
2013 Moxa Inc. All rights reserved.
P/N: 1802012800011
Moxa ICF-1280I Series
Industrial PROFIBUS-to-Fiber
Converter
Hardware Installation Guide
First Edition, August 2013

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Introduction
The ICF-1280I series PROFIBUS-to-fiber converters are based on the
PROFIBUS DP standard, and are compliant with EN 50170. The converters
are mainly used to extend the transmission distance of PROFIBUS devices
over optical fiber, and provide redundant transmission. More specifically
the ICF-1280I series converts PROFIBUS signals between copper and
fiber wires, and extends PROFIBUS transmission up to 4 km (for
multi-mode models) or up to 45 km (for single-mode models). In addition,
the ICF-1280I series converters have dual fiber ports that can be used to
form a ring topology for redundant transmission, and avoid package lost
when a fiber path is broken. The ICF-1280I converter also provides 2 kV
isolation protection for the PROFIBUS system and dual power inputs to
ensure uninterrupted operation.
The ICF-1280I series converters are uniquely designed with Remote Fiber
Diagnosis that eliminates the need for a fiber optic sensor by using DIP
switch adjustments instead. Remote Fiber Diagnosis can detect fiber
connections for the overall topology from any individual converter, and
determine which side (Tx or Rx) is causing the problem for the converter.
Why Convert PROFIBUS to Fiber?
Optical fiber communication not only extends the communication
distance, but also provides the following advantages:
• Immunity to electrostatic interference: Fiber is immune to
electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference. It
provides a clean communication path and is immune to cross-talk.
• Insulation: Optical fiber is an insulator interface; the glass fiber
eliminates the need for using electric currents as the communication
medium.
• Security: Fiber cannot be tapped by conventional electric means and
is very difficult to tap into optically while radio and satellite
communication signals can be captured easily for decoding.
• High reliability and low maintenance: Fiber wires are immune to
adverse temperature and moisture conditions. As a result, they do
not corrode or lose signals, and are not affected by short circuits,
power surges, or static electricity.
Auto/Manual Baudrate Settings
The ICF-1280I series converters simply convert the signal back and forth
between PROFIBUS and fiber at baudrates between 9.6 Kbps to 12 Mbps.
Engineers do not need to know the baudrate of the connected PROFIBUS
device; the ICF-1280I series converters can automatically detect the
baudrate of the PROFIBUS device and apply this baudrate directly. This is
an extremely convenient feature. If necessary, baudrates can be set to a
fixed value via DIP switches to shorten the baudrate detection period
when the system initializes.
PROFIBUS Fail Safe
Electrical noise may be generated when a PROFIBUS device malfunctions
or the serial interface fails, resulting in bus failure. Traditional media
converters transmit noise signals through the fiber wire to the other
converter. This not only disrupts data communication between the two
buses, but will also bring communication across the entire system to a

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halt. When this occurs, the engineers will not be able to easily locate the
failed device because the entire PROFIBUS network is down. To avoid this
situation, the ICF-1280I series converter has a mechanism to detect and
recognize noise signals. If the bus fails on one side, the noise signal will
not propagate through the ICF-1280I converter and affect additional bus
segments. In addition, the ICF-1280I converter will also trigger an alarm
to provide the location of the failure to the field engineer.
Fiber Link Monitoring
The ICF-1280I series converter provides a fiber link monitoring function
to detect the communication errors on both sides of the fiber connection.
When a communication error occurs, a red LED status indicator (P1, P2,
or Fault LED) will turn on and the relay alarm will activate. If a fiber
abnormality occurs on a remote fiber segment, the Fault LED will flash.
Engineers can then use the Fiber Diagnosis function for troubleshooting.
Reverse Power Protection
The Reverse Power Protection feature protects against accidentally
connecting the power cables to the wrong terminal. The converter is
designed to detect automatically which power wire is positive and which is
negative, and then adjust the power supply accordingly.
Remote Fiber Diagnosis
Optical fiber cables are often deployed for long distance communication
and a fiber optic inspection pen is used by engineers to ensure proper
communication quality of the fiber cable. The ICF-1280I series converters
eliminate the need for a fiber optic inspection pen by providing a Remote
Fiber Diagnosis function that uses DIP switch adjustments. There are two
major functions provided by Remote Fiber Diagnosis: (1) determining
which side (Tx or Rx) is causing the problem on the converter; (2)
examining the fiber connections for the overall topology from any
individual converter. Fiber cable abnormalities can be automatically
detected and identified by the LED indicator even if it is not adjacent to
the converter. Remote Fiber Diagnosis facilitates fiber cable deployment
and management, and also significantly shortens troubleshooting time by
examining fiber connections for the overall topology from any individual
converter.

