The whole world of surveillance

HMS Networks expands the Anybus product brand with Anybus Diagnostics. This new product line includes solutions for network monitoring and network diagnostics.

Reliable industrial networks are a decisive factor for the operation and efficiency of automation systems. That's why HMS Networks is expanding its Anybus product brand portfolio with the new Anybus Diagnostics product line, which includes products and services to ensure network availability and security.

The cost of unplanned downtime

Unplanned downtime is an expensive problem for industrial manufacturers worldwide, with annual costs estimated at $50 billion and rising[1]. As a result, companies have a vested interest in minimizing these costs through rapid troubleshooting. The most cost-effective approach is to prevent downtime in advance, if possible.  With its new product line, HMS Networks now offers network monitoring and diagnostics solutions to prevent production downtime in the first place.

For Profibus and Industrial Ethernet

The solutions for network diagnostics and monitoring are available for classic fieldbuses such as Profibus as well as for Industrial Ethernet networks. For example, the "Osiris" network diagnostics software, the "Atlas" family for permanent network monitoring, the "Mercury" handheld network diagnostics device, a combination of laptop and tablet for efficient error analysis and troubleshooting, and the "EtherTAP" monitoring interfaces for Ethernet networks and "ComBricks" for Profibus.

Permanent monitoring

With the analysis tools of the new product line, networks can be permanently monitored and analyzed. Problems resulting, for example, from natural wear and tear due to cable breaks or other mechanical stresses, or from defective automation devices, are thus detected at an early stage and countermeasures can be taken quickly.

Segmentation

Network segmentation solutions can divide networks into separate sub-areas to prevent a problem from affecting the entire system. In particular, as contractors expand their legacy fieldbus networks by adding new devices in a daisy-chain topology, there is a risk that without network segmentation, a fault in a single device can cause the entire network to fail. By using multiple tap points, network segmentation not only minimizes the risk of downtime, but also simplifies troubleshooting by allowing problems to be identified and fixed quickly without disrupting the rest of the network.

Network Insights

As networks become more complex, identifying and fixing faults becomes increasingly difficult. SNAP (Synthetic Neurologic Analytic Processor) software is also a solution in the new Anybus product line and is a self-learning tool that helps customers perform independent and automatic analysis and interpretation to identify the most likely cause of a fault.

Continuing education and training

Reliable hardware and software alone are not enough for a healthy industrial network; companies also need skilled professionals. To provide the expertise needed to troubleshoot, HMS Networks offers eLearning and certified training programs that give engineers hands-on experience and enable them to design, install, maintain and troubleshoot industrial networks.

"The big advantage for our customers is that with HMS Networks they have a technology partner on their side that can now serve all aspects of industrial communications - from network planning to operations and maintenance," explains Thilo Döring, managing director of HMS Industrial Networks in Karlsruhe, Germany. "Anybus communication solutions make it possible to integrate machines and automation devices into industrial networks such as Profinet and Profibus. A key focus is on cybersecurity to ensure not only robust and reliable, but also secure communication. With the Anybus Diagnostics product line, we now also have analysis tools in the Anybus portfolio that can be used to permanently monitor and analyze networks."