New Profibus system connections!

The Siemens's range of Profibus system connections for PCs and PGs (programming devices) has been incresed to include two new PCI cards. The new communication processors CP 5613 A3 and CP 5614 A3 come with their own microprocessor to take some of the strain from the host system. Unlike predecessor products, the new CPs additionally feature a run time meter and temperature sensor, which operate independently of the operating system and application of the PC/PG. Communication processor statuses can be evaluated via an interface, providing the basis for actions such as preventive maintenance.

Using CP 5613 A3, a PC or Simatic PG/PC is connected to a standard Profibus with up to 12 Megabits per second. Direct link-up to the CP’s dual port RAM means that process data can be rapidly accessed. CP 5614 A3 is also fitted with a second Profibus port, which allows the processor to act simultaneously both as DP master and DP slave.

In this way, a single PCI card can be used to connect two Profibus networks to a PC and exchange data within a hierarchical structure.

By pre-processing communication, the new communication processors reduce the workload for the host CPU of the PC or PG, supporting control tasks such as PC-based, numeric or robot control. Data exchange with real-time capability in equidistant mode makes the CPs additionally suitable for motion control applications. An optional developer package for driver porting is available for applications in non-Windows operating system environments. «