|
DEBUNKING THE MYTHS
|
| PROFINET
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN ROLLS OUT |
| EDUCATION,
EDUCATION, EDUCATION: FREE TRAINING;
CERTIFIED TRAINING; DEVELOPERS
WORKSHOPS; ETHERNET BASICS WEBINARS |
|
PROFINET AND MES - CLOSING
THE COMMUNICATION GAP
|
| TOOL
CALLING INTERFACE |
| PROFINET
LINKS TO FIELDBUSES AND HART TO SUPPORT PROCESS USERS |
| PROFIsafe
BRINGS MASSIVE SAVINGS AT AUTO PLANT |
| EMERGENCY
STOP |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY
PROFIBLOG |
| TURCK JOINS PTO
BOARD |
| WORLD NEWS |
| CASE STUDY: NORTH
AMERICA / FAULT FINDING |
| NEW
PROFIBUS PA BOOK |
| NEW PRODUCTS:
GET PROFINET ENABLED IN HOURS! ; PROFIBUS
DP CABLES ; FIBER-OPTIC CONVERTERS
; INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET SWITCHES ;
TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLKIT |
| |
DEBUNKING THE MYTHS
 Satisfyingly,
fresh outbreaks of 'Parrot Marketing' have not been detected
recently. We are maintaining vigilance and will let you
know if anyone breaks the silence. Meanwhile,
here's another useful clarification, this one about PROFIBUS
scan times.
Myth: PROFIBUS has
a random scan and FOUNDATION Fieldbus has a fixed scan.
Response: A Standard
PROFIBUS scan is where the master polls each slave in
sequence. At the end of each cycle, the master has time
to do any acyclic reads/writes to one of its slaves. This
'acyclic' communication is used to read and write parameters
and diagnostic information. If there are no acyclic reads/writes,
then the scan is constant. If there are some acyclic reads/writes,
then there is a variation in the scan of 20 to 40ms. However,
the scan is monitored by a 'watchdog' timer to ensure
that the scan occurs within a maximum time. This is not
a 'random' scan. In DP-V2 of the PROFIBUS standard, an
additional scan type was introduced called 'Isochrone
Scan'. This has the PROFIBUS and the controller scan times
synchronized and fixed: the master scans all inputs and
then has a fixed time to do any acyclic communications,
and then runs the control software. This is equivalent
to the FOUNDATION Fieldbus fixed scan rate if control
in the field is being used. If the FOUNDATION Fieldbus
configuration is using centralized control, then PROFIBUS
Isochrone mode would be more deterministic since FOUNDATION
Fieldbus' hosts' scan runs asynchronously to the bus scan.
Download
Polly's pdf to learn more about PROFINET myths and
facts.
|
|
 PROFINET
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN ROLLS OUT: PTO
began a series of display advertisements in Control Engineering
and Automation World in February, making the point that
PROFINET is the only Industrial Ethernet solution that does
not seek to displace its competitors. PROFINET recognizes that
most users don't want to obsolete the existing equipment and
skills that are delivering benefits today. Instead, it uses
'proxies' to integrate them easily into PROFINET-based control
strategies. Proxies are (or soon will be) available for FOUNDATION
Fieldbus, HART, DeviceNet, Interbus, Modbus, Serial and
others - plus PROFIBUS itself of course. Simple, transparent,
connectivity today for the whole plant is the result making
PROFINET an ideal common Industrial Ethernet solution for automation.
There's a special microsite
here, with more information.
|
 EDUCATION,
EDUCATION, EDUCATION: Convincing
end users to take up the massive benefits of industrial networks
like PROFIBUS and PROFINET is one of PTO's key raisons d'être.
Only three things are important in this process - Education,
Education and, oh yes, Education! It's our front line in fact,
and for five years PTO has led the field with training classes,
developers workshops and more. Here's a run-down of 2007 events:
- FREE TRAINING:
The 2007 series of FREE one-day training classes started
March 6th with a Process day in Augusta. There are 26 cities
in the initial schedule and more will be added. These classes
are educational events with three curricula centering on
PROFIBUS, PROFIBUS in the process industry and PROFINET.
