Ethernet/IP Server Side Emulator

JP_GoodAutomation · May 2, 2016

Good morning,

Please be nice to me. I am not very familiar with PLCs so I know some of my terminology will not be correct.

I am trying to find some type of PLC emulator that can act as an EIP master to bridge a communication gap between a Festo valve bank, and Phoenix Contact DIO module, and a LabVIEW application running on a PC. The Rockwell "RSLogix Emulate 500" is not compatible with machines later that Windows XP. "RSLogix Emulate 5000" appears to be available only if you have an active product serial number. And I'm not 100% sure these emulators would do what I needed them to do anyway.

Can someone verify my findings so far and hopefully point me to a solution? The obvious question is why use EIP if a PLC is not being used. The answer is a last minute change by our customer to eliminate the PLC but keep the already purchased hardware. We are trying to find a cost effective and timely solution to this issue.

robertkjonesjr · May 2, 2016

Maybe something like this?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi-pvf_6LvMAhXC7D4KHemRCQQQFgg0MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.er-soft.com%2Ffiles%2FBrad--Ethernet--Profibus--Multi-Protocol--Combo--PCI-Card--PCU2000ETH--APP-EPB-PCU.pdf&usg=AFQjCNF6k5sgASi4TP19vduKYnfjnm8rJA&sig2=DiAzwmS339oFSGPkhKOGug&bvm=bv.121070826,d.cWw

harryting · May 2, 2016

Well, help us a bit. What I can't seem to grasp is why you need the PLC Emulator to bridge this gap. Can you outline for us the exact physical and data link needed? Some kind of diagram would be helpful.

There are plenty of software/hardware that talks EIP. Kepware, for example, have drivers that can simulate a Logix rack talking EIP.

JP_GoodAutomation · May 2, 2016

robertkjonesjr said:
Maybe something like this?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi-pvf_6LvMAhXC7D4KHemRCQQQFgg0MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.er-soft.com%2Ffiles%2FBrad--Ethernet--Profibus--Multi-Protocol--Combo--PCI-Card--PCU2000ETH--APP-EPB-PCU.pdf&usg=AFQjCNF6k5sgASi4TP19vduKYnfjnm8rJA&sig2=DiAzwmS339oFSGPkhKOGug&bvm=bv.121070826,d.cWw

Thank you for the response. I am trying to find a solution that does not involve additional hardware.

kamenges · May 2, 2016

Something like this maybe:

http://www.ixxat.com/products/produ...rotocol-software/ethernet-ip-scanner-software

I have never used anything like this but it sounds like what you are looking for.

Keith

JP_GoodAutomation · May 2, 2016

harryting said:
Well, help us a bit. What I can't seem to grasp is why you need the PLC Emulator to bridge this gap. Can you outline for us the exact physical and data link needed? Some kind of diagram would be helpful.

There are plenty of software/hardware that talks EIP. Kepware, for example, have drivers that can simulate a Logix rack talking EIP.

I don't have a diagram but I can explain it a little better. Both of the devices I am trying to communicate with are client (slave) devices. The LabVIEW application can only run as a client as well. The only way to communicate right now is over explicit messaging. The reply I received from Festo stated that they do not recommend this type of messaging and thusly have no detailed documentation for doing so.

From FESTO:
The CPX is a network slave device. If there is no master device then it
> is very difficult to use. You can use message instructions however it is
> not the suggest method and we do not have any in depth documentation
> showing how this is done as we don't suggest it. Currently our
> documentation focuses on connecting the CPX-FB36 with an Allen Bradley
> PLC.

In a perfect world I would like some type of driver that runs on a Windows 8 PC that acts as the remote server. I would be able to set up EIP Tags, just as you would be able to with a PLC. Basically I need the software functionality of the PLC but not the hardware.

JP_GoodAutomation · May 2, 2016

kamenges said:
Something like this maybe:

http://www.ixxat.com/products/produ...rotocol-software/ethernet-ip-scanner-software

I have never used anything like this but it sounds like what you are looking for.

Keith

You are correct. This looks exactly like what I need.

robertkjonesjr · May 2, 2016

JP_GoodAutomation said:
I am trying to find a solution that does not involve additional hardware.

I understand you do not want add hardware but you still have the issue of getting the data out of 'whatever you use as the Class 1 I/O scanner' to Labview. The Molex board had a drivers for Labview, so you are all set.

I have used the Pyramid solutions software in the past and its good, but it is a developer kit. You write your program around it. They have a nice test app that runs on Windows that can make it into a Class 1 scanner, which is part of what you want, but not sure how to get from this software into your labview environment. I don't think it has copy functionality, from a certain logical connection to another. But Labview might be able to call the dll for the communication, so it just might work.

Maybe Codesys with a PC runtime license, Codesys as the EtherNet/IP Class 1 scanner, scanning all other devices that need to communicate? Logic implemented to copy the requisite data over. But that still costs money, so not sure if your issue is no more hardware, or no more money?

JP_GoodAutomation · May 2, 2016

robertkjonesjr said:
I understand you do not want add hardware but you still have the issue of getting the data out of 'whatever you use as the Class 1 I/O scanner' to Labview. The Molex board had a drivers for Labview, so you are all set.

I have used the Pyramid solutions software in the past and its good, but it is a developer kit. You write your program around it. They have a nice test app that runs on Windows that can make it into a Class 1 scanner, which is part of what you want, but not sure how to get from this software into your labview environment. I don't think it has copy functionality, from a certain logical connection to another. But Labview might be able to call the dll for the communication, so it just might work.

Maybe Codesys with a PC runtime license, Codesys as the EtherNet/IP Class 1 scanner, scanning all other devices that need to communicate? Logic implemented to copy the requisite data over. But that still costs money, so not sure if your issue is no more hardware, or no more money?

National Instruments (LabVIEW) does have some support available for the Codesys solution. I have updated my service request with them to see if they have another solution. Thank you for the input. You have help me get this train moving again.

harryting · May 2, 2016

Softlogix 5800 from Rockwell will do it but then it's no cheaper than a real PLC.

I know of no off-the-shelf software that do EIP.

With Kepware EIP Unsolicited driver, you can have it talk to Labview but I'm not sure how to make talk to the Festo directly but it maybe worth a try. Something like

Labview -> Kepware EIP Unsolicted <link to OPC> OPC -> Festo

? not sure if that will work but you can get a trial license from Kepware. Cheaper than 5800, I bet.

Ken Roach · May 2, 2016

Does the customer have a reason for wanting to remove the controller that is not about cost ?

I would be very careful taking a job like this where the client is placing such a critical restriction on your design at a stage where hardware has already been purchased. If the cost of the smallest CompactLogix CPU breaks the budget for a custom control system, it's an underfunded project.

If I had to do it, I would use a CoDeSys RTE runtime license for Windows. It's 504 Euro, and adding the EtherNet/IP scanner license is about 70 Euro.

Ethernet/IP Server Side Emulator

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