ABB FPBA-01 PROFIBUS DP Adapter Module for ABB Drives

Overview

The ABB FPBA-01 is a PROFIBUS DP adapter module, an optional plug-in device that connects an ABB drive to a PROFIBUS network. The drive then acts as a slave and a PLC or DCS master can start and stop it, send speed or torque references, feed process values to its PID controller, read status and actual values, change parameters and reset faults. ABB lists the module as compatible with the ACSM1, ACS355, ACS380, ACS480, ACS580, ACH580, ACQ580, ACS850, ACQ810, ACS880 and ACS880-M04 drives, among others, and with all masters that support PROFIBUS DP-V0 and DP-V1.

Many plants in the region still run PROFIBUS as their control network, so this card is a frequently requested option when drives are added or replaced. Seven Star LLC supplies the ABB FPBA-01 to oil and gas operators, water utilities, power plants and system integrators in the Sultanate of Oman and across the GCC, with engineering support in Muscat to confirm drive compatibility and configuration before delivery.

Operating Principle of the ABB FPBA-01

PROFIBUS is an open serial standard specified in IEC 61158 that runs over a shielded twisted pair to RS-485. In PROFIBUS DP the master, usually a PLC, polls each slave in turn and the slave answers with its data. The ABB FPBA-01 handles this cyclic exchange for the drive and also supports the acyclic DP-V1 services used to read and write parameters. Communication with the drive follows the PROFIdrive profile defined by PROFIBUS for adjustable speed drives, and the ABB user manual also describes the ABB Drives profile and transparent modes, with PPO types and standard telegrams for the cyclic data.

The adapter detects the bus transfer rate automatically, up to 12 Mbit/s, so no baud rate switch has to be set. Up to 32 nodes fit on one segment without repeaters, and with repeaters the network can reach 126 nodes including the master. Maximum cable length depends on the transfer rate: 1200 m at 93.75 kbit/s, 1000 m at 187.5 kbit/s, 400 m at 500 kbit/s, 200 m at 1.5 Mbit/s and 100 m from 3 to 12 Mbit/s for Line A cable. Each station is identified to the master through a GSD device description file, which ABB provides for the module.

Engineering Design of the ABB FPBA-01

Physically, the adapter is a compact module that clips into an option slot on the drive control unit. Plastic pins and a lock hold it in place, and a single screw, tightened with a Torx TX10 driver, fixes it and bonds the cable shield to the drive frame. Signal and power reach the drive through a 20-pin connector (X2), and the bus is connected through a 9-pin D-SUB socket (X1). ABB recommends a PROFIBUS-approved D-SUB connector, because the module has no built-in termination; the connectors at each end of the trunk provide it, using the isolated 5 V supply on pins 5 and 6.

The module is powered by the drive at 3.3 V, draws at most 450 mA, has a coated circuit board, IP20 protection when installed and an EMC rating to EN 61800-3. The bus interface is functionally isolated from the drive. Three bicolour LEDs, labelled HOST, MODULE and NETWORK, show the state of the link to the drive, the module itself and the PROFIBUS connection, which shortens fault finding during commissioning.

Key Features of the ABB FPBA-01

The ABB user manual (3AFE68573271) documents these characteristics of the ABB FPBA-01.

• PROFIBUS DP slave interface supporting DP-V0 cyclic and DP-V1 acyclic communication.
• PROFIdrive and ABB Drives communication profiles, plus transparent modes, with PPO types and standard telegrams.
• Automatic transfer rate detection up to 12 Mbit/s.
• Control of start, stop and run enable, speed or torque reference, PID references and fault reset over the bus.
• Reading and writing of drive parameters from the master.
• Standard 9-pin D-SUB bus connector with isolated 5 V supply for termination circuitry.
• Three bicolour diagnostic LEDs for host, module and network status.
• Compatibility across many ABB drive families, from the ACS355 machinery drive to the ACS880 industrial drive.

Industrial Applications

In Oman the ABB FPBA-01 is typically specified where variable speed drives must report to a PROFIBUS-based control system: crude transfer and water injection pumps at oil fields, compressors and fans in gas plants, pumping stations in water and wastewater networks, and cooling water pumps at power and desalination plants. Typical host drives on our site include the ABB ACS580 general purpose drive and the ABB ACS355 micro drive.

Plants in Sohar, Duqm and Salalah that extend an existing PROFIBUS network can add new ABB drives without changing the master architecture, and maintenance teams can keep one adapter type in stock across several drive families. Seven Star LLC supplies the ABB FPBA-01 with engineering support in Muscat, and can quote related automation such as the ABB AC500 PLC when a new control panel is planned.

Technical Specifications

The data for the ABB FPBA-01 below is taken from the ABB FPBA-01 user manual, revision H.

How to Order

To order the ABB FPBA-01, send Seven Star LLC the drive type and firmware, the PROFIBUS master in use and the quantity. Our team in Muscat will confirm compatibility, stock and lead time for Oman and the GCC, and the ABB user manual is available to download on this page.