PROFIBUS asset management
Confirm protocol, topology, access role, data consumer and lifecycle before final selection.
Softing Industrial · Solution area 04
Plant Asset Management & Field Device Connectivity
Create controller-independent access to field devices and industrial networks for asset management, parameterization, diagnostics and plant-wide visibility.
smartLink
smartLink HW-DP
smartLink HW-PN
Application-led selection
Selection by function and lifecycle
Current platforms, family selection pages and installed-base products are deliberately distinguished.
Network-access appliance family for connecting supported industrial networks to asset-management, parameterization and diagnostic applications.smartLinkVariant-specific selection
Controller-independent access point for PROFIBUS DP networks, enabling Plant Asset Management for PROFIBUS and HART field devices and providing OPC UA, MQTT and HART-IP information paths.smartLink HW-DPCurrent product
Controller-independent access point for PROFINET networks, providing transparent access to PROFINET and PROFIBUS devices for Plant Asset Management, parameterization and network monitoring.smartLink HW-PNCurrent product
Centralized plant-wide OT network monitoring for PROFINET and PROFIBUS, with live and historical visibility into devices, diagnostics, topology and network status.plantPerfect MonitorCurrent platform
16-port Ethernet-APL field switch for transparent connection of intrinsically safe Ethernet-APL field devices to higher-level Industrial Ethernet networks.aplSwitch FieldCurrent product
16-port Ethernet-APL field switch with PROFIBUS PA proxy for mixed Ethernet-APL and PA migration architectures.aplSwitch Field PACurrent product
System architecture
Plant Asset Management & Field Device Connectivity
Use this as a selection framework; exact protocol roles, firmware, licences and certification remain product-dependent.
01Field devices
02PROFIBUS / PROFINET / APL
03smartLink / APL switch
04Asset / network software
05Maintenance / DCS / AMS
Keep deterministic control in the controller/DCS. Softing provides access, standardization, diagnostics, asset-management or information-layer connectivity.
Dedicated pages
Softing product and family routes
Open the dedicated page for technical data, lifecycle status, comparison guidance and official resources.
smartLink
Network diagnostics
smartLink
Network-access appliance family for connecting supported industrial networks to asset-management, parameterization and diagnostic applications.
Variant-specific selectionView dedicated page →smartLink HW-DP
Plant Asset Management
smartLink HW-DP
Controller-independent access point for PROFIBUS DP networks, enabling Plant Asset Management for PROFIBUS and HART field devices and providing OPC UA, MQTT and HART-IP information paths.
Current productView dedicated page →smartLink HW-PN
Plant Asset Management
smartLink HW-PN
Controller-independent access point for PROFINET networks, providing transparent access to PROFINET and PROFIBUS devices for Plant Asset Management, parameterization and network monitoring.
Current productView dedicated page →plantPerfect Monitor
Network diagnostics
plantPerfect Monitor
Centralized plant-wide OT network monitoring for PROFINET and PROFIBUS, with live and historical visibility into devices, diagnostics, topology and network status.
Current platformView dedicated page →
Ethernet-APL
aplSwitch Field
16-port Ethernet-APL field switch for transparent connection of intrinsically safe Ethernet-APL field devices to higher-level Industrial Ethernet networks.
Current productView dedicated page →
Ethernet-APL
aplSwitch Field PA
16-port Ethernet-APL field switch with PROFIBUS PA proxy for mixed Ethernet-APL and PA migration architectures.
Current productView dedicated page →Application fit
Typical engineering objectives
PROFINET asset management
Confirm protocol, topology, access role, data consumer and lifecycle before final selection.
HART device access
Confirm protocol, topology, access role, data consumer and lifecycle before final selection.
Plant-wide monitoring
Confirm protocol, topology, access role, data consumer and lifecycle before final selection.
Ethernet-APL infrastructure
Confirm protocol, topology, access role, data consumer and lifecycle before final selection.
PA-to-APL migration
Confirm protocol, topology, access role, data consumer and lifecycle before final selection.
Engineering inputs
Model selection criteria
Installed systemController/device models, firmware, network protocol and topology.
Data / asset objectiveRead/write variables, parameterization, diagnostics, monitoring or development role.
Northbound interfaceOPC UA role, MQTT broker, API, FDI/FDT, SCADA/MES or application library.
DeploymentWindows, Docker, gateway, DIN rail, OEM device or industrial PC.
CybersecurityNetwork zones, certificates, identities, remote access and patch ownership.
Commercial scopeLicences, runtime/redistribution terms, quantity, support and lifecycle.