AS-interface Tutorial

AS-interface
Simple,
Robust,
Device-Level,
Bus

AS-interface Tutorial, Rev 1.0

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AS-interface Tutorial, Rev 1.0

AS-interface Tutorial
Revision 1.0

Table of Contents
TOPIC
1.

PAGE

AS-interface
1.1. v2.0 and v2.1
1.2. v2.0

4
4
4

1.3. v2.1
Version 2.1 Highlights
2.1. Overview of v2.1

5
5
5

3.

2.2. Up to 62 nodes
2.3. Analog
AS-interface in the Modern Industrial Enterprise

5
5
5

4.

3.1. AS-interface for OEMs

3.2. AS-interface for Batch and Continuous Flow Processing
AS-interface Analog Response Times

6
6
7

4.1. Response Time

5.

Mixing Legacy v2.0 and v2.1 Nodes

6.

AS-interface Layout, Power Budget, and Physical Media

6.1. Layout
6.2. Repeaters

10
10
11

6.3. Physical Media

6.4. Power and Grounding
6.5. Auxiliary Power

11
11
14

6.6. Power Budget

Troubleshooting AS-interface
7.1. Open media

15
17
17

7.2. Shorted data lines

7.3. Shorted power lines
7.4. Shorted transceiver or transceiver power regulator

17
17
18

7.5. Open transceiver or transceiver power regulator

7.6. Other transceiver malfunctions
Summary

18
18
18

2.

7.

8.

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1.

AS-interface

AS-i is an acronym for Actuator Sensor Interface. This may be the most high-tech bus of
the traditional industrial networks. A huge amount of work has gone into its design to
make it the simplest bus to use.
The signal is robust, balanced and has parity redundancy, so cabling is simple. One signal
segment can be laid out anyway; star, tree or bus, without drop limitations. The only
requirement is that all the cabling in a signal segment must be equal to 100 meters or less
in total length. In addition there are no terminating resistors.
The traditional AS-i flat cable is still being used for many applications, but today many
users and OEMs are switching to round cable with M12 connectors. The M12 connector is
an international specification defined by the EN50 044 Standard. The M12 is also known
by names such as euro or micro and is extremely rugged. Some manufacturers have
achieved over 40 pounds (18-kg) pullout ratings. It is truly a heavy-duty IP67 connection
with the copper wires of the cable being soldered or crimped to gold-plated brass pins and
sleeves at the factory.
1.1.

v2.0 and v2.1

Bus type
Bus topology
Physical distance on a single signal
segment
Physical distance with 2 repeaters
and master in the center
Transmission signal
Speed
Bus power
Attendance check per scan
Error detection
Error correction

Address setting

1.2.

Master-to-slave, single master

Free form, unrestricted branching
100 meters
500 meters
Alternate Pulse Modulation with Manchester II bit
encoding impressed upon 24VDC bus power carrier
167.5 kbps, 5 msec to read/write 31 v2.0 discrete
nodes, 10 msec to read/write 62 v2.1 discrete nodes
2 amps using the same 2 wires as the data signal
Yes, an attendance list is programmed in the master
and checked each scan.
Yes, single parity bit check and bit repetition.
Yes, master will poll the node again if it doesnt
understand. If the node doesnt understand the master
it wont respond, then the master will poll the node
again after a time-out.
Off line via a hand held programmer or online via the
master. Some masters are capable of automatically
addressing swap-out nodes during replacement.

v2.0

Total number of nodes

31 slaves and 1 master

Input/Output bits

4/4

Analog capability

Yes, but not standardized

Total discrete input/output points per network

124 In/124 Out

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1.3.

v2.1

Total number of nodes

62 slaves and 1 master

Input/Output bits

4/3

Analog capability

Yes, defined

Total discrete input/output points per network

248 In/186 Out

Maximum number of analog points per network

124

2. AS-interface v2.1 Highlights

2.1.

Version 2.1

Version 2.1 makes the worlds most popular actuator-sensor bus more powerful. More
diagnostics, better analog capability and up to 62 field nodes per drop are available
without the complexity of the higher-level buses. AS-interface is a simple master-to-slave
structure. The master controls all time and network traffic. Protocol is embedded in the
hardware. There are no configuration files to maintain.
2.2.

