SST 5136 Series PCI Communication Cards: SST-5136-PFB-PCI

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

SST 5136 Series: Comprehensive Module Range and Technical Overview

The SST 5136 series represents a family of PCI-bus fieldbus interface cards engineered by SST (subsequently acquired by Woodhead Industries, then Molex). These cards have achieved widespread deployment across global heavy industry sectors — including petrochemical refineries, nuclear power generation facilities, offshore platforms, and continuous-process chemical plants — where deterministic fieldbus communication is a non-negotiable operational requirement. The 5136 platform supports multiple fieldbus protocols on a common PCI hardware architecture, enabling system integrators to standardize spare parts inventory across heterogeneous control environments. Installed base estimates place the 5136 series in tens of thousands of active DCS and SCADA nodes worldwide, many of which remain in service well beyond the product's commercial end-of-life date.

The Evolution of 5136 Architecture

The SST 5136 architecture was introduced in the mid-1990s as a response to the proliferation of competing fieldbus standards — PROFIBUS-DP, DeviceNet, ControlNet, and Interbus — each requiring dedicated hardware interfaces. The original 5136 design used a 32-bit PCI 2.1 bus interface with an onboard DSP co-processor to offload protocol stack execution from the host CPU, a design decision that proved critical for real-time determinism in Windows NT and early Windows XP environments.

The V2 hardware revision introduced improved EMI shielding, extended operating temperature tolerance (0°C to 60°C), and firmware-level support for GSD/EDS file-based device configuration. The PCI form factor remained consistent across revisions, ensuring backward compatibility with existing rack infrastructure. As the industry transitioned to PCIe-based server architectures post-2010, SST introduced PCIe variants; however, the legacy PCI 5136 cards remained in production to support the installed base. Following Molex's acquisition, active development ceased, and the 5136 series formally entered end-of-life status. Replacement migration paths include the Molex SST-PB3-CLX for ControlLogix platforms and third-party PCIe PROFIBUS adapters from vendors such as Hilscher (CIFX 50-DP) and HMS (Anybus-X).

5136 Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following SKUs represent verified models within the SST 5136 and closely related SST PCI communication card family. Each entry includes a concise functional descriptor for procurement and maintenance reference.

• SST-5136-PFB-PCI: PROFIBUS-DP master/slave PCI interface card, single-channel, 12 Mbps max.
• SST-5136-PFB-ISA: PROFIBUS-DP master/slave ISA bus card, legacy 16-bit host interface.
• SST-5136-DNP: DeviceNet master/slave PCI card, supports up to 64 nodes per network.
• SST-5136-DNP-2: Dual-port DeviceNet PCI card, two independent network channels.
• SST-5136-PFB-V2: Revised PROFIBUS-DP PCI card with enhanced EMI shielding and extended temp range.
• SST-5136-CNP: ControlNet PCI adapter card, NUT-based scheduled and unscheduled messaging.
• SST-5136-IBP: Interbus master PCI interface card, ring topology support up to 512 devices.
• SST-PFB-PCI: Standalone PROFIBUS-DP PCI master card, non-5136 chassis, Windows driver compatible.
• SST-PFB-SLC: PROFIBUS-DP scanner module for Allen-Bradley SLC 500 backplane.
• SST-PFB-CLX: PROFIBUS-DP scanner for ControlLogix 1756 backplane, Class 1 I/O messaging.
• SST-PB3-CLX: Third-generation PROFIBUS-DP ControlLogix scanner, successor to SST-PFB-CLX.
• SST-PB3-PCI: Third-generation PROFIBUS-DP PCI card, PCIe-compatible bridge option available.
• SST-DN4-104-2: DeviceNet PCI card, 4-channel ISA/PCI hybrid, legacy industrial PC platforms.
• SST-DN4-PCI: DeviceNet master PCI card, single-channel, ODVA-certified stack.
• SST-PFBM-CLX: PROFIBUS-DP multi-master ControlLogix module, supports concurrent master instances.
• SST-PFB-PLC5: PROFIBUS-DP scanner for Allen-Bradley PLC-5 backplane, DH+ bridge capable.
• SST-DN3-PCI: Third-generation DeviceNet PCI master/slave card, EDS-based configuration.

Sourcing Hard-to-Find & Obsolete 5136 Parts

The SST 5136 series has been formally discontinued by Molex, with no new production runs planned. This creates a critical supply gap for facilities operating legacy DCS architectures where a full platform migration is not economically or operationally feasible within the current maintenance cycle. DriveKNMS maintains a dedicated inventory of new-surplus, refurbished, and tested-serviceable 5136 series cards sourced through authorized channel liquidations and decommissioned plant asset recovery programs.

For end-users requiring long-term maintenance support (LTMS) beyond OEM availability, DriveKNMS provides: verified functional testing against original SST protocol stack firmware, driver compatibility validation for Windows XP/7/10 environments, and cross-reference matching to identify compatible substitute models where direct replacements are unavailable. Procurement teams managing multi-year maintenance contracts are encouraged to submit consolidated bill-of-materials (BOM) lists for bulk availability assessment.

Quality Control for the 5136 Range

The SST 5136 PCI cards incorporate a proprietary onboard DSP and dual-port RAM architecture that requires protocol-level functional validation beyond standard power-on testing. DriveKNMS applies a structured test protocol for all 5136 series units prior to shipment:

• Backplane bus integrity check: PCI 2.1 compliance verification using automated bus analyzer, confirming correct IRQ assignment and memory-mapped I/O addressing.
• Firmware version validation: Onboard flash is read and compared against the known firmware revision matrix for each SKU to confirm authenticity and revision level.
• Protocol stack functional test: Each card is installed in a test PC running the SST OPC Server or SST Configuration Suite, and a live PROFIBUS or DeviceNet network exchange is executed to confirm master/slave token passing and data exchange integrity.
• Connector and DB9 interface inspection: Physical inspection of the fieldbus connector for pin damage, corrosion, and impedance continuity.
• Thermal cycling screen: Units flagged as refurbished undergo a 4-hour thermal soak at 55°C to screen for latent solder joint failures common in aged PCI card assemblies.