Keep monitoring the Schedule
here to find a course near you. For updates please visit
this
page or monitor this
page.
STOP PRESS: Tomorrow (March 15) marks the debut of
a new, more in-depth PROFINET curriculum in Kansas City.
Register
now!
PLUS, new this year: all
attendees will receive a certificate for 5.5 PDH (Professional
Development Hours). In addition, all attendees of
PROFIBUS and PROFINET classes will participate in a raffle
for a free seat in a Certified Network Engineer class
(= $2,695 value).
 CERTIFIED
ENGINEER TRAINING: Want to
enhance your company's strengths in PROFIBUS and/or PROFINET?
Boost your career potential too? Then why not attend one
of our five-day certified training courses and earn yourself
certified 'PROFItech' status? 2007
dates here
- PROFINET DEVELOPERS' WORKSHOPS:
Last year PTO held only one; this
year it'll be three, indicating that PROFINET is moving
center-stage for many vendors. The PTO has assembled the
major suppliers of PROFINET development tools in one room
so potential users can select the development tools that
best fulfill their requirements. ARC Advisory Group provides
a market overview and industry expert Harry Forbes speaks
about the explosive growth of Industrial Ethernet. The PROFI
Interface Center provides a high-level look at applications
and the tools available to address them. Workshops are scheduled
for Detroit on May 22, Scottsdale on July 31, and Boston
in October. For more details and links to registration visit
this
page or call 480-483-2456.
- ETHERNET BASICS WEBINARS:
PTO has launched a series of Webinars about Ethernet Basics!
This year the PROFINET one-day training events will focus
on PROFINET, with only a brief overview of Ethernet. Three
Ethernet Basics webinars will fill the void. Find details
here
for upcoming webinars and here
for archived versions. We may add some additional Ethernet
Basics coverage if there is a demand for more details.
|
 PROFINET
AND MES - CLOSING THE COMMUNICATION GAP:
PTO's parent organization PI is the first Industrial Ethernet
organization to formally address how Ethernet network interfaces
to higher level systems such as MES should be standardized.
It has just released the 'PROFINET and MES Maintenance Operations'
guideline, which describes interface functions supporting maintenance
systems and facilitating consistent communication from the field
up to Top management. While interfaces between MES (Manufacturing
Execution Systems) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) are
defined in ISO/IEC 62264, the new PROFINET specification defines
an open interface between MES and automation systems for maintenance.
This has closed a communication gap, as no standards previously
existed relating to how the automation information should be
provided. Another MES-relevant PROFINET standard is the guideline
'Identification and Maintenance Functions" (I&M functions).
I&M functions contain the so-called 'electronic type plate'
which is saved in a device and used for selecting spare parts,
procuring and storing products, planning device updates and
establishing a direct link to the device vendor. For more details
of 'PROFINET and MES Maintenance Operations' see this article
on the PI
Web site.
|
 TOOL
CALLING INTERFACE: PI has completed
the TCI (Tool Calling Interface) specification
after less than a year of development work. TCI is a manufacturer-independent
interface for engineering. It allows dynamic parameters to be
loaded to PROFIBUS and PROFINET devices from a variety of vendor-specific
engineering tools via a common interface, making it much quicker
and easier for users to configure systems and machines. With
TCI, PI has defined the interface for a range of device and
automation-system tools, thus supporting standardized communications
with field devices over network boundaries. From the user's
point of view, integrating TCI is as simple as installing a
printer on a PC. The manufacturer of an intelligent field device
defines the functionality in an XML file configured to be used
with different field devices. No specific communication knowledge
is required so engineers can establish contact with, and parameterize
and diagnose, PROFIBUS/PROFINET devices without much effort.
