What Is DSD And Link?

Owned by Perla Madrigal (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Aug 08, 2024 by Eric Rojas (Unlicensed)
3 min read

Drive System Designer (DSD) was the predecessor to Drive System Explorer (DSE). It was utilized to communicate to LINK systems, create system projects, and program drives across a network. DSD is no longer fully supported, nor receiving any updates. The LINK technology is also no longer supported unless assistance is needed to migrate to LINKnet or other modern product; and the fieldbus options utilizing LINK are no longer available since early 2016 at the most recent.

DSE can not be used to communicate to LINK systems, thus DSD is required to communicate to old systems. Parker is still able to offer DSD Development or DSD Runtime through your local distributor or integrator contacts if you need to understand an existing system, see the bottom of the following FAQ for orderable part numbers and cables required: What software and communication cable are used for programming?

You must already have a copy of the project file in-hand to program a LINK system (you will not be able to upload/download from a techbox without a copy of the original project by design).

 

DSD (Drive System Designer) and Link Manager are compatible with:

  • Native: Windows10 (32 bit), Windows 7 (32bit), Native Windows XP, Native Vista, Native Windows 98 and Native Windows 95

  • Must be ran on a 32Bit OS 

  • Will not run on a 64bit OS

 

DSD and LINK Information:

As both LINK and DSD are no longer fully supported, we offer the following documents if they are required for assistance. These manuals are general LINK manuals. There are additional manuals for specific products that happen to utilize LINK techboxes, or for products that use specific LINK technology. Elaborating, the 590+ have their own non-LINK manuals, LINK rack L5xxx products have their own, the 590L, 890 LINK option cards, etc.  

DSD also has an extensive set of help files under it's "Help" menu and in each specific function block.

Intermittent LINK communication issues commonly arise from degradation of the ends of the fiber optic cables (if not outright failure of other components). There is an appnote below that goes over a common procedure of trimming back the fiber cable to potentially resolve communication issues.

LINK systems could have also used much older software called Config Ed or MANAGER. Both were predecessors to DSD and are no longer supported any longer.

 

Advisement:

Advisement is to migrate to a LINKnet system or other modern protocol sooner rather than later. A reprogramming would be required in either case but LINK to LINKnet is something our Distribution/Integration network is well versed in if you require engineering assistance to do so.

LINKnet (the modern protocol) has documentation files on existing drive product pages on Parker.com for tech boxes for the 590+, 690+, 890, and AC30; as well as in DSE "Help" menu for drive-specific information.

There is a technology called LINKbridge that is capable of interfacing LINKnet techboxes into an existing LINK system. This is an engineering effort. Because LINK is no longer available this option should be utilized for very large LINK networks where a few drives have had their LINK techboxes die, and subsequently require the LINKnet option in only those few drives until the entire system can be upgraded. If the system consists of only a handful of drives, advisement is to upgrade the entire system to LINKnet at once as the engineering effort required to interface only a few LINKnet drives into an existing LINK network through LINKbrdige could potentially take longer (and require more effort) than upgrading them all at once.

 

9DEC19 JD

1Feb23 JD adjusted OS notes