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Using Remote Fiber Diagnosis:
Set DIP switch SW8 to the ON position on any ICF-1280I converter and
see the Ready LED status. A flashing green Ready LED indicates that the
Fiber Diagnosis has finished. The Fault LED indicates the location of the
fiber connection abnormality. The P1 or P2 LED indicates which side (Tx
or Rx) is causing the problem.
The Fault LED will shine a steady red to indicate an adjacent fiber
connection error, or flash red to indicate a non-adjacent fiber connection
error. If there are no fiber connection errors in the entire topology, the
related LEDs will shine green or remain OFF. If the fiber connection error
is adjacent to the converter, the status will also be indicated by the P1
(Port 1) or P2 (Port 2) LEDs. A flashing red light on P1 (or P2) means that
the Rx fiber cable connected to this port is broken. Similarly, a solid red
light on P1 (or P2) means that the Tx fiber cable in this port is broken. If
the fiber connection error is not adjacent to the converter (i.e., the fiber
cables connected to this converter are working properly), the Fault LED
will flash red. As a result, you should run Remote Fiber Diagnosis on every
other (second) converter in the topology to recursively troubleshoot the
problem. Further descriptions and troubleshooting can be found in the
Troubleshooting table.
Redundant Ring
The ICF-1280I series converters can connect PROFIBUS devices in a
redundant ring topology. Use the DIP switch to configure all the ICF1280I converters to Redundant Ring mode. When a PROFIBUS master
transmits a signal from one converter to the PROFIBUS slave devices, this
signal will travel to all the converters around the ring until it returns to the
original converter and terminate.
How to form a redundant ring topology:
To form a redundant ring topology, connect the Tx Port (Port 1) on the
first ICF-1280I converter to the Rx Port (Port 2) on the following
converter. Then, connect the Tx Port (Port 2) on the first ICF-1280I
converter to the Rx Port (Port 1) on the preceding converter. Similarly,
connect the Rx Port (Port 1) on the first ICF-1280I converter to the Tx
Port (Port 2) on the following converter. Then, connect the Rx Port
(Port 2) on the first ICF-1280I converter to the Tx Port (Port 1) of the
preceding converter.

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Features
• Redundant Ring mode for fiber communication backup with zero
recovery time
• Remote Fiber Diagnosis
• Auto baudrate detection and data speeds up to 12 Mbps
• PROFIBUS bus fail safe
• Alarm by relay output
• Provide 2 kV galvanic isolation
• Power polarity protection
• Extend PROFIBUS transmission distance:
Up to 45 km with single-mode (ICF-1280I-S models)
Up to 4 km with multi-mode (ICF-1280I-M models)
• Point-to-point, linear (bus), star, and redundant ring topologies
• Dual power input for redundancy
• Wide operating temperature from -40 to 75°C (for “-T” models)
Package Checklist
Before installing the ICF-1280I converter, verify that the package
contains the following items:
• ICF-1280I PROFIBUS-to-fiber converter
• Hardware installation guide
• Warranty card
NOTE: Please notify your sales representative if any of the above items
are missing or damaged.
Mounting Dimensions (Unit: mm)
ICF-1280I

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Top View
Front View
Electrostatic Discharge Warning!
product from damage due to electrostatic
discharge, we recommend wearing a grounding device when
handling your ICF-1280I series converters.
Mounting
The aluminum DIN-rail attachment plate should be fixed onto the back
panel of the ICF-1280I converter when you take it out of the box. If you
need to reattach the DIN-rail attachment plate to the ICF-1280I
converter, make sure the stiff metal spring is situated towards the top, as
shown in the figures below.
STEP 1:
Insert the top of the DIN rail into the slot just below the stiff metal spring.
STEP 2:
The DIN-rail attachment unit will snap into place as shown below.
To remove the ICF-1280I series converter from the DIN rail, simply
reverse Steps 1 and 2 above.

ST-Port to ST-Port Cable Wiring
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Slot Time Settings
Although ICF-1280I series converters can be connected in different
topologies with a large number of units, the total cable length and
network topology can give rise to frame delays. A sufficient slot time is
required to prevent the PROFIBUS master from timing out. Engineers are
recommended to set the PROFIBUS master’s slot time according to the
following formulas.
For linear and star topologies:
Slot time = A + B × L + 13 × N
Transmission Speed (kbps)

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For redundant ring topology:
Slot time = A + B × L + C × N
L: The length of the fiber optic in kilometer.
N: The number of converters in the system.
A, B, and C: Parameters set according to different baudrates.
*To avoid frame conflicts, it is recommended to set the PROFIBUS
command retry limit ≥ 3, and the slot time < 262128.
DIP Switch Settings
There are 8 DIP switches on the top panel of the ICF-1280I series
converter. All DIP switches except SW5 are set to the factory default OFF
position.
Transmission Speed (kbps)
Transmission Speed (kbps)
Linear, Star (P1/P2 enable)
Linear, Star (P1 disable)
Linear, Star (P2 disable) ON OFF
In Redundant Ring mode, the Fiber Link Monitor function is activated
automatically.