An associated feature is a standardized storage path within
an automation project. This enables parameters and programs
stored during engineering to be archived and/or reloaded. The
TCI specification has been developed in collaboration with AIDA
(Automatisierungsinitiative Deutscher Automobilhersteller -
Automation Initiative of German Automobile Manufacturers). It
can be downloaded (free of charge for PI members) from this
address. It's also worth reading
this about I&M Functions.
|
 PROFINET
LINKS TO FIELDBUSES AND HART TO SUPPORT PROCESS USERS:
PI is encouraging the widespread use
of PROFINET as a common Industrial Ethernet solution for process
automation by defining how PROFIBUS PA, HART and FOUNDATION
Fieldbus can be integrated easily via 'proxies'. The PI Working
Group 'DCS Requirements' is working with NAMUR to define the
requirements, which will then be implemented by other Working
Groups. The integration of PROFIBUS PA is complete. HART is
nearing completion and work has begun on FOUNDATION Fieldbus
- with expected completion in 2007. Then, HART, PROFIBUS PA
and FOUNDATION Fieldbus process instruments will be able to
operate unchanged under PROFINET. PI working groups will also
consider system redundancy, time synchronization and stamping,
and engineering. In conjunction with the MES interfaces (above),
this promises powerful management capabilities for process plants.
Read
more here.
|
|
 PROFIsafe
BRINGS MASSIVE SAVINGS AT AUTO PLANT: 'Safety:
The Movie', has just finished its successful run across North
America, visiting PTO's home town Phoenix in February. The
PTO's Mike Bryant played a significant role in the film so
PTO staff were pleased to be invited to watch their local
showing. The movie argues that integrating safety and control
brings major economic and functional benefits if they are
designed into the plant from scratch. KUKA robots feature
in the film too, at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Toledo, where
the Jeep Wrangler is produced. A comprehensive account of
how the KUKA robots reduced safety components by 85% at DaimlerChrysler
and improved machine safety can
be found here. It's well worth reading for the words of
the KUKA engineer who said: "We built the system in no
time and commissioning was surprisingly easy. This approach
has saved us $10's of thousands on the first installation
alone."
EMERGENCY STOP: PROFIsafe
has just been nominated as a pre-standard by the Chinese Standardization
Authorities, under GB/Z 20830 - 2007.
|
|
 HAPPY
BIRTHDAY PROFIBLOG: Carl
Henning's PROFIblog is one year old! Cool comments, perspicacious
perspectives and incisive insights make this one of the most
popular blogs in the automation world. Here's
a taste of the blogging activity at present. Why not be
entertained, educated and informed? Visit PROFIblog today.
While you are there, be sure to leave a comment; blogs are
more interesting as dialogs than monologs! And remember to
insert the RSS web feed into your browser so you can be updated
automatically.
|
 TURCK
JOINS PTO BOARD: The PTO has appointed
Robb Black as the newest member of the PTO Board of Directors.
Mr. Black is the Director of the Network & Interface Division
at TURCK Inc., Minneapolis, MN, an industry leader of quality
automation components and solutions for factory and process
applications. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering from
Marquette University and a Master’s degree in Management from
Cardinal Stritch College. His 19-year background in the industrial
market includes extensive experience in various sensor technologies,
industrial device level networks and RFID for both the factory
and process automation markets. Mr. Black has been with TURCK
for 14 years and is responsible for product management of three
groups within his division: Media (cables, cordsets and connectors
for device level networks), I/O Products (Ethernet, DeviceNet
and PROFIBUS) and Intrinsic Safety (barriers, FISCO, and others).
“TURCK is committed to promoting 'open' technologies like PROFIBUS
and PROFINET because we believe these technologies will continue
to benefit not only the user, but the manufacturer,” Black said.
“This is an exciting opportunity for me to work closely with
the PTO and stay on the cutting edge of the world's leading
fieldbus technology.”
|
|
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| WORLD NEWS |
 POLAND:
PNO Poland is ramping up its activities. It recently organized
a 2-day PROFIBUS/PROFINET Conference in South Poland, attended
by more than 60 delegates. New members received their Certificate
of Membership. Slide presentations and photos can be found at
www.profibus.org.pl.
