SSI Embedded Systems Programming - Fieldbus Network Analyzer

Fact: Over 50% of SSI Staff has 8 or More Years Experience

"You can count on the work being done right and on time." ~ SSI Client

Fact: 30% of SSI staff has twelve or more years experience

"The people blended in and became part of the design team."

Fact: Experienced Team Lead manages all projects

"I was impressed with the quality of SSI's work throughout this contract. I appreciated their ability to work with minimal guidance, and minimal design details. And I greatly appreciated their suggestions and alternate design proposals. Their willingness to work overtime when necessary to meet deadlines was greatly appreciated." ~ SSI Client

Fact: All SSI staff is trained on the Quality Development Process

"Work is spectacular. More exceptional than I thought it would be. Sensors work great. They can detect the slightest pressure accurately. It is WAY beyond my expectations." ~ SSI Client

Fact: Long term staff retention rate at SSI is > 95%

Fact: SSI's Internal Software process operates as CMM Level 3

"The experience was a good one" ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI has been in business 16+ years

"The best thing about working with SSI is that the people genuinely care about the success of the overall project. Typical contractors stop when they have merely met the letter of the contract that they are bound to; where as, SSI is willing to go above and beyond to drive a project to completion and ultimately success." ~ SSI Client

Fact: Over half of SSI Business is from returning clients

"I would use SSI again" ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI client relationships last several years

"The best thing about working with SSI is that the people genuinely care about the success of the overall project. Typical contractors stop when they have merely met the letter of the contract that they are bound to; where as, SSI is willing to go above and beyond to drive a project to completion and ultimately success." ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI's Customers report a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating for satisfaction

"Keep finding people who can get to the root of the issue and resolve it as specified. [Your Engineer] is golden!." ~ SSI Client

Fact: 100% of clients surveyed said they would recommend SSI to others

"SSI will deliver what is promised on a timely basis." ~ SSI Client

Fact: SSI Supports Continual Employee Training

"Consistent high quality engineers who perform very well. SSI is the only company -- contracting or consulting -- who consistently provides the best talent who are not only technically accomplished but have excellent verbal and personal skills. I have not seen anything like it before." ~ SSI Client

An industrial automation giant sought to optimize its network servo debugging process.

The Customer

A Chicago area industrial automation company has one objective - to provide quality solutions to manufacturers' automation requirements. Creating reliable solutions that exceed customer expectations, improving productivity through automated control of products and processes, this company has grown to become one of the leading suppliers of AC servos, AC inverters, CNC controller systems, robotics, and systems integration.

The Problem

Field Engineers for this chicago area comany often had problems debugging servo controllers. Field Engineers had to figure out if the problem came from the customer's master software on the DeviceNet network, which commands the servo controllers, or if they had a faulty servo controller. Most often the problem was not their servo controller, but the master software giving the wrong commands. Debugging code that was written by the customer was time consuming and costly.

The SSI Solution

SSI Software Engineers took on the task of building a custom software application, the Fieldbus Network Analyzer, to solve their dilemma. SSI started from the ground up doing active research on the protocols involved and came up with a solution by building a Windows™ based application, which would analyze a DeviceNet network. The Fieldbus Network Analyzer can set triggers, show messages before and after triggers, and show all product specific settings in a graphical format. Formerly, debugging industrial networks was like debugging C/C++ code; now, with the Fieldbus Network Analyzer, the field engineer can check the command to the servo and see the response in a user-friendly graphical interface. Field Engineers can now see if the commands from the master software are wrong, or if the servo is not responding correctly within minutes of arriving at the customer's site -- thus saving time and cutting costs.

This chicago area company also wanted the Fieldbus Network Analyzer to be extensible. SSI took object-oriented programming to another level by adding all the "hooks" for future development. "Hooks" are already in place for being a master on the network and working with a Profibus network!

SSI showed the Fieldbus Network Analyzer to the field engineers for feedback and the response was incredible. "Awesome," said one of the field engineers. "COOL!" said another. They were clearly impressed.

Click on the images for a larger view: