Industrial Automation

• PROFIBUS interface is not accessable

When installing the driver, the following message appears in the Device Manager: 'Windows cannot find the specified file'

In rare cases, Windows 2000/XP may have problems properly detecting new hardware. A possible cause is a missing registry entry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can add this entry manually if you are logged in with administrator privileges.

Attention: Please follow these instructions very carefully. Incorrect settings can render your computer useless.

Procedure:

• Open the registry editor (Start->Run->regedit).
• Go to the following entry by expanding the corresponding folders in the tree on the left:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
• Select 'CurrentVersion' and create a new registry key named 'RunOnce' ('Edit' menu 'New' -> 'Key')
• Leave all other registry settings unchanged.
• Close the registry editor and reboot your computer.

Where can I find the GSD files for operating my Softing PROFIBUS interface as master?

If you want the PROFIboardPCI (PB-IF…), PROFIboard, PB-PC104, FG-100 or FG-300 to run as master, you can use the softb203.gsd file, which is located in the directory
C:\Program Files\Softing\PROFIBUS\SDK\DDB(GSD)\PROFIboard master b203
once you have installed the driver.

For PROFIcard2 please use this GSD file:
C:\Program Files\Softing\PROFIBUS\SDK\DDB(GSD)\PROFIcard master b204\softb204.gsd

For the PROFIpro and PROFIusb interfaces you can use the GSD file:
C:\Program Files\Softing\PROFIBUS\SDK\DDB(GSD)\PBpro master 0baa\soft0baa.gsd 

Alternatively, PROFIboard or PROFIcard can be selected in applications instead of PROFIusb.

Where can I find the GSD files for operating my Softing PROFIBUS interface as slave in order to connect to an S7 controller?

If you want the PROFIboardPCI (PB-IF…), PROFIboard, PB-PC104, FG-100 or FG-300 to run as slave, you can use the softb205.gsd file, which is located in the directory
C:\Program Files\Softing\PROFIBUS\SDK\DDB(GSD)\PROFIboard slave b205
once you have installed the driver.

For the PROFIpro interface please use this GSD file:
C:\Program Files\Softing\PROFIBUS\SDK\DDB(GSD)\PBpro slave 0b35\soft0b35.gsd
You may need to adapt this GSD file to your specific application. Please note that a modified GSD file must be certified by PI (PROFIBUS International) before you distribute it.

Where can I find GSD files for PROFIBUS interfaces in order to connect ABB robots to Siemens S7 or other masters?

The GSD file customized to your ABB robot is available from your contact person at ABB Robotics.

There is no API for .NET environments available for the PROFIBUS interfaces. We recommend the use of the PROFIBUS OPC Server to connect DP systems. This eliminates the need to develop your own source code for initialization and management. In addition, the OPC server package includes a PROFIBUS configurator that makes it easy to configure the DP network by using the GSD files.
A demo version is available from the download area of Softing's web site.

Please check if the board is correctly installed in the Device Manager. If it is, try creating the board manually and press the 'Apply' button.

Go to the Control Panel of your system, select the PROFIBUS entry and open the PROFIBUS Control Panel. The PROFIBUS tree in the left-hand pane shows all the configured nodes and their current status. Select the root of the PROFIBUS tree. The information pane on the right now shows the installed driver version in the "V5 Hardware Driver" line.

KON-DP can be licensed using a hardware key (dongle) for either the USB port or the parallel port. Licensing via software key is not possible.

Currently there is no LabView support available for the PROFIBUS interface cards.
But LabView offers a call interface to external DLL functions. The Softing PROFIBUS API (PAPI) can also be called with it.

see guideline: "Elimination of transmission problems using Softing‘s PROFIBUS Tester 3"

The quality index strongly depends on the type of field device and, in particular, on the segment length. In the majority of cases, a quality index of 4000 is very good. However, bus communication may still work with much less.

