Does anyone have drivers for the SST-PBMS-PCI-5136 Profibus Card?

[Bryan]

I've been trying to view/control the online status and configuration of a SST PBMS-5136 multislave profibus card using the "pbmman32.dll" and (decent)documentation provided by SST (Woodhead) with minimal success.

The only function that I've been able to get to successfully execute is "PBM_Version", which returns the DLL version. Any other function, even the simplest ones return "FALSE" (error) when I try to run them.

The other route I've tried with this card is via ActiveX. I've had better luck this way. I've been able to open a connection to the card, view it's online status and set it offline, but when it comes to configuring the card and setting it online, that's where it gets flaky. The card never configures the way I want it to.

I've tried feeding the configuration method the .bss and .pbc file contents, filenames and file paths and if it can't configure the card, it won't set it online. In the rare occasion that it does configure the card, it doesn't configure the card properly.

I've even manually configured the card with their config software, used ActiveX to "getConfig", then "put" that same data back on the card and put it online and it still doesn't match the .pbc file configuration.

None of the documentation I have for this card documents control via ActiveX, although their website claims compatibilty with it and LabVIEW.

I'm at a loss now. I've contacted SST and am currently waiting for a response. Our experience is that they haven't been very timely in returning correspondence so I've been scouring the net trying to find examples/drivers involving successful interface with these cards, but surprisingly have found very little information. Actually, I haven't found a thing that helps in any way.

Can anyone help?

[Bryan]

UPDATE:

After a few emails with SST, I got something working. Turns out that I was loading the wrong driver with the DLL, but the DLL isn't specified in any of the documentation. SST had to actually provide an example showing me which DLL to access. There's no way to have known otherwise, except with a good guess. That and the DLL is named appropriatetly: SSPBM32.dll None of the PBMMAN32.dll functions will work without that driver dll loaded.

[paljacob]

Could you share an example? And did you make a communication library?

Edited March 5, 2010 by paljacob

[zobert]

Are you using PBMS to simulate Profibus Network? Need to make sure check simulate box in configuration tool for each slave. Also need to set slot number when configuring Analog modules.

Been using (via OPC) to simulate slaves for my PFB master cards and LabVIEW. Have developed DLL wrapper VI's (will locate and ZIP) for "GetRXData" from PFB cards which would be similar for "Set" and PBMS card. Easiest thou is via OPC.

Also, card name needs to match (CASE SENSITIVE) what is in device manager. i.e. "Card" does not equal "CARD"