S5 Profibus dilemma!

Hi

My setup: I currently have an S5 CPU 928B with profibus
processor 308-3UB11.

I want to upgrade some FESTO pneumatic stations which are on the profibus network. They are an older type 03 FB9 festo.

The FESTO model i want to upgrade to is the newer CPX model.

Anyways, I don't have any profibus configuration software.
I'm aware you need COM ET200 to configure the above profibus
module.

I'm using S5-S7 for windows package for programming the S5,
so I dont have Step5 software. Do I need it?

Has anyone used COM ET200 or know where I can get it?

Would upgrading the profibus processor to a newer model
that uses COM Profibus configuration software be an option?

Any help would be much appreciated.

No kidding, but you should start thinking about upgrading your plant.

Anyway, this is straight from IBHs website:

S5 for Windows® allows calling the COM packages. Communication to a PLC can be established via an USB adaptor. This function is suppoertd with the operating systems Windows 2000 and WindowsXP(32 Bit) only.

Click to expand...

You probably know better which COM package to use, COM ET200 or COM PROFIBUS, or something else.
I am not sure that you can still get these software packages from Siemens any more.
Consider to find an integrator that knows about Profibus with S5.

Thanks Jesper.

Any time i log in here you seem to be the man with the plan!

I finding it hard to find anyone, at least in this country,
that can tell me they have configured an S5 plant from the start.

The reason I'm desperate to get this done is that we have a machine here that is constantly (sometimes 3 times an hour)
producing bus faults.
We have replaced all 50m of profibus and around 30 connectors,
only to still have the problem.

The next task is replacing distributed IO modules including
the Festo's, I've mentioned.

You're right that the COM package i need is no longer
available for purchase.

I'm really just grasping at straws here in the chance that
someone may have configured one of these cards or even
a newer model using the other com package and can tell me
what i need to do or maybe tell me of someone that can do
it for me. The machines manufacturers are not helping.

Jesper, you say "or something else" in your reply.
Are there other COM packages i could use?

It may be a generic profibus problem. I would buy or rent a profibus tester, or contract an expert to visit your site. I have used Profitrace with good results.

The machine is a prime candidate for upgrading the PLC with something newer. Every time you fix a problem with the old S5 based system, you just buy a little time. And every "fix" is expensive.

Can you be more specific about your bus faults - is a station faulting for a short time and then coming back online or what ?

Jesper, you say "or something else" in your reply.
Are there other COM packages i could use?

Click to expand...

No, I was actually trying to mean that I am not the expert on S5 and profibus and dont know exactly which COM package is the right one.

The bus faults are sporadic at best.

At the moment they are momentary and all distributed IO will go down.

Sometimes all bar 4 distributed stations will fail.

Still sounds like a cabling fault to me. Take Jespers advice and get profi-trace on the job.

The IM308B will have the configuration stored on an Eprom module which you would need to erase and re-program to update the config. This would require a Siemens eprom programmer or a PG in addition to COMET200 / ComProfibus.

The IM308C uses a Flash card and can be downloaded to directly from ComProfibus over the profibus connection but only after it has been configured in the first place! So you will still need to program the Flash card first with an eprom programmer / PG.

Nick

Have there VFD controlled motor(s) near?
Problem can also be in Motor cabling, how the Motor / safety switch etc. grounding have done.

Hi
Have you tried to take off the module from the rack and clean pins?

We have 2 spare IM-308B cards and now all 3 have produced bus faults
of some description so i dont think checking pins will make a difference.

The next plan of attack is to replace the siemens quick connect connectors that we already installed with screw terminal connectors.
The reason for this is that we are not using a siemens simatic net profibus cable. We installed an identical cable from Leoni.
Just in case the siemens quick connect connector dont work well
with the Leoni cable.

The next option is to upgrade the IM-308B with a IM-308C. Configure
the 308C and upgrade the Festo hardware.

Does anyone know if I can just insert the 308C without the plc
getting confused?

Also, Does anyone know if I can read the eeprom on the 308B using
COM PROFIBUS? I will probably need to know it's config if I am to
configure each slave on the bus correctly. e.g. analog ranging e.t.c.

Thanks again for all your help folks.

Still sounds like a cabling fault to me. Take Jespers advice and get profi-trace on the job. You need to diagnose what the actual problem is. If some slaves drop off the network and some don't then it is most likely a cabling/EMC fault. If one slave was faulty then it might drop off the network intrmittently but would be unlikely to affect other slaves. Also bear in mind that the slaves that drop off the network are not necessarilly where the fault lies.

Start from basics: disconnect all slaves and measure the resistance of each bus segment to check: continuity of all conductors including the screen, end to end cable resistance, terminating resistors at each end of the bus (240 ohms each).

Not sure if Com Profibus can read directly from an IM308B - you can try it. Otherwise you will need a Siemens eprom programmer or a Siemens PG to read the config.

The IM308C should replace the IM308B without any problems for the PLC. If you want to use the IM308C then you will need to find someone that can program the flash card for you.

Nick

Thanks guys for all your help.
We've changed from quick connect connectors to screw terminal connectors
and fingers crossed the network has been running good for a couple days now.



Thanks again.

Siemens S5 profibus IM 308B configuration program.

Hi can anyone assist me please. We recently moved our Fisher and Krecke 8 color printing machine from one site to another, during the move we lost the program on the IM308B profibus configuration program. We have been trying various methods of how to re configure with no results. We even tried the agents BOBST in Germany and they cannot assist us. Our machine has been non productive for the past 3 weeks. Can anybody assist me with this module or configuration program.
DESPERATELY SEEKING HELP

Firstly, you should start a new thread. A kindly moderator may move it.

How have you concluded that the configuration is lost? Configuration for a 308B is normally in Eprom or EEprom.

I would suggest that you seek the help of a local contractor that is able to support S5.

If you have a copy of the configuration then, A) Find someone with an old siemens programmer that can make a new eprom. B) Replace 308B with 308C and reprogram using com profibus. N.B. to make this work you need an active profibus interface and a flash card that has a valid configuration already on it.

If you no not have a copy of the configuration then you need to recreate it and go through the steps above.

Nick