Up to 62 nodes

In v2.0 all nodes are Single Address Slaves. Version 2.1 specifies Single Address
Slaves and A/B Address Slaves. Single address slaves have a maximum of 4 discrete
input bits and 4 discrete output bits. The address range is 1-31, with 0 being reserved for
new incoming slaves. 0 is the default address set by manufacturers when a slave leaves
the factory. The A/B-Slaves are one of the major changes of v2.1. The address ranges
are 1A-31A and 1B-31B. A maximum of 4 discrete input bits and 3 discrete output bits are
available per A or B nodes. The new AS-i masters from Bihl+Wiedemann can be used
with legacy v2.0 single address slaves, v2.1 single address slaves and v2.1 A/B slaves.
2.3.

Analog

Version 2.0 allowed analog I/O, but it was not completely defined. Version 2.1 defines
analog data. The master polls the analog station multiple times and assembles the
fragmented analog data into complete 16 bit values for delivery to PLCs, Industrial PCs or
host buses. Due to AS-is low overhead analog values are updated as quick as most
applications need.

3. AS-interface in the Modern Industrial Enterprise

The two network level structure is becoming the model for many manufacturers that are
trying to tie their ERP systems to the factory or process floor. This is replacing the three
level structure that had an Information Level, a Controller Level and a Device Level.
The Information and Controller Levels are being collapsed into one. In most applications
the Device Level is not changing. Tying the ERP system to production is the motive
behind the change. A truer and more real-time view of production is possible if the ERP
system can get down to the controllers that carry out production. In many industries today

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content data logging, as well as other recorded quality tests, must be documented and
archived for years to guard against frivolous litigation.
There are many technologies behind the two network levels. The most crucial are the
modern Layer 3 Ethernet Switches and the venerable RFC2323 better know as IP
(Internet Protocol). Layer 3 switches combine the features of a router and a Layer 2
managed switch. This allows the building of networks with defined subnets.
[Refer to Appendix A]
Therefore, within an enterprise several subnets can exist being defined by some
functionality, such as sales, purchasing, etc. and various sub-divisions within
manufacturing. IP is the addressing mechanism to get around the subnets.
AS-interface is at the device level along with many other buses such as DeviceNet,
ControlNet, Profibus (DP, PA, FMS), FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Interbus, CANOpen, CC-Link,
Modbus and Modbus Plus.

3.1.

AS-interface for OEMs

As one OEM claims, I make the same machines over and over again, but differently each
time. What he is saying is that each one of his customers has some slight variation.
The enterprise view [Appendix A] shows the versatility of AS-interface. It is supported by
more PLC manufacturers than any other bus. It can be a sub bus off almost any other
bus. It can be a drop off Industrial PCs and there are Ethernet to AS-interface gateways.
In one way or another AS-interface can be integrated into almost all enterprises. OEMs
can create a baseline machine using AS-interface. Version 2.1 provides the power most
OEMs need. The gateway or host is all that changes from customer to customer. The
benefits are exceedingly significant. The physical machine and the device level control
system can be fine-tuned with standard, semi-standard and customized media and I/O.
Semi-standard and customized products are where the biggest cost savings and
differentiation are achieved from one OEM to another.

3.2.

AS-interface for Batch and Continuous Flow Processing

The versatility of AS-interface shown in the enterprise view along with the simplicity of its
embedded protocol are reasons that AS-interface is popular with manufacturers of I/O
devices for batch and continuous flow processing. Most manufacturers of PLCs and DCSs
used in processing have AS-interface card modules that go into their back plane.
Many manufacturers have embedded AS-interface in their discrete products. More analog
v2.1 AS-interface products will come in the future. Some popular AS-interface embedded
products are:

Quarter-turn valves (pneumatic and electrical actuation)

Quarter-turn valve indicators

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Indicating lights and light towers

Sensors (inductive, capacitive, and photoelectric)

Motor control (combination contactor coil and overload device)

The ATO (AS-interface Trade Organization) website, www.as-interface.com, has a very

good product-manufacturer search engine. The search categories as of this writing are:
Accessories

Load Feeders

Addressing and Diagnostics Units

Masters

Analog Modules

Other Actuators

Cables

Other Sensors

Capacitive Sensors

Output Modules

Chips

Photoelectric Sensors

Command, Signaling and Monitoring Units

Pneumatic Actuators

Coupling Modules / Mounting Plates

Pneumatic Modules

Earth Fault Monitoring Systems

Power Supply Units

Electric Actuators

Repeaters

Extenders

Safety at Work Products

Gateways

Services

Hydraulic Actuators

Software

Inductive Sensors

Special Products

Input / Output Modules

Ultrasonic Sensors

Input Modules

Valve Position Indicators

What stands out about AS-interface is the number of products that have AS-i embedded
into the input or output device.

