Industrial

mbGate DP FAQs

The Device Catalog entries are imported via "Import GSD" and stored in the gateway.

The configuration project only exists in the web interface. It is displayed in the Segment Configuration view on the right-hand side of the PROFIBUS Configuration window. The project can be saved in a file on the PC by selecting "Save Configuration". The name of the configuration project file is PROFIBUS-Cfg.json and is located in the personal download folder.

When restarting the gateway, the Segment Configuration is not being displayed. To make it visible, reload the previously saved configuration into the web interface via "Load Configuration".

The configuration of the PROFIBUS slaves is not saved automatically. In addition to “Save Configuration”, the Modbus and Ethernet/IP gateways have an “Apply Configuration” function. “Apply Configuration” stores the configuration of the PROFIBUS slaves in the Modbus gateway as a binary file. The gateway always uses this binary file internally.
 
What happens if there is a power outage?
If the configuration was not saved on the gateway previously via "Apply Configuration", it will be lost during a power outage. Otherwise the configuration exists in the form of a binary file on the gateway itself.

Use Search and Configure if the IP address of a Softing gateway is unknown or does not match the actual network environment. Search and Configure is usually part of the installation package. You can also install it directly from here:

SearchAndConfigure V1.46

This program can be used for searching and configuring connected Softing devices in the local network. It sends UDP packets from the local port 2360 to the remote port 2355.

Start the program by double-clicking “sac.exe” or click the corresponding item in the start menu. If you have more than one network adapters in your PC then please select first the correct network adapter in the drop-down menu. When clicking the Search buttonthe network will be scanned for connected Softing devices. The retrieved devices will be listed with their MAC address, device type, serial number, name, IP address, subnet mask and gateway.

Note: If no connected device is found please check the firewall settings.

By selecting the device and clicking the Configure button you can modify network parameters of the device without using its website. Changing the IP configuration requires the password fitting the selected device.

Please note that the IP settings cannot be changed for the Softing gateway epGatePN!

Warning:
Be aware that the device may reboot after successful reconfiguration.
The device may cause network problems if configured with incorrect settings

Start a web browser that supports JavaScript (Google, Chrome) to access the gateway from your PC.
When your web browser doesn’t support JavaScript or JavaScript is disabled, then you will not be able to access the gateway. In this case you will only see in the browser window the message “loading”.

PROFIBUS Common FAQs

Please refer this document for a detailed explanation: PROFIBUS Interface is not accessible

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.

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 "Installation API and 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.

  • Detect devices: the configurator detects the slaves when you run the scanning process.
  • Important: Delete the cyclic data container (CyclicData) of the slave whose address you want to change
  • Then activate the configuration via the Toolbar (or context menu or F5). The PROFIBUS Master establishes a connection with the configured Slave.
  • Change the desired station address. Highlight the slave whose address you want to change, open the context menu and select "Properties". A dialog box opens in which you can set the desired address. Click “Apply” to confirm your settings. After about 10 seconds the “Apply” button becomes grey which means the device address has changed. Click “OK” to close the dialog.  
  • Deactivate the configuration
  • Activate the configuration again.

The slave can now be accessed with its new address.

For further help, please use our support form.
 

mbGate DP

MODBUS TCP Server to PROFIBUS DP Master Gateway

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Softing Industrial Support

PSIRT – Product Security Incident Response Team
psirt[at]softing[dot]com

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