ComBricks – permanent PROFIBUS Diagnostics via Ethernet
ComBricks is an industrial modular system that can be used:
- for continuous diagnostics of PROFIBUS networks
- as PB/PA link, PB/PN link, DP/DP coupler and PN/PN coupler
- as remote IO for PROFIBUS and PROFINET
The benefits of ComBricks as a tool for permanent diagnostics of PROFIBUS networks:
- ComBricks starts analysing your PROFIBUS networks as soon as you connect it to it
- ComBricks doesn't require your PLC's software program to be edited
- ComBricks is viewed in a web browser, so you don't need to rely on an operating system
- ComBricks will send you an alert via email when a fault on your network occurs
- ComBricks doesn't require a permanent connection to a computer – it works independently
- ComBricks can transfer data to higher-level IT systems via OPC server
ComBricks can detect and record the following PROFIBUS events:
- station loss
- sync messages
- repeats
- sequence of repeats
- corrupted messages
- slave requesting diagnostics
- protocol faults
- configuration and parameterisation faults
- identification of available devices on the network
Comparison of ProfiTrace2 and ComBricks PROFIBUS analysers
| Profitrace2 | ComBricks |
| instantaneous diagnostics of the "problem point" | continuous network diagnostics |
| connected to the PC via USB | connected to the PC via Ethernet |
| mobile analyser | DIN mount installation |
| cutting-edge oscilloscope/stations' voltage meter | basic oscilloscope + stations' voltage |
| a wide choice of message recording triggering options & filtering | message recording triggering set only for bad telegrams on the network |
| recording messages of big size | recording messages of limited size |
| controlled via the ProfiTrace2 application | controlled via a browser |
| can measure only one PROFIBUS network at a time | can measure up to 4 different PROFIBUS networks at a time |
| reporting tools |
Benefits of ComBricks as a modular multi repeater supporting continuous diagnostics
The PROFIBUS network often has to be divided into several galvanically isolated segments. It's essential that the criteria for correct installation of PROFIBUS networks are met (number of stations per segment and segment length). If that isn't possible, it's important that preventative measures in the form of galvanic isolation of individual segments are taken. If you need to divide a PROFIBUS network into two segments, you can use a standard PROFIBUS repeater. If you need to divide a network into more segments (e.g. the star topology), you will use a network hub (e.g. ProfiHub B5). ComBricks presents a completely new way of segmenting PROFIBUS networks. Thanks to its modularity you can connect 2–20 segments to one ComBricks set. Each of those segments is continuously monitored via the integrated PROFIBUS analyser.
You can connect a maximum of 10 ComBricks modules to a bus. They can easily be added or removed without the need to shut down the network. Each module supports up to 2 galvanically isolated PROFIBUS segments. To each of those segments you can connect up to 31 PROFIBUS devices. Depending on the bus speed, a segment can be up to 1,200 metres long.
Thanks to galvanic isolation you can prevent any interference among segments. This means that electromagnetic interference in one segment won't have a negative impact on other segments. Apart from galvanic isolation, ComBricks constantly monitors the bus communication for glitches and filters them out. That is why ComBricks acts as a reliable electromagnetic barrier on unstable PROFIBUS networks.