4. AS-interface Analog Response Times

The original AS-interface consortium was composed of mostly discrete I/O manufacturers.
Among them were IFM, TURCK, P&F and FESTO. Analog was not a major priority and
discrete favored decisions were made. With v2.1 analog capabilities are very real, but the
read-write response time of analog is not as hot as discrete only AS-interface nodes.
To illustrate, we will look at a real application: A user installed a v2.0 network about 3
years ago, which is working fine. The network has 24 discrete nodes and is running faster
than the PLC. Two more discrete nodes need to be added, the same as the other 24
nodes, plus 4 channels of analog in and 2 out. The user found the analog I/O nodes he
wants - one 4 channel in and another 2 channel out. The questions are: What will be the
response time for the discrete and the analog? Does the master need to be changed? Is
there a better solution?

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4.1.

Response time

The discrete response time is pretty easy. A network of 31 nodes and 1 master can do a
complete read-write in 5 msec. The actual time per discrete node to use is 0.165 msec.
The proposed network of 28 nodes will be 4.62 msec, but only for the discrete I/O. The 4
channel analog node will actually take a little less than 130 msec.
The analog value is actually sent to the master in fragments requiring 7 scans per analog
channel. Since there are 4 analog channels the node will require 28 scans at 4.62 msec
for a complete read. That is, 28 x 4.62 msec = 139.36 msec.
The 2-channel analog out will be exactly half of that, or 64.68 msec. In reality the analog
out will be updated twice as often as the analog in.
In many applications 140 msec is fast. Compared to process buses and older serial
communications based on RS-232C or D and proprietary RS-485 that measured level or
temperature, this speed is indeed sufficient. However, it is not fast enough for web control
or some of the other motion applications.
One way to improve the speed, although it still may not be fast enough for motion control,
is to break the 4 analog channels in into 2 nodes of 2 channels. This will add another node
for a total of 29, but will improve the analog speed. Following are the calculations:
29 nodes x 0.165 msec = 4.78 msec/scan (read-write response time for all discrete)
7 scans/analog channel x 2 analog channels/node x 4.78 msec/scan = 70.0 msec
response time per node (rounded per scientific notation).
Since the channels are updated sequentially, rather than concurrently, this is also the
response time per analog channel.

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5. Mixing Legacy v2.0 and v2.1 Nodes

20
A

10

11

1
2

13

1
4

15

16A

17A

18A

19A

21A

22A

23A 24A 25A 26A

27A 28A 29A

30A

31A

16B

17B

18B

19B 20B 21B

22B

23B 24B 25B 26B

27B 28B 29B

30B

31B

Figure 1
AS-interface does not require any correlation between the physical location and the logical
address, but for this example we will create a linear bus topology with consecutive
addressing.
There are five types of AS-interface nodes from an addressing standpoint:
Version 2.0 and 2.1 address 0 for incoming nodes
Version 2.0 single slaves address range 1-31 (shown in Figure 1 as addresses 1-7)
Version 2.1 single slaves address range 1-31 (shown in Figure 1 as addresses 8-15)
Version 2.1 A slaves address range 1A-31A (shown in Figure 1 as addresses 16A-31A)
Version 2.1 B slaves address range 1B-31B (shown in Figure 1 as addresses 16B-31B)
Single slaves, either v2.0 or v2.1, and A/B slaves can be mixed as long as the master is
v2.1 compliant.
The v2.1 A/B slaves are subdivided into A and B. Single slave nodes cannot have v2.1
addresses. There cannot be a single slave node address 8 and an 8A or 8B.
It is not necessary to have complementary A and B v2.1 integer addresses. There may
be a 19B, but no 19A.
Figure 1 shows the natural scan sequence and mapping of single and A/B slaves. A v2.1
master will scan all addresses in two cycles, first the A addresses, then the B addresses.

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Since a v2.0 legacy slave technically occupies both A and B addresses for its numeric
address, it will be scanned on both cycles and its scan rate will be twice as fast.
It is not necessary to have either v2.0 or v2.1 single addresses at the beginning as shown
in Figure 1. The addresses of v2.0 nodes can all be at the end or randomly anywhere
from 1-31. The beauty of this is that an existing legacy v2.0 system that has unused
addresses can be easily upgraded and expanded to a v2.1 system without changing the
mapping of the original v2.0 nodes.