BRAZIL: During the ISA Show Brazil
in November, the Brazil Latin America RPA organized another
Case Study Seminar at which four PROFIBUS applications were
presented. Topics included the integration of PROFIBUS and Modbus
using an HMS gateway, PROFIBUS in two Sugar and Alcohol Mills,
PROFIBUS in a Petrobas petroleum platform. UK:
A special presentation for process users has been announced
as part of the ongoing training and educational program organized
by the PROFIBUS Group. Back by popular demand is the FREE seminar
called 'Practical Aspects of PROFIBUS PA in Process'. More information
from www.uk.profibus.com.
 SOUTH
EAST ASIA: With a total of over 3500 delegates during
2006, RPA SEA achieved its target of reaching 300+ customers
per country in its second Road Show series. 2007 venues include
Singapore, Penang, Bangkok and Rayong. If you'd like to take
part in this campaign email
here. MIDDLE EAST: News of
the formal establishment of this Regional PROFIBUS Association
is imminent. Certified PROFIBUS Engineer training sessions run
by PROCENTEC from the Netherlands have already happened.
STOP PRESS ...
The number of PROFIBUS nodes sold by the end of 2006 is to be
announced shortly. A figure in excess of 18 million has been
predicted which, if true, means our 20 million target by end
of 2008 will be easily exceeded ... possibly this year! Watch
this space for confirmation.
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| CASE STUDY |
|
 NORTH
AMERICA / FAULT FINDING: Recently, PTO member Softing
received a support call from a customer asking for help with
his PROFIBUS installation. His conveying application was controlled
by a S7-400 PLC communicating over PROFIBUS with multiple
drives and several I/O’s. A dramatic increase in PROFIBUS
network faults was forcing the S7 into frequent stop-modes.
Network monitoring tools and frame analyzers
did not reveal any problems. Everything looked just fine.
So what was wrong with the PROFIBUS network? In order to understand
the issue Softing had to dig a little deeper into the physical
layer of the network.
PROFIBUS, although a digital communication
protocol, is using an analog signal (a voltage level) to transmit
its digital content over the wire, as do all fieldbuses. The
receiver of a PROFIBUS message 'sees' a voltage level that
alternates between high and low. Each level corresponds to
a '1' or a '0'.
As a signal travels through the wire, the
voltage level is dampened or distorted by many factors including
cable resistance and bad or corroded connections/connectors.
At some point the signal can get so weak that a receiver cannot
distinguish between high or low voltage levels and thus, cannot
decipher the PROFIBUS message.
 Communication
errors at this level are typically identified by electrical
engineers using an oscilloscope to analyze the signal quality
at a test point. Softing’s software-based cable tester PB-T3,
with its simple user interface (see right), is designed to
automatically analyze communication problems based on electrical
issues without the need for an oscilloscope or expertise in
electrical engineering. The tool automatically analyzes the
signal quality of each connected device and displays the result
in a bar chart. Devices with insufficient signal strength
are highlighted in color for easy identification.
 At
the customer site, Softing’s PB-T3 was connected to the network
and the support engineer recognized immediately that the signal
level of one PROFIBUS device was insufficient. All intermittent
PROFIBUS faults could be traced back to this weak signal level.
On occasion, the signal level dropped below an acceptable
threshold for the PLC, resulting in a communication fault
that forced the PLC into stop-mode. By connecting the PB-T3
at multiple locations on the network the exact location of
the fault was determined - a corroded connector located in
a vibrating electrical cabinet. Contact Softing
USA or www.softing.us.
|
 NEW
PROFIBUS PA BOOK: A new book about
PROFIBUS PA has been published in conjunction with the PA Marketing
Working Group of PI. It gives an excellent overview of the complete
PA range and is a valuable tool for all people who deal with
PROFIBUS PA – end users, maintenance people, planners, engineers,
developers of PA devices, etc. The book, titled 'PROFIBUS PA'
is authored by two of the most respected experts in PROFIBUS
PA - Christian Diedrich and Thomas Bangemann - with assistance
from others, and is available in English. It includes an overview
of the basic functionality of process devices using PROFIBUS
PA in process engineering, especially in hybrid applications.
