Profibus cable for moving applications

Transporting data reliably with PROFIBUS cable

PROFIBUS (Process Field Bus) is a widely used fieldbus system in automation technology, which was established in Germany in 1987 by a group of 21 companies and institutes. A distinction is made between PROFIBUS DP (decentralised peripherals) and PROFIBUS PA (process automation). The original version PROFIBUS FMS (Fieldbus Message Specification) is no longer part of the international fieldbus standard, as it was replaced by PROFIBUS DP in 1993.

In the manufacturing industry, PROFIBUS DP is used for fast communication between control systems and sensors and actuators with data rates of up to 12 Mbps. With 43.8 million devices worldwide, PROFIBUS is the most widely used field bus system in the manufacturing and process industry. As ever higher transmission speeds are required in the manufacturing industry, PROFINET, an Industrial Ethernet-based bus system, was introduced as a further development. PROFINET can therefore be seen as the successor to PROFIBUS and will increasingly replace it in the coming years. Switch to PROFINET here now!

Profibus application areas PROFIBUS is primarily used in the manufacturing and process industries. However, there are different areas of application for PROFIBUS cables. The cables are often permanently installed in the machines and systems, so that cables with a solid conductor or a flexible conductor consisting of 7 stranded wires can be selected.

For applications in the energy chain, which is also known colloquially as a drag chain, it is necessary to use PROFIBUS cables with fine stranded conductors. In addition, a cable structure adapted to the movement in the energy chain is necessary to ensure reliable data transmission for years to come. Cables from chainflex® have therefore established themselves especially in systems and machines such as robots, packaging machines, production machines and machine tools.

Cables and cables for PROFIBUS applications from igus® igus® offers a wide range of PROFIBUS cables. A total of 11 different PROFIBUS cable types from 8 different cable families are available for different areas of application. All chainflex® cables have been developed for permanent movement in the energy chain. Depending on the requirements, you can choose between different PVC, PUR and TPE outer sheaths. The different bus cable series offer different performance levels so that the right cable can be selected for every application to achieve the longest possible service life.

All chainflex® cables are subject to the same quality standards. It does not matter whether it is a cost-effective cable of the CF888 family or a cable for the highest demands and smallest bend radius, as is the case with the CFBUS.LB family. For this reason, igus® GmbH also grants a 36-month functional guarantee on all chainflex® cables with a service life of up to 10 million double strokes.

Transmission lengths The issue of the maximum transmission length of bus cables is often underestimated. Caution is generally required here, as the maximum cable length can depend heavily on the type of cable. A cable for fixed installation always has a lower attenuation than flexible cables, which are designed for permanent movements. This means that the transmission length is shorter than that of a fixed installation cable.

Depending on the cable family, chainflex® PROFIBUS cables are mechanically designed for travel distances of up to 400 metres and more, but the data rate of the bus system decreases with increasing cable length. Our experience has shown that a cable length of up to 70 metres between two repeaters is possible with PROFIBUS. However, this length can vary depending on the environmental conditions and application requirements.

sold by the metre or assembled chainflex® PROFIBUS cables can be ordered classically as sold by the metre on drum or cable ring from 1m order length without cutting costs and minimum quantity surcharges. In addition, igus® also offers these cables as pre-assembled readycable®. Every chainflex® PROFIBUS cable can also be ordered as a ready-made cable in the desired length from a quantity of one. You can choose between different cables and connectors in the readycable® online shop. A filter function helps you to select the right type.