Description
Product Introduction
The SST 5136-PFB-PCI (manufactured by Molex / Woodhead under the SST brand) is a high-speed PROFIBUS DP/FMS interface card engineered for PCI-based industrial PCs and soft-PLC systems. Control system programmers and OEM machine builders use this module to bridge PC software applications—such as Wonderware, Siemens WinCC, or custom C++ routines—directly to PROFIBUS field devices.
Unlike basic serial cards that bog down the computer’s central processor, the 5136-PFB-PCI features a high-performance onboard RISC processor. It executes all PROFIBUS DP protocol timing and cyclic I/O polling directly on the card, ensuring deterministic network performance even when running at the full 12 Mbps PROFIBUS speed limit.
Key Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
| Manufacturer | SST / Molex / Woodhead |
| Part Number | 5136-PFB-PCI |
| Bus Interface | PCI Universal (3.3V / 5V signaling), 32-bit |
| Network Protocol | PROFIBUS DP-V0/DP-V1 Master (Class 1 & 2), Slave, and FMS |
| Baud Rates | 9.6 Kbps to 12 Mbps (Auto-detecting / Software configurable) |
| Connector Type | Standard DB9 Female (RS-485 PROFIBUS pinout) |
| Onboard Memory | 512 KB High-Speed Shared RAM |
| Isolation | 500V Galvanic isolation between PCI bus and PROFIBUS network |
| Interrupts | Plug-and-Play (PnP) IRQ and Base Memory Mapping |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to +60°C |
Application Scenarios & The “Trench” Experience
A automotive stamping facility faced an emergency shutdown when an aging industrial PC running a vision inspection system suffered a blown PROFIBUS interface card. The PC lost communication with three Siemens ET 200S distributed I/O racks, grinding the press line to a halt. The OEM quoted a 6-week lead time for a replacement interface. Technicians sourced a pre-tested SST 5136-PFB-PCI card, dropped it into the spare PCI slot, loaded the saved .GSD node layout via SST Console, and had the press stamping parts again before the morning shift ended.
- Automotive Stamping & Assembly – Robotic Cell Supervisory Control – Serves as a PROFIBUS DP Class 1 Master connecting PC soft-logic to field valves, drives, and welding controllers.
- Water & Wastewater Treatment – Distributed Pump Station HMI – Interfaces SCADA software to distributed flowmeters and motor control centers across long RS-485 runs.
- Packaging & Material Handling – High-Speed Sorting Machines – Executes real-time cyclic polling of distributed sensors and conveyor drives at 12 Mbps.
5136-PFB-PCI
5136-PFB-PCI
Transparency SOP: Quality Assurance & Testing
We don’t just ship boxes; we test them on actual PCI test rigs. Every 5136-PFB-PCI module undergoes a strict 5-step bench validation before entering our inventory:
- Inbound Physical Inspection: Complete check for gold-finger edge contact wear, trace scratches, DB9 connector bent pins, and original OEM serial labels.
- PCI Bus Verification: Slotted into a powered motherboard to verify Plug-and-Play BIOS detection, vendor ID/device ID registration, and stable driver handshakes.
- Live Loop Communication Test: Connected to a live PROFIBUS test loop containing Siemens ET 200 drops and variable frequency drives running at 12 Mbps.
- Data Throughput & Stress Run: Flooded with continuous cyclic read/write requests for 4 hours to verify zero token-drop errors or onboard RAM corruption under thermal load.
- Anti-Static Packaging: Cleared cards are sealed inside ESD shielding bags with fresh desiccant prior to custom foam boxing.
The Veteran’s Tech Trap Guide (Crucial Value-Add)
- ⚠️ 12 Mbps Cable Termination: At 12 Mbps, PROFIBUS is notoriously sensitive to cable physical properties. Always use certified PROFIBUS connectors with built-in terminating resistors switched ON at both physical ends of the segment. To be honest, engineers spend hours troubleshooting “card hardware failures” that turn out to be nothing more than a loose shield ground or a missing terminator switch.
- ❗ 64-Bit OS Driver Compatibility: The 5136-PFB-PCI is a legacy PCI board. Official SST drivers were written primarily for 32-bit Windows operating systems (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Windows 7 32-bit). If you are dropping this card into a modern 64-bit Windows 10/11 environment, you will need specialized third-party wrapper drivers or software platforms like Softing/SST legacy translation suites.
- ⚠️ Station Address (Node) Conflicts: Unlike some protocols that auto-assign addresses, the PROFIBUS station address must be configured in the software or configuration file before joining the bus. Assigning a duplicate node address to the 5136-PFB-PCI card will immediately disrupt the bus token ring and drop existing nodes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can this card function as both a PROFIBUS Master and a PROFIBUS Slave?
A: Yes. The onboard firmware natively supports DP Master Class 1 (for controlling I/O), DP Master Class 2 (for diagnostics and programming), and DP Slave modes, allowing the PC to act as a slave device to an upstream PLC like a Siemens S7-300 or S7-1500.
Q: What is the difference between the 5136-PFB-PCI and the 5136-PFB-PCISA?
A: The main difference is the motherboard expansion slot type. The 5136-PFB-PCI uses a modern 32-bit PCI edge connector, whereas the older 5136-PFB-PCISA uses the legacy 16-bit ISA bus architecture found in legacy 1990s industrial PCs.
Q: Do I need a external 24V power supply to run the 5136-PFB-PCI?
A: No. The card draws all required operating power directly from the PCI motherboard bus slots (5V DC / 3.3V DC). No external power wiring is necessary.
Q: What warranty comes with these pre-owned / surplus SST cards?
A: Every SST 5136-PFB-PCI card shipped includes a full 12-month operational replacement warranty. If the board fails field startup or experiences hardware bus errors within one year, we replace it or refund your purchase immediately.
Q: Are these genuine SST / Molex manufactured boards?
A: Yes. All inventory consists of authentic OEM boards sourced from plant retrofits, canceled automation projects, and verified spare parts liquidations.
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