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Diagnostics tool shows all of the devices on a network
Published:  08 May, 2017

A Dutch specialist in Profibus and Profinet technologies has developed a diagnostics tool for Industrial Ethernet installations which can display all of the devices on a network and how they are connected, and provide an overview of the network’s health. Procentec says that its Atlas module will help to prevent unexpected and expensive downtime.

The device can visualise networks in two ways: a “galaxy” view, showing the complete network; and a more traditional hierarchical tree view. It provides dynamic, interactive information on each network device, using status icons in accordance with the Namur standard.

The module also uses a weighted algorithm, called the Q-Factor, to give a score for the quality of the network. This is built up from all of the connected devices in the network, but can also report on individual devices. The score can be visualised either as a number from 0–5,000 (in accordance with automotive standards), or as a 0–100% relative display of the quality of the network. Also provided is a three-colour traffic light display, which is less detailed, but allows a simple overview of network status.

Procentec’s Atlas module can help to cut network downtime