Online Monitoring

Online monitoring systems are dedicated monitoring devices that are permanently connected to a PROFIBUS network and collect network state information. This information can then typically be collected over the Enterprise IT Ethernet network using protocols such as OPC and displayed on SCADAs or stored in historians for maintenance and fault finding purposes.

Such solutions can be extremely powerful as they record events over an extended period of time and also allow for potential remote access to the collected information.

Softing BC-502-PB

Continuous monitoring for the early detection of critical changes is a new, cost-effective approach to maintaining PROFIBUS networks. The new BC-502-PB INspektor® detects the creeping deterioration of bus communication, which is usually non-critical to begin with, and notifies operators of the need for maintenance.

An alarm is triggered when changes which could lead to unplanned plant downtimes are detected. The critical point is reached when a parameterized number of errors per unit of time is exceeded, at which point the PLC or network is notified via a signaling contact. All diagnostic details can be retrieved locally at the device itself or over the network via a Web browser. The threshold values are also set in this way. In the network version, a server centrally manages all alarms and events from up to 40 inspectors in a database. It also provides additional analysis functions and the option of logging parts of all telegram traffic for selected errors.

This offers significant advantages over previous solutions. For instance, only one INspektor® is needed per bus line, regardless of the number of physical segments. Furthermore, the device is completely non-reactive and can therefore be retrofitted at any time - even temporarily - without affecting plant operations. There is no need for a bus address or any modification to the PLC program, and the functionality is entirely vendor-neutral, meaning that it does not depend on the type of controller used or the other bus stations. The network version even enables centralized alarms for various fieldbus systems.