6. AS-interface Layout, Power Budget and Physical Media

Since AS-interface is so easy to use, we sometimes forget there are rules. The same
power budget rules derived from Ohms law exist for AS-interface. It is a part of life for
anyone that deals with Electrical or Electronic applications.
The first step in planning any industrial network is to obtain a drawing or make a sketch
showing the I/O. Location of the I/O is the most inflexible parameter of the system.
The next step is sizing. In dense I/O systems, such as we find in the semi-conductor
industry, sizing is a function of the data capacity of the network. You may need two or
more networks to accommodate the I/O and never come close to the physical limits of a
particular bus. On the other hand, in a power plant you may need to use two or more
networks to encompass the geographical I/O and never come close to the data capacity of
the network.
So far in this tutorial we have only looked at the data capacity of AS-interface. Simply put,
that is the number of permitted nodes, the input-output bits per node and analog nodes.
We will now look at the physical limits of AS-interface.

6.1.

Layout

AS-interface is restricted to 100 meters per signal segment. In AS-interface a signal

segment is the distance the sine2 signal wave can travel on an AS-interface specified
cable before the strength of the signal is no longer reliable. The capacitance, inductance
and resistance of the wire decrease the amplitude and distort the shape of the original
signal.
The layout of an AS-interface signal segment is completely free form except for two rules:
1. The total distance of the bus cable cannot exceed 100 meters.
2. The bus cable cannot be laid out with closed loops.
This means that the bus may be a straight line (daisy chain), straight line with drops or a
star. There cannot be any topology rings. AS-interface is not designed to have the signal
go around in a circle.

10

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6.2.

Repeaters

Although the signal degrades in 100 meters, the timing allowed by AS-interface approved
masters allows for two repeaters. Essentially the repeater re-manufactures the signal. The
strength and shape are brought back to the original condition so the signal can travel
another 100 meters. Figure 2 shows two topologies if we take AS-interface to the limits
with repeaters.

Repeater

100
meters

Repeater

100
meters

Repeater

Tee

100
meters
Repeater

100
meters

Repeater

100
meters
100
meters

100
meters
100
meters
Repeater

Figure 2
The topology in the upper diagram would permit a total network length of 300 meters from
the PLC host or any host to the far end.
The lower diagram, with the host anywhere in the center signal segment, allows for 500
meters end-to-end. This layout is still based upon time. If the host and the last station on
the upper leg are communicating, the rules are satisfied because there are only two
repeaters between them and no signal segment is looped or longer than 100 meters.
6.3.

Physical Media

Before talking about the power budget we need to look at the physical media. The power
budget is based upon Ohms Law with current, voltage and resistance being functions of
one another. The physical media specifies the copper cross sectional size of the wire, and
therefore a resistance.
AS-interface is available in both flat cable with IDC (Insulation Displacement Cable)
connectors or round cable with industry standard M12 EN50 044 connectors. [Refer to
Figure 3]

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10
2.5

1.5

4
3.6
6.5

2 x 1.5mm2
2 x 18AWG
2 x 16 AWG

AS-interface Flat Cable

Right figure shown with piercing teeth

4
Male

Female
1+(BN)
AS2

Round AS-interface Cable

Figure 3

3-(BL)
AS-interface

AS-interface wire is specified in international terminology using the cross section of the
wire. It is 1.5mm2. This is equivalent to 18 AWG (American Wire Gauge). Both have a DC
resistance of ~ 4.1 /thousand feet. InterlinkBT offers a 16 AWG cable primarily for the
North American markets. Resistance and distance are the same all over the planet. The
distance may be in different units but there is a conversion constant somewhere. The
problem is not in the physics but the interpretation of the physics.
Most countries, or consortia of countries, have electric usage standards, material
standards for the jacket and conductor insulation and approval standards. A cable
approved in one country may be perfectly suited for the standards of another country, but
unless it has appropriate approvals most electrical inspectors will red-tag it. Codes
require recognized third party approval on most electrical equipment. If the third party
approval agency is not recognized an inspector has very little choice but to disallow it.
Therefore, although it may be a true AS-interface certified cable, it still needs the
appropriate approvals and must be installed in a manner consistent with jurisdictional
codes in the country in which it will be used.
Several European cable suppliers list their cable as suitable for 16 amps. The maximum
allowable ampacity per table 400-5a of the National Electric Code in the U.S. for 2conductor 18 AWG flexible cord is 10 amps. Also, in almost every AS-interface system
there are branches via M12 connectors to sensors or actuators. The maximum ampacity
of the M12 pins is 4 amps. Therefore the entire signal segment must be based upon a 4
amp maximum.

