently connected to the network to provide 24/7 network monitoring. Softing PB Monitor DP network monitor Pepperl+Fuchs ADM PA segment monitor (up to four segments) Procentec COMbricks network monitor (multiple networks and segments, DP and PA) Page 8Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 COMbricks COMbricks is a modular repeater and gateway system from Procentec with built-in ProfiTrace functionality accessible over Ethernet. COMbricks provides: Networking, • PROFIBUS, PROFINET, Ethernet, copper and fibre-optic. 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.
- 5. Page 9Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 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 Page 10Monitoring & Preventative Maintenance, Verwer Training & Consultancy Ltd, April 2012 Head Station Profitrace - built in to head station. Can monitor all 4 segments over Ethernet. Ethernet Each of the four segments can have up to 31 devices connected. But each channel can be connected to a separate network if desired allowing up to 4 networks to be monitored simultaneously 2 chan. repeater 4 channel Repeater and Network Monitor