Cabinet, cable and network monitoring
Helmholz supplies permanent diagnostics for PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet: devices that stay in the machine and watch the control cabinet, the cable and the network around the clock, so you plan maintenance instead of reacting to downtime.
- Cabinet Guard measures temperature, humidity, air pressure, vibration and door opening, independent of the PLC
- Ethernet Cable Guard reports the condition of trailing cables to robots and other moving parts
- PROFINET TEST TOOL Online monitors up to 250 PROFINET devices in a web browser
- TAP IE 100 gives permanent passive access to 10/100 Mbit/s lines
- Data via MQTT, Modbus TCP or REST, straight into MES, SCADA or the cloud
Go straight to
Control cabinet monitoring
The control cabinet is the heart of the machine, and heat, humidity and vibration determine how long the electronics inside last. The Cabinet Guard records these conditions continuously and raises an alarm as soon as a value moves outside the range you set.
Cabinet Guard
700-210-1AA01. Temperature, humidity, air pressure, vibration, shock and door opening, two external NTC inputs, alarm outputs and SD card logging. Data via MQTT and Modbus TCP.
Cable monitoring for PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT
Cables to robots and other moving machine parts wear with every movement. The Ethernet Cable Guard is looped into the line, learns the cable in a few seconds and reports its condition via LED, digital output, PWM signal or MQTT, so you replace the cable during planned maintenance.
Ethernet Cable Guard
700-200-LAN01. For 100BASE-TX lines at 100 Mbit/s, with an adjustable alarm threshold and only 735 ns added delay. Retrofit into any existing line.
PROFINET monitoring
Intermittent faults rarely show up while someone is watching. PROFINET TEST TOOL Online stays in the network, logs alarms and device losses with a time stamp and shows topology, update times and jitter in a web browser.
PROFINET TEST TOOL Online
4210-0004. Supplied ready to use, with hardware. Up to 250 PROFINET devices per acquisition, connected to the mirror port of a managed switch. Results via MQTT, REST and Node-RED.
Port mirroring
Helmholz managed switches
Every Helmholz managed switch mirrors the traffic of a port to PROFINET TEST TOOL Online and adds network statistics for frames and errors.
Passive access to Ethernet traffic
A test access point built into the cabinet lets you listen in without touching the communication. The line traffic passes through unchanged, and a copy goes to Wireshark or PROFINET TEST TOOL Pro whenever you connect it.
TAP IE 100
700-800-TAP01. Passive TAP for 10/100 Mbit/s with 2 × LINE and 2 × MON RJ45. The line keeps running with or without supply voltage.
Background
What to watch permanently
These are the values that announce a fault long before a machine stops:
- Port errors and link changes – a rising count points to a connector or cable, before devices drop out.
- Update times and jitter – compared with the configured update time; extra traffic on a line shows up here first.
- Network load, multicast and broadcast – per link, so you see which line carries too much traffic.
- Device losses and alarms with a time stamp – placed next to machine events, a loss during every robot movement points to the cable.
- Climate in the cabinet – temperature and humidity against the specifications of the electronics, including condensation after a cold night.
For PROFINET, the acceptance report according to the PI guidelines is the baseline; permanent monitoring shows what changes after commissioning.
Troubleshooting
Cable testers, PROFINET TEST TOOL Pro and netANALYZER
For commissioning, acceptance tests and service calls: connect, test, remove.
MQTT
MQTT broker and PLC to MQTT gateways
The Cabinet Guard, the Ethernet Cable Guard and PROFINET TEST TOOL Online publish via MQTT; the Helmholz MQTT broker collects their data right in the cabinet.
Services
We help you choose the right measuring points and interpret what the monitoring shows. For PROFINET and PROFIBUS networks we also offer a periodical network checkup: we install a network monitor and report on the data every three months.
Before you build
Design review
A check of your network design with neutral advice and a second opinion, according to the PI guidelines.
On site
Troubleshooting on site
Our engineers find the cause with analysers and testers; you receive a report with cause, network status and tips.
Quick question
Advice by phone or online
Technical questions answered by our PI Competence Center specialists, by phone or online.
FAQ
Your question not listed? Ask us directly.
Monitoring or troubleshooting?
Troubleshooting tools are connected when something is wrong and removed afterwards. Permanent diagnostics stays in the machine: the Cabinet Guard, the Ethernet Cable Guard, PROFINET TEST TOOL Online and the TAP IE 100 keep watching around the clock and warn in time, so you replace parts during planned maintenance.
Does the Cabinet Guard need the PLC?
The Cabinet Guard works independently of the PLC. You configure it in its HTTPS web interface, it sends its values via MQTT and Modbus TCP, and two digital outputs (200 mA, 24 V DC) signal an alarm directly. An SD card stores the measurements for long-term logging.
What does the Cabinet Guard measure?
Temperature (-20 to +80 °C, ±2 °C), humidity (0 to 100 % r.H.), air pressure (300 to 1100 hPa) and its own supply voltage, plus vibration, shock and position with a 3-axis accelerometer up to ±16 g. Door opening is detected by an optical distance sensor (up to 100 cm) or a digital input, and two NTC 10 kΩ inputs measure external temperatures from -50 to +350 °C.
Which networks does the Ethernet Cable Guard support?
The Ethernet Cable Guard monitors 100BASE-TX lines at 100 Mbit/s according to IEEE 802.3: 2-pair PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT and standard Ethernet. It adds a delay of 735 ns at 100 Mbit/s.
Can I retrofit the Ethernet Cable Guard?
Yes. You loop it into the existing line, without a new data line or a change to the cable design. A teach-in takes a few seconds, and the housing of 35 × 48.5 × 75.5 mm fits on a standard DIN rail in a decentralised cabinet.
How many devices does PROFINET TEST TOOL Online monitor?
Up to 250 PROFINET devices per acquisition. It shows topology, device details, PROFINET diagnostics, update times and jitter in a web browser, and logs alarms and device losses. It connects to the mirror port of a Helmholz managed switch.
Does the TAP IE 100 influence the network?
The communication on the two LINE ports passes through unchanged, also without supply voltage or monitor cables. Connecting or disconnecting the analyser on the two MON ports has no effect on the line. The TAP IE 100 works at 10 and 100 Mbit/s, the speed PROFINET devices use.
How do I get the data into MES, SCADA or the cloud?
The Cabinet Guard provides MQTT and Modbus TCP, the Ethernet Cable Guard sends its cable status via MQTT V3.1.1 and V5, and PROFINET TEST TOOL Online shares its results via MQTT, REST and Node-RED.
Which monitoring fits your machine?
We gladly look at your machine and network with you.