12

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The question then is; What is the value of the 1.5mm2 or 18 AWG or 16AWG when it can
only conduct 4 amps? The real value is in reducing the voltage drop over the entire signal
segment. The larger the cable, the less voltage drop problems will arise.
Before leaving the discussion on media we must consider the mechanical merits of the
two types of cable. The flat cable and the connector that penetrates the insulation are
usually rated IP67. This rating calls for submersion in water of 1-meter depth for 30
minutes measuring the resistance change between conductors. We also typically see an
IP65 rating on the flat cable if the IDC connection is removed. IP65 is a spray test. The
cable jacket is made of rubber or a synthetic rubber blend compound. Once the teeth
have been removed the rubber closes to a large degree.
One problem with the IP test in mirroring real life applications is that the water used can
be quite pure. Pure water is fairly non-conductive. It is not until bases, acids or salts are
dissolved in the water that the water solution becomes conductive. In North America we
use the NEMA 4X test to come closer to real life. NEMA 4X is a water-salt solution spray
test. Although this test simulates real life better, it still does not take into account
temperature changes.
At InterlinkBT we have an unofficial in-house dishwasher test. It is the closest thing we
have found to simulate real life in many food applications. We set the wash on hot, the
rinse on cold, and use bases and or salts as the wash soap. The surging spray and
splashing in the dishwasher causes anything flexible to wiggle and after 8 hours, if the
water solution can defeat seals and gaskets, it will.
The typical flat IP67 connection will probably not survive an hour in the dishwasher before
the resistance drops to an unacceptable level. The problem is in the geometry of the
cable. Flat things and round things can be sealed effectively just think about all the
gaskets and seals in an automobile. However, the AS-interface flat cable just has too
many angles. If effective compression is made on one surface there is a tendency for
adjacent surfaces to buckle, allowing a path for the water solutions to enter.
The M12 connector should be considered in demanding applications, such as food
processing. If this is not an option, or if the flat cable has already been installed and is
causing a problem, a possible fix is using a nonconductive food grade silicon caulk
sealant.

Food grade
non conductive
silicon caulk

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6.4.

Power and Grounding

Both data and power are supplied on the two-wire cable. The DC power carries the ASinterface signal. The AS-interface signal and the voltage regulating circuitry of the power
supply do not get along and must be separated. The theory of filtering designated
frequencies is as old as radio, but there is still some art in the sizing and layout of the
components. Filtering is also called decoupling. [Refer to Figure 4]

Primary
Power
Terminals

Power
Supply

L
R
L

AS-interface +
AS-interface -

R=39, L=50H

C= is not specified but

must be coordinated with
the power supply design.

Optional Shield

Figure 4

Different than most industrial buses, the AS-interface negative (-) cannot be grounded.
This is because the 2 wires carry both the power and the signal. Grounding the signal
lines would result in poor communication, if not completely lost communication.
Typical AS-interface media is not shielded. If an application does arise where shielding is
required then the shield would be grounded in only one place, as shown in Figure 4.
AS-interface power supplies with integrated signal decoupling are available from 2 to 8
amps. Many gateways also come with the decoupling circuitry so that standard 24VDC
power supplies can be used.
The original AS-interface power supply provided voltages in the 30VDC range. The actual
specification was 29.5 to 31.6 volts DC. The reason for being higher than the industry
standard nominal 24VDC was to compensate for the voltage drop on the line as well as
the drop through the AS-interface IC chip. The goal was to be able to supply the end
device with 24VDC (+10%/-15%).
The original intentions were good, but none of the other industrial buses went this route.
They all stayed with 24VDC nominal power sources. Although the voltage drop through
the AS-interface IC can be as high as 3 volts, nodes on other buses also have 1-2 volt
drops through protective devices.
One of the more economical ways to use AS-interface is to use 16 AWG cable, a standard
24VDC power supply and a master with a built-in decoupler. The 16 AWG cable handles
the voltage drop better and standard 24VDC power supplies are price competitive.
6.5.