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LED Indicators
There are 7 LED indicators on the front panel of the ICF-1280I series
converter.
Power is off, or power error
condition exists
Baud rate is detected, converter
is ready for communication
Fiber diagnosis is finished
Slotting time setting error
Fiber port is receiving data
Fiber cable linking to Tx is
abnormal
Fiber cable linking to Rx is
abnormal
PROFIBUS port is
communicating
Inner transceiver IC defective;
PROFIBUS port Data
communication error;
Insufficient shielding of the bus
cable;
Echo package timeout,
PROFIBUS UART character error
Fiber connections are working
normally in Fiber Diagnosis
Fiber abnormality occurred in
another segment
Fiber abnormality occurred on
this converter
If both power inputs experience an outage, the relay will become an
open circuit for alarm purposes.
*Refer to the following table for troubleshooting.
*Refer to the Remote Fiber Diagnosis section for instructions.
If an ICF-1280I converter is deployed at the beginning
topology in Linear mode or Star mode, the unused port should be
disabled. In such cases, it is recommended to use an ICF-1180I series
converter. Please use the ICF-1180I series with Rev. 1.3, or higher
versions, to connect with the ICF-1280I series.

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Troubleshooting LED Indicators and Fiber Diagnosis
Ready Flashing
green
Fiber diagnosis
finished
Check Fault LED;
At least one converter is in Fiber
Diagnosis mode;
Check PROFIBUS master settings;
No PROFIBUS signal received;
Tx and RX crossed over;
Baudrate setting is incorrect.
Recalculate the slot time; Set
TSDR ≥ 11;
Set HAS = greatest PROFIBUS
node address + 1;
Check consistency of operation
mode for DIP switch 6/7;
Check consistency of Fiber Link
Monitor Mode for DIP switch 5
Use Fiber Diagnosis on another
converter that is not adjacent to
this converter
abnormality
occurred on this
connecting to this port*;
Tx and Rx cables crossed over;
Partner module is powered OFF
Check the fiber cable linking to Tx
Check the PROFIBUS device
connection
RS-485 cable is not terminated or
only terminated at one end;
Open bus cable;
PROFIBUS D+ and D- crossed
over;
Short circuit on PROFIBUS cable;
RS-485 driver is defective;
Check slot time setting, baudrate,
and operation mode
If the abnormality indicated by the LED disappears in Fiber Diagnosis
mode, check the consistency of the DIP switch settings on all the
converters.
If the Tx and Rx cables are both abnormal, the
P1/P2 LED will shine red.
Check the Rx cable first for troubleshooting.
*If the Fault LED, P1 LED, and P2 LED are all lit/flashing red
simultaneously, the Tx and Rx cables of P1 and P2 may be crossed over.

a Class 1 laser/LED product. Do not stare into the laser
Single-mode fiber for 45 km
Multi-mode fiber for 4 km
8.3/125, 8.7/125, 9/125 or 10/125 μm
50/125, 62.5/125, or 100/140 μm
ICF-1280I-S: 1310 nm
ICF-1280I-M: 820 nm
ICF-1280I-S: -7 dBm
ICF-1280I-M: -14 dBm
ICF-1280I-S: -29 dBm
ICF-1280I-M: -28 dBm
ICF-1280I-S: 21 dBm
ICF-1280I-M: 14 dBm
Signal delay time
(any input/output)
-40 to 75°C (-40 to 167 °F) for T Models
-40 to 75°C (-40 to 167 °F),
Ambient Relative Humidity
5 to 95% (non-condensing)
Up to 2000 m (795 hPa), higher altitudes
on demand

-4-5 Level 3 (2 kV) Surge
Power Polarity Protection
Protects against V+/V- reversal
Support over Currents
Protection
Supports 1 digital output relay to alarm
(
Current carrying capacity: 2 A@30 VDC
CE; FCC Part 15, sub part B, Class A
EN 55022, Class A; EN 55024
-4-5 (Power Surge), Level 3
EN 61000-4-8(PFMF), Level 1
Technical Support Contact Information
www.moxa.com/support
Moxa China (Shanghai office):
Toll