The topology scan uses a maximum baud rate of 500 kbit/s, even if you have set higher baud rate. As a result, devices that do not support automatic baud rate detection and have been set to a higher baud rate will not be found in the topology scan. Some (mainly older) devices will perform the automatic baud rate detection only once after startup. Therefore, you may have to temporarily disconnect them from the power supply.

A complete power supply kit is optionally available and can be ordered here.

This is a common issue depending on the PC/notebook type and operating system. It occurs particularly when using USB hubs with external power supply. Please connect the PB-T3 directly to the PC/notebook.

The PB-T3 & T4 tools measure the cable lengths to the respective field devices and then list the devices according to these cable lengths.
To perform a topology scan, the PB-T3 & T4 must be connected to either the beginning or the end of a physical segment. Consequently, when measuring the cable lengths from the center of a segment, the sequence of devices determined by the PB-T3 & T4 will not correspond to the actual layout of the devices.

In addition, a topology scan will only deliver reliable results if the signal quality of all devices on the bus is very good. If faults have already led to reflections on the bus, the reflections can impair accurate length measurement by the PB-T3. 

The measurement tolerance for the topology scan is +/- 1 meter.

The use of repeaters creates separate physical segments. As a result, PB-T3 & T4 tools can only measure the distance to the repeater. In addition, as soon as a PB-T3 or PB-T4 starts the topology scan, some diagnostic repeaters (e.g. Siemens repeaters) also transmit frames on the bus, which disturb the measurement. For this reason, repeaters should generally be disabled before running a topology scan.

There are no updates available for the PB-T3 software yet. Please install the latest version of the successor software “PROFIBUS Diagnostics Suite,” which can be downloaded for free from our web site. This software supports the PB-T3 tester (see constraints in conjunctions with Windows7).
Please note that the installer will automatically remove the previous PB-T3 software. It is not possible to use the PB-T3 software and the PB-DIAG-SUITE software on the same computer.

In some isolated cases USB-connection between PB-T3 hardware and PROFIBUS Diagnostics Suites fails when running Windows7. PB-T3 - though appropriately connected via USB - is not visible in tool management of PROFIBUS Diagnostics Suite and cannot be selected for measurement. In this case we recommend to use an earlier Windows version, such as Windows XP.

PBT-files can be opened with PB-T3 software version 1.70. Though, this software version is not maintained anymore and is running only on Windows XP and Windows 2000. We recommend to use “PB-T3 viewer” software. PB-T3 viewer is additionally included in scope of supply of PROFIBUS Diagnostic Suite.

My PROFIBUS Tester 4 has dropped down to the USB-socket and is malfunctioning. What next?

In spite of its weight PROFIBUS Tester 4 is quite robust and withstands mechanical stress to a considerable degree. Most of the testers being send to us for repair show a damaged USB-socket. We are already working on making the USB-socket more robust with respect to mechanical load. We kindly ask you for sending affected testers to us for repair if necessary. Please do not try to repair testers on your own. We recommend to screw tightly the device during testing. You may use a USB cable with angular B-plug which reduces the risk of damage to the USB-socket, should your PROFIBUS Tester 4 drop down accidentally.

You have to configure a new IP address. Please click the link below to download the Search & Configure tool. After successful installation, start the Search & Configure tool. It will automatically find all available BC-502-PB devices on your network.

• "Search & Configure"

Click the Configure button or double-click a device to display detailed configuration data of the selected device. The dialog entries vary depending on the type of device. You can modify the settings of a device by entering new values in the enabled input boxes in the middle column. To download these changes into the device, please enter the correct password and click the Submit button.

The PROFIBUS Inspektor is delivered with the following default network configuration:

• Inspektor's IP address: 192.168.212.212
• Inspektor's subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
• Login: config
• Password: config

If more than one Inspektor with default configuration settings is connected to the LAN network, only one Inspektor will be able to successfully connect to the network (firmware May 2009). All other Inspektor devices or PROFIBUS Ethernet gateways that have been started later will prematurely stop booting because the assigned IP address is already in use on the network.

