Sorting Profibus Nodes
i,
I use the Profitrace Ultra to connect to the Profibus network. It successfully scans and detects the nodes, displaying them in a bar graph by ascending node numbers from left to right. However, I need to manually reorder these nodes to match their physical configuration. Currently, the physical order of my nodes is: 2, 30, 40, 33, 4, 60, 8, but the software displays them as 1, 4, 8, 30, 33, 60 and does not allow for manual reordering.
For accurate diagnostics, it’s crucial that the software reflects the physical order of the nodes. Does anyone know how I can achieve this?
Thanks in advance for your help!
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Hello Amir,
You are unable to manually change the sort order of the device. You can change the sort to be High-low or low-high. While not exact. due to the nature of devices connected to a bus, will group devices together from the same segment and relatively reflect the bus order.
There is also the topology view that can be used on each segment to provide a network layout.
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Hi Dereyck,
Thank you for your response. As you mentioned, the software "relatively" reflects the bus order. Given that the physical bus topology is essential for accurate diagnostics, it would be highly beneficial to have the nodes displayed in their physical order.
Previously, I used the Softing's BC600/BC700, which offered this feature, and it significantly enhanced the diagnostics process. The current version of Profitrace Ultra I am using is 2.9.8, released in 2016 or 2020. Are there any plans to release an update that includes the ability to manually reorder nodes based on their physical configuration, or is the software retired?
Thank you for your assistance.
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Hello Amir,
There is a 2.9.9 release but this only included minor updates for fixes to windows 10.It can be downloaded here. https://www.hms-networks.com/p/37020-anybus-profitrace-toolkit-standard?tab=tab-supportI am not aware of any updated at the moment but I will double check with the Diagnostic team.
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Hi Deryck,
I have downloaded the updated version.
It would be advantageous for the software to include a feature that allows manual listing of nodes. Additionally, I suggest that the development team consider limiting the node numbers (which is now shown all numbers from 0 to 126) in the ScopeWare to only those nodes that are actually present on the bus. Since the bus is scanned prior to ScopeWare activation, the available nodes are already identified. Implementing a search list feature would further enhance usability, enabling users to select the nodes they need directly from the list.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
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Hi Amir,
Actually, we can add, delete or re-order position of node from "Network Manager"
but for bar graph display only have option display base-on address or base-on level measurement
if we delete the node from list, it will disappear from bar graph
if we add manually the node, I think it will not appear any data at bar graph [as long as the device not active or no transaction]
I hope it can help,*Here for re-order or delete node
*Here for add station manually:
just right-click "measurement point"->"add station"->write your parameter at properties
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Hi Djoneddd,
Thank you for clarifying the functionality of the "Network Manager." I understand that we can manually add or remove nodes and reorder them in the list. However, my main concern lies with the bar graph display.
Currently, while changes made in the "Network Manager" affect the node list, they do not influence the order in which nodes are displayed on the bar graph. The ability to reorder nodes directly within the bar graph view, without affecting their actual presence on the bus, would significantly enhance usability.
For example, consider a network where nodes are grouped by function: all 1Xs (11, 12, 13, etc.) are digital I/Os, all 2Xs are safety-related I/Os, and all 3Xs are used for drives. These groups are separated into segments with repeaters, such as 11, 21, 31 in the first segment, 12, 22, 32 in the second segment, and so on. In this scenario, keeping track of node locations and addresses is challenging with the current software version, making the ability to manually reorder nodes based on their physical location both essential and necessary. As I mentioned earlier, your competitor’s software from Softing already offers this feature.
Additionally, if the software were to periodically scan the network, it could reduce the need for manually adding or deleting nodes, further enhancing the software’s functionality and minimizing manual intervention. However, having the option to manually manage nodes would still be a beneficial feature.
Is there any possibility of including these features in future updates?
Thanks again for your assistance.
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