Quickstart your first COMbricks project

Quickstart your introduction to the new Procentec COMbricks PROFIBUS
network monitor using a Basic COMbricks Kit.

This checks and reports on the status of up to two separate PROFIBUS networks. Your required network event data will be saved to local memory chip if and when the selected events occur. Alert reports may also be emailed over the Ethernet link to highlight significant changes, with up to four destination addresses available. Live and stored network status information can be seen at any time by browser access to the integrated COMbricks web server, using the station IP address.

Separate repeater channels may be connected directly into PROFIBUS cables of each required network, with only minimal loading and no network address or programming needed. The new device will be invisible to the network Masters, much as if you were using ProfiTrace on a convenient piggy-back connector. If you need to mount the COMbricks kit away from the required network, you can easily do this using a Procentec Single Channel B1 PROFIBUS Repeater which will create a safe, full specification, PROFIBUS DP spur to the COMbricks kit. The B1 is also DIN rail mounted, needs 24 volt DC power and includes all required removable screw connectors, for both power and PROFIBUS cables. 

The COMbricks Basic Kit needs about 7 cm of DIN rail space in your PROFIBUS cabinet, access to 24 volt DC power, a little slack in required PROFIBUS cables and scope for patch lead connection onto your site Ethernet LAN. Power and PROFIBUS cable connections are made using supplied screw terminal connectors.

The Basic COMbricks starter kit includes a single Head Station 1B and a 2 Channel PROFIBUS Repeater. The Head Station has an RJ45 connector for Ethernet link, two separate DC power connectors (for redundant supplies, if wanted) and a micro-SD memory card to save set-up details and network status reports. The 2 channel Repeater takes DC power from the adjacent Head Station and has two plug-in screw connectors for each of 2 PROFIBUS segments with terminator switches for each and a front panel 9-pin D-type connector for the lower Channel 1. Various connection and termination options are available for the Channel 1 Repeater. Front panel slide switches determine how these segments are connected to the internal back-plane for automatic monitoring by the Head Station or connection to an additional segment cable.

Once 24 volt power is applied to the COMbricks kit, link your PC computer Ethernet socket with a Cat 5e patch cable to the COMbricks Ethernet port. Cross-over patch lead is not usually needed. Using the (free) Procentec COMbricks Discovery Tool program, click on the left hand search icon, which should soon add a single display line for any COMbricks kit located. Each such line shows the Head Station firmware type (1A, 1B or 1C), device serial number and the MAC and IP addresses and device uptime.

After selecting a required COMbricks report line, the Discovery Tool flash button may be used to trigger brief illumination of all Head Station LEDs - so confirming successful contact with a particular device.

Further icons on the Discovery Tool program toolbar may then be used to launch your web browser to view device status, if necessary first changing the device IP-address using an offered dialogue.

The COMbricks web server page starts at the Status Screen, as in following illustration (here for Type 1C Head Station). Thereafter one can view other menu options and, once your Head Station is connected to at least one live PROFIBUS network, one may open the Live List and Statistics pages for display of live network status information in a very similar style to that shown by ProfiTrace.

Live demonstration of COMbricks web server

and/or for commentry about his demo page, and more recent enhancements, try the following link

Live COMbricks demo Website Enhanced

For further information, see the latest version of the Procentec COMbricks User Manual