HMS Networks Anybus Modules: AB9005-B Communication Gateway —

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

HMS Networks Anybus Series: Comprehensive Module Range and Technical Overview

The HMS Networks Anybus series represents one of the most widely deployed industrial communication gateway platforms in global heavy industry. Installed across petrochemical complexes, nuclear power facilities, offshore oil platforms, and continuous-process refineries, Anybus gateways serve as the protocol translation backbone between heterogeneous fieldbus and industrial Ethernet networks. The AB9005-B is a representative unit within this series, providing bidirectional data exchange between two independent industrial networks without requiring PLC-side programming changes. Its deployment footprint spans legacy PROFIBUS DP installations being migrated to EtherNet/IP, as well as Modbus RTU environments interfacing with PROFINET IO controllers. The series is certified to IEC 61131 compatibility standards and carries CE, UL, and cUL markings relevant to both European and North American plant environments.

The Evolution of Anybus Architecture

HMS Networks introduced the original Anybus concept in the mid-1990s as a modular embedded communication solution targeting OEM machine builders. The first generation, the Anybus-S (Serial) platform, provided a standardized hardware interface that allowed machine manufacturers to support multiple fieldbus protocols — PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, CANopen — by swapping a single communication module rather than redesigning the control board. This architecture reduced time-to-market for OEMs and established HMS as a protocol-agnostic middleware vendor.

The second generation, Anybus-M (Module), introduced a compact form factor compatible with DIN-rail mounting and standalone gateway operation, decoupling the product from OEM embedding requirements. This opened the market to system integrators performing brownfield network migrations. The AB9005-B belongs to the Anybus Communicator sub-family within this generation, which targets standalone protocol conversion between two serial or fieldbus networks.

The third generation introduced Anybus CompactCom, a chip-level and module-level solution for deep OEM integration, and the Anybus X-gateway series for high-density multi-network bridging. Current HMS product strategy centers on the Anybus Connect platform, which adds cloud connectivity and OPC UA tunneling to the gateway function. Legacy Anybus Communicator units such as the AB9005-B remain in active service across installed bases where replacement of the host system is not economically justified, making long-term spare parts availability a critical operational requirement.

Anybus Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following SKUs represent verified, commonly deployed units within the HMS Networks Anybus Communicator and X-gateway product families. Each entry reflects a distinct protocol pairing or hardware variant.

AB9005-B: Anybus Communicator — PROFIBUS DP slave to Modbus RTU master gateway, DIN-rail, 24 VDC
AB9007: Anybus Communicator — DeviceNet slave to Modbus RTU master, serial RS-232/485
AB9009: Anybus Communicator — CANopen slave to Modbus RTU master, DIN-rail mount
AB9000: Anybus Communicator — generic Modbus RTU master, base configuration unit
AB9003: Anybus Communicator — PROFIBUS DP slave, RS-232 serial host interface
AB9004: Anybus Communicator — DeviceNet slave, RS-232/485 serial host interface
AB9006: Anybus Communicator — CANopen slave, RS-232/485 serial host interface
AB9010: Anybus Communicator — EtherNet/IP adapter to Modbus RTU master
AB9011: Anybus Communicator — PROFINET IO device to Modbus RTU master
AB9012: Anybus Communicator — Modbus TCP server to Modbus RTU master
AB7007: Anybus X-gateway — PROFIBUS DP master to EtherNet/IP adapter
AB7008: Anybus X-gateway — PROFIBUS DP master to PROFINET IO device
AB7832: Anybus X-gateway — DeviceNet master to EtherNet/IP adapter
AB7834: Anybus X-gateway — DeviceNet master to PROFINET IO device
AB7900: Anybus X-gateway — CANopen master to EtherNet/IP adapter
AB7901: Anybus X-gateway — CANopen master to PROFINET IO device
AB7960: Anybus X-gateway — Modbus RTU master to EtherNet/IP adapter
AB7961: Anybus X-gateway — Modbus RTU master to PROFINET IO device

Sourcing Hard-to-Find & Obsolete Anybus Parts

Several Anybus Communicator models, including the AB9005-B, have transitioned to end-of-active-production status as HMS Networks has shifted its primary development resources toward the Anybus Connect and CompactCom platforms. However, the installed base of legacy Anybus Communicator units in continuous-process industries — where control system replacement cycles span 15 to 25 years — sustains consistent demand for spare and replacement units.

DriveKNMS maintains a dedicated inventory of legacy HMS Networks Anybus modules sourced through authorized distribution channels and verified secondary market procurement. All units are inspected prior to listing. For plant maintenance teams operating under long-term service agreements that require like-for-like replacement of communication gateways, DriveKNMS provides documented unit traceability, firmware version identification, and compatibility verification against the target network configuration. Requests for specific firmware revisions or hardware variants of the AB9005-B and related SKUs are handled on a per-inquiry basis.

Quality Control for the Anybus Range

Anybus Communicator and X-gateway units present specific verification challenges due to their dual-network architecture. Each unit contains two independent communication stacks operating simultaneously, and functional testing must validate both network interfaces under load conditions that replicate the target installation environment.

DriveKNMS applies the following test protocol to all Anybus units prior to dispatch: visual inspection of the housing, terminal blocks, and status LED array; power-on verification at rated 24 VDC supply voltage; firmware version readout via HMS IPconfig or equivalent configuration utility; network-side loopback testing on both the primary and secondary protocol interfaces; and data integrity verification by transmitting a defined register map across the gateway and confirming accurate translation at the output interface. Units exhibiting intermittent communication faults, corrupted configuration memory, or non-standard firmware builds are quarantined and not offered for sale. Test records are retained and available upon request for units destined for regulated industries including nuclear, pharmaceutical, and upstream oil and gas.