BRADCOMMUNICATIONS PCU-DP2IO (DP2-PCU) PROFIBUS‑DP Communication Acquisition Card
Product Overview
PCU-DP2IO belongs to Molex Brad Communications applicomIO Direct-Link series universal PCI bus PROFIBUS‑DP industrial network interface acquisition card. It is an intelligent fieldbus board designed for industrial PC, SCADA, HMI and host computer data acquisition & control scenarios. Equipped with an on-board independent processor, it realizes high-speed process data acquisition, bidirectional communication and bus management between PC and PROFIBUS‑DP fieldbus devices.
PCU-DP2IO is a universal PCI (3.3V/5V compatible, PCI-X supported) specification PROFIBUS‑DP intelligent communication acquisition card. It adopts Freescale PowerPC on-board independent processor + Siemens ASPC2 PROFIBUS dedicated ASIC chip, and can operate as DP master station and DP slave station simultaneously, with a maximum bus rate of 12 Mbps. The board has independent computing power. PROFIBUS protocol stack, bus polling and data preprocessing are all completed by the on-board processor, which greatly reduces the host CPU load. It is very suitable for industrial host computer to collect process data of DP slave stations (sensors, remote IO, drives) in real time, and can also issue control commands as DP master station. The board is additionally equipped with an Ethernet port for remote configuration and online diagnosis, and comes with watchdog output to improve the safety redundancy of industrial systems.
Core Features
- Dual-mode PROFIBUS‑DP communication: DP master station and DP slave station can work at the same time, supporting PROFIBUS DP-V0, bus rate ranges from 9.6 kbps ~ 12 Mbps.
- On-board independent processor architecture: Freescale PowerPC, 64MB memory +16MB Flash; built-in 32KB dual-port RAM (DPRAM), hardware plug-and-play, efficient and stable data exchange between host and board without occupying host computing resources.
- Remote diagnosis & configuration Ethernet port: Independent Ethernet port, no need to rely on PROFIBUS bus, remotely access the board, modify bus parameters, capture bus messages and perform fault diagnosis.
- Isolated digital I/O safety interface
1 channel opto-isolated digital input: DC 10~24V, for external status signal access
1 channel passive contact watchdog output: 24VDC, 0.25A, triggered when communication is abnormal, which can link safety loop and emergency stop alarm. - Bus & host interface: Universal PCI bus (3.3V/5V dual voltage compatible, PCI-X compatible); PROFIBUS bus adopts standard 9-pin D-Sub connector.
- Power consumption & dimension: Max power consumption 5.5W; dimension 168mm × 107mm.
- Compliance certification: CE, RoHS, meeting industrial EMC electromagnetic compatibility requirements.
Supporting Software & Development Interface
- The official provides a complete toolchain to support host computer rapid development of data acquisition programs.
- Bus configuration software: GSD file import, station configuration, bus parameter setting, bus status monitoring, message diagnosis.
- Data service: DAServer, OPC DA server, DDE service.
- Development API: Dynamic link library DLL, ActiveX control, supporting C/C++, C#, VB and other programming languages. Users can independently develop host computer data acquisition and monitoring software.
Application Scenarios
- SCADA/HMI host computer: Real-time data acquisition and monitoring of PROFIBUS DP field devices.
- Industrial PC measurement & control system: Data acquisition and control of DP bus equipment in machine tools, packaging, metallurgy, hydropower, wind power and other production lines.
- Test bench & simulation system: PROFIBUS DP master-slave simulation, bus equipment commissioning and protocol test.
- MES system connection: Collect and upload on-site process data to factory information platform.
Technical Specifications
| Item | Parameter |
| Product Model | PCU-DP2IO (DP2-PCU) |
| Bus Type | PROFIBUS‑DP |
| Host Bus | Universal PCI (3.3V/5V, PCI-X compatible) |
| On-board Processor | Freescale PowerPC |
| PROFIBUS ASIC | Siemens ASPC2 |
| Memory / Flash | 64MB / 16MB |
| DPRAM | 32KB, hardware plug-and-play |
| Communication Rate | Max 12 Mbps |
| Operation Mode | DP master station, DP slave station, can run simultaneously |
| Digital Input | 1 channel opto-isolated DC10~24V |
| Watchdog Output | Passive contact, 24VDC, 0.25A |
| Additional Port | Ethernet port (remote configuration & diagnosis) |
| Max Power Consumption | 5.5W |
| Dimension | 168mm × 107mm |
| Operating Temperature | Industrial grade (refer to Brad boards of the same series) |
| Certification | CE, RoHS |
Supplementary Note
PCU-DP2IO belongs to Brad applicomIO Direct-Link series. The brand Brad Communications was later acquired by Molex. This board is an intelligent PROFIBUS-DP communication acquisition card. Different from ordinary non-intelligent DP cards, its core advantage is that the on-board processor shares protocol calculation, which delivers stronger stability in high real-time DP bus acquisition scenarios with large data volume. PCIE-DP2IO (PCIe 1x version) of the same series can be selected as an alternative.
FAQ
Q1:Is PCU-DP2IO the same board as DP2-PCU?
A: Yes, they refer to the same hardware. PCU-DP2IO is the official full model, DP2-PCU is the industry abbreviation. It is a Molex Brad applicomIO Direct-Link series PCI PROFIBUS-DP intelligent acquisition card.
Q2:Can PCU-DP2IO act as PROFIBUS DP master and slave station at the same time?
A: Supported. This card can run DP-V0 master and slave station simultaneously within one bus, with maximum bus speed up to 12 Mbps. It is suitable for host computer to collect on-site DP devices, and act as DP slave station to be accessed by external PLC.
Q3:Which PCI slots does the board support? Can it be directly used on PCIe motherboard?
A: Universal PCI, compatible with 3.3V/5V and PCI-X slots. It does not natively support PCIe; select PCIE-DP2IO if PCIe version is required.
Q4:What supporting software and host computer development interfaces are available?
A: applicomIO Console configuration software is used, supporting GSD import, bus configuration, online diagnosis and message capture. Data interfaces include OPC DA, DAServer, DDE, DLL, ActiveX, supporting C/C++, C#, VB development.
Q5:What is the purpose of the Ethernet port on the board?
A: Independent Ethernet port, not used for PROFIBUS field data transmission. It is only for remote board parameter configuration, online bus diagnosis and firmware maintenance, and does not occupy DP bus bandwidth.
Q6:How to use the on-board watchdog output function?
A: Passive relay contact output, specification 24VDC /0.25A. When board communication is abnormal or firmware fails, the contact will act. It can be connected to safety loop, alarm or emergency stop loop to improve system safety.
Q7:What operating systems are supported?
A: Natively compatible with industrial Windows versions such as Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Server. It is not recommended to use Win10/11 directly without testing; verify driver compatibility before use.
Q8:What is the biggest difference between PCU-DP2IO and ordinary non-intelligent DP communication card?
A: PCU-DP2IO comes with independent PowerPC processor, on-board memory and PROFIBUS dedicated ASIC. The protocol stack and bus polling are completed locally on the board, greatly reducing the CPU load of industrial host, and delivering stronger stability in real-time acquisition scenarios with large data volume.
