The PROFIBUS Competence Centre at MMU has introduced new PROFIBUS instrument hire service.  The first instrument on offer will be the ProfiTrace protocol analyser, used for fault-finding, monitoring, and health-checking of PROFIBUS DP and PA networks. While typically used for trouble-shooting PROFIBUS systems , the ProfiTrace is also commonly used for periodic health-checking on PROFIBUS systems or to verify that a new PROFIBUS installation  is correctly completed and to generate a report as a benchmark of the installation status.

For such applications it is often difficult to justify the permanent ownership of an instrument and it is for just this kind of situation the service has been introduced. MMU's hire service will also prove useful for companies wishing to evaluate an instrument before purchase or where there is an emergency that just cannot wait for the normal capital purchase procedure to lumber into action.

The service includes supply of the latest package of ProfiTrace Ultra hardware and software and a detailed booklet demonstrating how to trouble-shoot on a PROFIBUS system showing many examples of common faults to help identify specific problems. Email and telephone support is also offered during the hiring period.

Even with the documentation and support on offer, due to the sophisticated nature of the ProfiTrace protocol analyser, technicians really do need to know how to use it properly. For this reason MMU insist that intending hirers should themselves have attended either the Certified PROFIBUS Commissioning and Maintenance Course or The Certified PROFIBUS Engineer Course, or that companies use a sub-contractor that holds the appropriate certificates.

As use of the service grows, MMU intends to add more instruments to the list of equipment for hire, the main stipulation for which is that the products on offer are sold and supported in the UK by Vendor or Senior member companies of The PROFIBUS Group.

Details of how to hire a ProfiTrace unit