AS-i Interface

ASi bus / AS-Interface

The Actuator-Sensor-Interface, or AS-i for short, is a Fieldbus system found in almost all branches of industries today. It has been used since the early 1990s to integrate inductive, capacitive, and optoelectronic sensors more effectively into automated production processes. AS-Interface simplifies the wiring effort between actuators and sensors enormously and allows for both control commands for field devices and the Fieldbus voltage to be transmitted on the same cable. Data exchange only uses the bit transmission layer according to the ISO / OSI model. Communication takes place according to the master-slave principle, whereby the master polls the slaves cyclically.

An ASi bus can adopt any structure, provided that the corresponding cable lengths have adhered to. All lines laid in the respective segment, including stubs, outlets, and crossings, are included. For larger network structures, the use of repeaters, tuners, or Z-Plugs / ASi plugs is recommended, with a required separate ASi power supply unit in each segment. Depending on their technical design, these special power supplies can take on additional functions such as inrush current limitation, data decoupling, and earth fault monitoring. Sporadic insulation faults can be diagnosed with insulation monitors. These signal errors not only temporarily when they occur, but until they are corrected.

ASi diagnostic tools & monitoring

A mobile measuring device facilitates the quality assessment in the ASi bus, especially if it can be used during operation and outputs the current communication parameters directly at the measuring point. Maintenance staff, therefore, like to use ASi View. With this tool, you can make a quick diagnosis, but you can also carry out an expert analysis based on recorded data. If temporary monitoring is no longer sufficient, the ASi-INspektor® comes into play. Permanently integrated into the network, the diagnostic device records voltage, cycle time, error telegrams, telegram repetitions, and device failures in chronology. Collected data is called up via the web interface or with the help of the PROmanage® NT software to be analyzed. It is especially suitable for the differentiated long-term analysis of communication data or the central monitoring of several networks by centralizing their diagnostic data.

Indu-Sol has put together the handy ASi diagnostic set as a complete solution for troubleshooting and diagnosis. It contains the ASi-INspektor®, ASi View, an ASi insulation monitor, five ASi measuring points, and an ASi plug. This set equips the maintenance staff for the most important tasks.