Profibus is a highly reliable and robust industrial communications system. However, due to poor adherence to installation guidelines, the effects of time or human error, the network may experience communications failures and thus, unexpected downtime. Minimising the frequency and duration of costly downtime is possible through good preventative maintenance practises, and the availability of skilled personnel to diagnose the state of the network and take rapid corrective action if stoppages do occur.
Procentec’s COMbricks is the first Profibus automation system that unites network components, permanent monitoring, and remote I/O in a modular platform. COMbricks is invaluable in providing diagnostic assistance during stoppages because it facilitates the comprehensive remote monitoring of installations from anywhere in the world. COMbricks allows skilled on-site engineers, or those available remotely through the South African Profibus Competence Centre (PCC), to assess the state of a network and provide expert assistance to site maintenance personnel. The condition of the network can be remotely inspected in any web browser using features such as a device live-list, key network statistics, and electrical signal quality analysis through network voltage level and oscilloscope measurements. The device can also be configured to send email alerts if any faults do or are likely to arise, or switch a connected digital output, for example, to provide a local site alert. Most notably, the device is able to log network events and messages around the time of a failure, assisting engineers to accurately assess the events leading up to the fault.
While providing these remote monitoring and permanent diagnostic features, the COMbricks modular platform allows for flexible configurations of repeater, fibre optic, Profinet, ProfibusR PA link/coupler and general I/O modules. This means it can be tightly integrated into the network, providing common network functionality alongside diagnostic features.
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