SST 5136-DN-PC DeviceNet Interface Card
SST is now part of Molex (formerly Woodhead SST). The 5136-DN-PC is an ISA-bus intelligent DeviceNet interface card designed to connect legacy industrial PCs to the DeviceNet fieldbus. It is an early classic ISA-bus variant that has been discontinued and is mostly used for spare part replacement on aging production lines.
Overview
The 5136-DN-PC intelligent communication card integrates an on-board 32-bit RISC co-processor that runs the full DeviceNet protocol stack locally on the card. It offloads low-level bus timing and message processing tasks from the host CPU, significantly reducing the processing load of the industrial PC. This card enables an ISA-bus industrial computer to act as a DeviceNet Master, Slave or peer node. It supports real-time CIP data exchange between the PC and sensors, actuators, motor starters and field I/O devices on the DeviceNet network. Typical use cases include HMI supervision for legacy industrial control systems, PC-based soft control, fieldbus simulation and field device data acquisition.
Key Features
- On-board independent co-processor: 32-bit RISC processor handles all DeviceNet protocol processing independently. The host only reads and writes to a shared memory window to guarantee deterministic communication.
- Multi-role support: Supports DeviceNet Group 2 Client (Master), Server (Slave) and peer-to-peer communication. Compatible with Poll, Strobe, Change-of-State (COS), cyclic I/O messages and Explicit Messages.
- Bus baud rates: Standard DeviceNet baud rates: 125 kbps, 250 kbps, 500 kbps.
- Galvanic isolation: 500V isolation between the DeviceNet field side and ISA host side, protecting the industrial PC from field bus noise and surge interference.
- Memory architecture: 16KB configurable shared RAM window for data exchange between the host PC and the on-board co-processor.
- Connector: 5-pin removable open-style DeviceNet terminal connector.
- Software support: Memory mapping documents, C sample source codes and device drivers are provided. Compatible with legacy operating systems including older Windows versions, DOS, VxWorks and QNX.
- Status indicators: Dual-color LEDs to display card health status and bus communication status separately.
Technical Specifications
| Item | Parameter |
|---|---|
| Model | 5136-DN-PC |
| Bus Type | 16-bit legacy ISA bus |
| On-board Processor | 32-bit RISC co-processor |
| Shared Memory | 16KB configurable window |
| Network Protocol | DeviceNet (CIP) |
| Baud Rate | 125 / 250 / 500 kbps |
| Isolation Rating | 500V network galvanic isolation |
| Operating Temperature | 0℃ ~ +60℃ |
| Connector | 5-pin removable DeviceNet terminal |
| Operating Mode | Master / Slave / Peer-to-Peer |
Typical Applications
- Legacy ISA industrial PC as host for DeviceNet HMI monitoring
- PC-based soft control system for real-time control of DeviceNet field I/O
- Production line commissioning: DeviceNet bus simulation, device communication testing and fault diagnosis
- Data acquisition from legacy field instruments and drives on DeviceNet network
- Device simulator to replace physical nodes for bus testing
Product Notes
This hardware uses an ISA slot. Modern PCs do not come with ISA slots. This model has long been end-of-life and is only available as spare parts for maintaining existing automation production lines. The upgraded successor in the same series is the PCI version 5136-DNP-PCI. It retains similar hardware architecture and logic, with the bus interface changed to PCI. It comes with the SST DeviceNet configuration tool for bus scanning, node configuration and I/O mapping to simplify development and troubleshooting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the SST 5136-DN-PC DeviceNet Interface Card?
A1: The SST 5136-DN-PC is an intelligent DeviceNet communication interface card built for legacy 16-bit ISA bus industrial PCs. It carries an on-board 32-bit RISC co-processor to run the complete DeviceNet CIP protocol stack locally, reducing host CPU load for reliable fieldbus communication.
Q2: Can the SST 5136-DN-PC work as both DeviceNet Master and Slave?
A2: Yes. This interface card supports DeviceNet Master, Slave and peer-to-peer operation. It handles Poll, Strobe, Change-of-State (COS), cyclic I/O and explicit messaging for flexible CIP data exchange.
Q3: What baud rates does the SST 5136-DN-PC support?
A3: It supports all standard DeviceNet baud rates: 125 kbps, 250 kbps and 500 kbps to match different industrial network layout requirements.
Q4: Does the SST 5136-DN-PC provide galvanic isolation?
A4: Yes. The card features 500V galvanic isolation between the DeviceNet field network and the ISA host side, protecting the industrial PC from electrical noise and surge interference on site.
Q5: What operating systems are compatible with the 5136-DN-PC?
A5: It supports legacy operating systems including old Windows versions, DOS, VxWorks and QNX. SST provides device drivers, memory mapping documents and C sample source codes for integration.
Q6: Is the SST 5136-DN-PC still available for new projects?
A6: No. The 5136-DN-PC ISA card is end-of-life. Modern PCs no longer have ISA slots. It is only supplied as spare parts for maintenance of existing legacy automation systems.
Q7: What is the replacement model for SST 5136-DN-PC?
A7: The upgraded successor model is the SST 5136-DNP-PCI, which keeps the same DeviceNet protocol functions but uses PCI bus instead of ISA for modern industrial PCs.
Q8: What are the typical applications of the SST 5136-DN-PC?
A8: Common use cases include legacy HMI supervision, PC-based soft control, DeviceNet network simulation, field device data collection and communication troubleshooting for old production lines.