Auxiliary Power

Most bus systems today have auxiliary power for outputs. Often outputs need to be
killed, as in the case of machine stop or emergency stops. The most reliable way to do

14

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this is to disconnect the output power completely. Another advantage of separating the
output power is isolating the line noise caused by inductive devices, such as solenoids
and contactors, from the bus power.
10
4

2.5 1.5
3.6
6.5
2

2 x 1.5mm
2 x 18AWG
2 x 16AWG

AS-interface Auxiliary Power Flat Cable

Right figure shown with piercing teeth
4 (N.C.)
Male M12

Female M12
1 + Aux.
Power
2 (N.C.)

Round AS-interface Auxiliary Power Cable

3 - Aux.
Power

Figure 5

The same cabling solution for bus power has been adapted for auxiliary power, except the
jacket is black. [Refer to Figure 5] The pinning convention is the same for the round M12
connection. A second solution is also available which consists of a four-wire round cable
with auxiliary power and data in the same cable. Standard pinning for the AS-interface
round cable is used, and unconnected pins are used for the auxiliary power connection.
6.6.

Power Budget

This topic could also be titled Voltage Drop. Arriving at the current requirements is
straightforward. It is simply an addition of the connected loads.
The best way to calculate the voltage is a Nodal Analysis. This type of analysis involves
summing the current at each slave. This could include connected loads such as sensors
and the internal load of the node itself. Then sum the currents from the slaves at up
stream junctions and tees. [Refer to Figure 6]
Next the resistance between the slaves and junction points and other junction points must
be found. Resistance for the cable is usually given per 1000 ft or 1000 meters. The
resistance for the segment is found by multiplying the distance times the resistance per
1000 units. [Refer to Figure 6]

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Ohms Law is then used to find the voltage drop of the segments. Starting at the power
source and point of entry to the network, the voltage drop through all junctions and
through to the slave is computed. [Refer to Figure 7]

Current Summation, Distance & Resistance

24VDC
Cable resistance = 1.35 /1000 meters
= 0.00135 / meter
20 m - 0.027

10 m - 0.014
Tee
170mA + 60mA =
230 mA

4 Sensors
Total load
+ Internal load
130 mA

20 m - 0.027
Tee
130mA + 40mA =
170 mA
20 m - 0.027

Valve
Position
Indicator
load
40 mA

Open
Closed

30 m - 0.041

Operator
Station
Pushbutton
and Pilot
Lights
60ma

Figure 6

Segment Voltage Drops, Voltage Drop Summations

24VDC
Voltage drop = current X resistance (E=IR)
Voltage drop = 0.006V
Voltage drop = 0.004V

Voltage drop = 0.002V

Tee
230 mA

Tee
170 mA

23.988V

Voltage drop = 0.001V

Open

23.991V

Voltage drop = 0.002V

23.992V

Figure 7

16

4 Sensors
Total load
+ Internal load
130 mA

Closed

Valve
Position
Indicator
load
40 mA

Operator
Station
Pushbutton
and Pilot
Lights
60ma

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AS-interface Tutorial, Rev 1.0

Assuming a 24VDC source, the voltages at the slaves in Figure 7 are 23.988, 23.991 and
23.992 top to bottom respectively. Even with a 3-volt drop across the AS-interface
chip we still have over 20 volts for any connected device.
For most systems it is not necessary to go through the Nodal Analysis, but with a fully
loaded 62-node v2.1 system it is possible to run out of power. When the voltage drop is
too great for the connected devices either the network must be broken down into two
signal segments connected by a repeater, the voltage at the power supply must be
increased (but not above 31.6V), or the wire size of the cable must be increased.

7. Troubleshooting AS-interface
You sometimes hear that AS-interface is difficult to troubleshoot. The reality is that it is,
isnt and might be. It really depends on the problem and to which bus AS-interface is
being compared.
7.1.

Open media

AS-interface is one of the easiest buses to troubleshoot if the media is open. Nodes
before the open will report while nodes after the open will not. This is not the case with
physical ring buses (unless the ring bus has undamaged redundant media) or if the nodes
after the open are smart enough to start an error message following a time-out.
AS-interface is also better than buses that use terminating resistors. Without one end
being terminated, as in the case of an open, communication is not assured with nodes upsteam of the open. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes not.
7.2.