There is a workaround to add multiple devices with the same IP address to the network and then modify their network configurations from a PC on the same network. This is done using the Softing Search and Configure tool. First, unplug the network cables of the devices concerned. Then force a restart of each device by temporarily disconnecting it from the power supply. The devices will now complete the startup successfully and can be reconnected to the network.

The "Softing Search and Configure" tool will now also detect devices with the same IP address and further identify them by other attributes, such as the serial number or MAC address. You can then select each Inspektor and change its IP address by clicking the Configure button.

• "Search & Configure" (Screenshot)
• "Search & Configure"

While several devices can be simultaneously connected to the bus, you must choose one device at a time to run a measurement on the active bus with the PROFIBUS Diagnostics Suite. The measurement cannot be started using several devices simultaneously.

To use this functionality, you have to have installed the latest version of the PROFIBUS Diagnostics Suite.

To save the recorded frames to a CSV file, click the Print icon in the Frames view. After you select the range, a preview window appears. Click on the Save icon in the toolbar at the top of the preview window and choose 'CSV'. You can then specify a name and location for the file.

Using BC-450-PB you can test the protocol simultaneously in DP- and PA-segment. Before running a trend test you have to decide in which segment (DP or PA) you want to run a trend test. Running a trend test in DP- and PA-segment simultaneously will lead to wrong test results. Please run a trend test in the corresponding segments separately.

The graphical user interface of PB-DIAG-Suite freezes when starting a trend test, if the live list does not contain any stations.

This is a reported issue in version 2.10 of PB-DIAG-Suite. To prevent this issue, please run a station scan prior to the trend test.

The correction is scheduled for the next version.

This is a reported issue in version 2.10 of PB-DIAG-Suite. To prevent this issue, please open the corresponding network status and press the corresponding display control “Clear Network Status”.

The correction is scheduled for the next version.

I am testing a network which runs a bitrate of 9,6kbit/s. When I am running the oscilloscope function sometimes error messages are displayed.

This is a reported issue in version 2.10 of PB-DIAG-Suite. The correction is scheduled for the next version.

When I am running the oscilloscope function, PB-DIAG-Suite displays in status bar strange processing lag values and/or bus status shows “red”, although the network is okay. Why this is the case?

Running simultaneously telegram recorder and oscilloscope function is principally possible. In version 2.10 of PB-DIAG-Suite this configuration will cause the above mentioned reported issue.

To prevent this issue, please decide in favour of one function and stop the other function (oscilloscope or telegram recording). The correction is scheduled for the next version.

I have simultaneously connected BC-4x0-PB and BC-600-PB to PB-DIAG-Suite via USB. What do I have to bear in mind?

In principle the operation is the same as compared to operation on a single device. In version 2.10 of PB-DIAG-Suite opening a channel via selection of the corresponding device in project explorer may cause an error message. To prevent this reported issue, please select the corresponding device on the start page. The correction is scheduled for the next version.

I have recently updated to version 2.10 of PB-DIAG-Suite and I have imported and opened my old project files. Why topology view seems to be empty?

Topology information based on previous topology scans does not disappear, but rather the information about the corresponding stations must be faded-in (unhide). Please select test location “manual” in topology view and enable “all stations”.

When starting a trend recording using PB-DIAG-Suite, the displayed logging period is not “Zero”. Why this is the case?

BC-600-PB contains an internal clock, which starts to run from “Zero” whenever a recording is started (frame recording, protocol analysis or trend recording). Typically a trend recording shall start at “Zero”. To prevent this reported issue we recommend to stop all other running functions such as the frame recorder. After that you can start trend recording.

When opening a frame recording (rpb-file) my mouse pointer continues to show an hour glass. Why this is the case?

Typically opening a telegram recording (rpb-file) in offline mode takes a couple of seconds. During this data input of information, the cursor changes its appearance (hour glass). Is the measurement device being plugged to a master device (test location) during the frame recording, the mouse pointer remains an hour glass and the processing lag value being displayed in status bar is growing continuously. This reported issue does not affect any available functions (such as search frames function) and will be fixed in the next update version.