A PROFINET network rarely goes down in one go. Faults usually start small: a station that drops out now and then, a badly crimped connector, a cable too close to a frequency drive. Below you’ll find the tools we use ourselves to find those faults, and to catch them early with permanent monitoring.
Which tool do I need?
| Your situation | Tool | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Check new or repaired cabling before devices are connected | VDV II PRO | Handheld tester |
| Prove that a link runs at Gigabit Ethernet, with a test report | SignalTEK CT | Handheld tester |
| Devices drop out or won’t start up | PROFINET TEST TOOL Pro | Software, active |
| Timing problems or a full capture of the traffic | netANALYZER | Capture hardware |
| Cables to robots or other moving machine parts | Ethernet Cable Guard | Permanent, in the cabinet |
| Intermittent faults you never see while you’re there | PROFINET TEST TOOL Online | Permanent, software |
| Listen in on a line without influencing it | TAP IE 100 or ProfiShark 100M | Passive access point |
Finding a fault
Connect, test, remove. For commissioning, acceptance tests and troubleshooting. Start with the cabling: a large part of all PROFINET faults turns out to be physical.
Handheld tester
VDV II PRO
Wiremap, cable length and tracing. Shows breaks, shorts and swapped pairs at a glance.
Handheld tester
SignalTEK CT
Proves that a link runs at Gigabit Ethernet and creates a PDF test report.
Software, active
PROFINET TEST TOOL Pro
Scans the network and shows topology, device names, addresses and the diagnostics of every device.
Capture hardware
netANALYZER
Records network traffic with exact timestamps, for timing problems and detailed analysis in Wireshark.
Preventing downtime
Stays in the network and keeps an eye on it, also at night and over the weekend. For cables that wear out and faults that only show up now and then.
Permanent
Ethernet Cable Guard
Monitors cables to moving machine parts, so you can replace them during planned maintenance.
Permanent, software
PROFINET TEST TOOL Online
Monitors your PROFINET network continuously and sends a notification when something changes.
Passive access point
TAP IE 100
Passes a copy of the traffic on 10/100 Mbit/s lines to your analysis tool. For permanent installation.
Passive access point
ProfiShark 100M
Portable TAP that captures directly to your laptop over USB. Handy for a quick capture on site.
Active or passive?
Active – the tool communicates with the devices itself: it reads diagnostics, checks topology and names. What you want during commissioning and when you’re looking for a specific fault.
Passive – the tool only listens, through a TAP, and sends nothing into the network. What you want for long-term monitoring and for faults that never show up while someone is watching.
Help on site
Not sure which tool fits, or would you rather have an engineer look at the network with you? We carry out PROFINET acceptance tests, network audits and troubleshooting on site. Want to do it yourself? Join our PROFINET troubleshooting and commissioning workshop.