Shorted data lines

Since AS-interface has data and power on the same wire pair, when they are shorted the
entire segment goes down. One way to troubleshoot this problem with AS-interface, or
any other bus that uses copper media for that matter, is to go about half way down the
segment and open the media. If the up-stream side comes to life, then the short is down
stream, if not, it is up-stream. To put it simply, divide and conquer.
Short circuits can be more of a problem with AS-interface than other networks because of
the IDC cable. Once you open the flat cable media you need to repair it. This is one of the
reasons many people are going to the M12 connectorized solution.
7.3.

Shorted power lines

Troubleshooting shorted power for AS-interface is the same as troubleshooting for shorted
data because power and data are on the same pair.
This is almost identical to CANbus based networks because the power pair provides the
current and voltage to the transceivers. Once power is down, the network is also down.
Again, divide and conquer is the most common method to locate the short.

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17

AS-interface Tutorial, Rev 1.0

Shorted power is usually easier to handle on ProfibusDP because the power for the nodes
is usually from a separate source. If the power does get shorted, groups of nodes go
down. Today we are seeing some ProfibusDP networks being run with a power pair and a
data pair in the same cable, similar to the CANbus networks.
7.4.

Shorted transceiver or shorted transceiver power regulator

This is basically the same as a shorted data pair. The transceiver is actually integrated
into the AS-interface chip.
7.5.

Open transceiver or open transceiver power regulator

This is fairly easy to troubleshoot because the rest of the network will be live and only the
node with the open electronics will fail to report when polled.
7.6.

Other transceiver malfunctions

The specific varieties of transceiver transmission malfunctions are nearly endless, but it
does come down two troubleshooting scenarios:

The transceiver sticks On and brings down communications for the whole segment.
We can sometimes get help from the communication LEDs on a node and sometimes
not. Another divide and conquer scenario.

The transceiver trash talks. This is not a very scientific term but is very descriptive. It
can be a bad oscillator resulting in bad timing or something else, but in some way it is
talking a foreign language in a room where no one else understands. When this
happens, the node is not understood by the master and, therefore, absent.

8. Summary
AS-interface does not have the glory of Ethernet or the sophistication of DeviceNet, or the
speed of ProfibusDP, but it gets the job done for many applications and for less money.
AS-interface is supported by most PLC manufacturers and DCS manufactures, and there
is a card available for virtually every PC. It may not be every plants primary industrial
network but should be at least considered as a first alternate.

18

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DeviceNet
ProfibusDP

Unmanaged
Ethernet
Switch

Process/
Control/
Automation/
Engineering

PLC Control
Profibus, DeviceNet,
CANOpen, Modbus,
Modbus Plus, Interbus,
Foundation Fieldbus
AS-interface

AS-i

ProfibusPA

Manufacturing/Process Work

Ethernet

Ethern

Bar
Code
Reader

Backbone switch

Ethernet
OPC
Control Client-Server
PLC
Manual
Assembly
Host
Cell

Industrial Enterprise Model

System ERP connectivity
Manufacturing subnets
OPC DX Server for:
Cell level reporting
WIP (Work In Process)
monitoring
Materials management
reporting

Leve

Camera

OPC
OPC
Severs
Severs
ID, Quantity, ID,Quantity,
Condition
Condition
e.g.
e.g.
weigh scale level, count

Printer

Scal
e

Switch

Layer 3

To
Office,
Shipping
&

Gateway

Industrial PC Control
Profibus,DeviceNet,
CANOpen,Modbus,
Modbus Plus,Interbus,
Foundation Fieldbus

Connectorize
Wiring

Exposed
IP 67

Enclosed
Cabinet
Wiring

Connectorize
Wiring

Manufacturing/Process Work

Manufacturing
Subnets

IT Administrator

Servers Farm or
SAN (Server Area

Enterprise Router
or Internet Router

Appendix A

AS-interface Tutorial

In the Americas
InterlinkBT, LLC
3000 Campus Drive
Plymouth, Minnesota 55441, USA
Phone: (01) (763) 694-2300
Fax: (01) (763) 694-2399
Engineering Support: 1-888-546-5880
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.interlinkbt.com

Outside the Americas

HANS TURCK GmbH & CO. KG
Witzlebenstrasse 7
45472 Muelheim an der Ruhr
Federal Republic of Germany
Phone: (+49) 208-49 52-0
Fax: (+49) 208-49 52-2 64
URL: www.turck.com

B9042, Rev 1.0, June 2002

2002 by InterlinkBT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Printed in U.S.A.