Also included are a comprehensive look at deeper technology
issues such as transmission and installation, ex zones and the
FISCO concept. Chapters on device integration, device development
and interoperability testing make this an indispensable reference
for experienced engineers and newcomers alike. (ISBN 978-3-8356-3125-0).
Top
|
| NEW PRODUCTS |
 GET
PROFINET ENABLED IN HOURS!: Want to become PROFINET-enabled
in just 45 Hours? That's the promise from Real Time Automation
which has just announced the release of its Exlink PROFINET
enabler. Using the ExLink 6102 means getting your product onto
PROFINET now, not in 14 months, says RTA, with working prototypes
in as little 45 hours. The device is a tad larger than two dice
and includes a powerful ARM7TDMI RISC Controller with high speed
serial communications. The solution will pass Industry Standard
Conformance Tests, provides easy-to-use Web Server configuration
and supports additional features like PLC5E, SLC5/05 comms,
serial tunneling and off-the-shelf TCP communications! Incorporated
are a fully featured TCP/IP stack including support for Web
Pages, Java Applets and email. Real Time Automation: 800-249-1612.
Top
 PROFIBUS
DP CABLES: Northwire has a line
of new DataCELL FIELD PROFIBUS DP cables. Constructed to comply
with PROFIBUS specification EN50170-2-2:1996 the product line
includes several exclusive versions:
- ITC/PLTC-ER cable: for factory-floor
installations; exposed-run-rated-eliminates the need for
conduit (when installed in accordance with recent NEC amendments);
UL listed; CSA CMX-Outdoor-CMG and FT4
- AWM cable: for machine builders
and OEM applications; especially ideal for machine-tool
applications; rugged PUR outer jacket for superior oil,
chemical, cut and abrasion resistance; UL recognized and
RoHS compliant; marine/shipboard cable; arctic-rated for
use to -55º C
- Listed UL 1309 marine shipboard
type C22X110T " Tough TPE outer jacket " Armored version
offered
All cables are available with the standard
violet outer jacket or other colors, and are shipped direct
from factory in 1,000 ft. minimum put-ups. Northwire: 1.800.468.1516
or www.northwire.com/pdp.
Top
 FIBER-OPTIC
CONVERTERS: Phoenix Contact
has announced two new PSI-MOS PROFIBUS fiber-optic converters,
with conformal-coated printed circuit boards designed primarily
for use in the shipbuilding and marine industries. Conformal
coating gives added protection from salt water, as well as
moisture, dust and other corrosives commonly found in industrial
environments. In addition, all the company's copper to fiber-optic
media converters are now approved for use in the UL Class
1, Division 2, hazardous locations commonly found in the petroleum,
chemical, pharmaceutical and water/wastewater industries.
Phoenix Contact: www.phoenixcon.com
or 800-322-3225 or info@phoenixcon.com.
Top
 INDUSTRIAL
ETHERNET SWITCHES: Woodhead Industries has introduced
Direct-Link Industrial Ethernet switches. Direct-Link switches
support both unmanaged and managed applications and are available
in a variety of configurations that support both copper and
fiber wiring. They can be DIN rail or panel mounted. Services
include VLAN and IGMP, SNMP, RMON and Port Mirroring. Rapid
Spanning Tree Protocol for fault-tolerant loops and redundant
power supply are also supported. Configuration can be done using
the local RJ-45 configuration port, or by a remote web interface
provided with the switch. For additional diagnostic support,
Direct-Link SNMP Management Suite (SNMP MS) is also available.
Based on OPC, this tool converts SNMP agents for display in
an HMI application. Woodhead Industries: www.woodhead.com
or www.molex.com.
Top
 TROUBLESHOOTING
TOOLKIT: For engineers, installers and maintenance technicians
PROCENTEC, supported in North America by Grid Connect, offers
a PROFIBUS Troubleshooting Toolkit equipped with all required
tools to maintain and troubleshoot a PROFIBUS network efficiently.
PROCENTEC support engineers have extensive experience in the
field and created this first class toolkit which they use themselves.
Grid Connect.
Top
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Visit www.us.profibus.com
the home of PROFIBUS and PROFINET in North America
|
Published
by PTO