DeviceNet and AB SMC-Flex

Hi guys and gals,
I am not very familiar with how AB does their DevieNet communications to the SMC-Flex, so bear with me. I have a bad starter (or I should say, ANOTHER bad starter) at a remote location with a blown power module. I can't wait for the replacement module to arrive, so I am going out today with a new starter to swap out. The installation is using DeviceNet communications for monitoring and control.

I see in the project manual that there is a 20-COMM-D Series B comm adaptor plugged in to the DPI port and I assume that if I just swap that out to the new starter I will not need to reprogram the adaptor, but will there be any programming necessary in the SMC itself to make it controlled by the adaptor? I may be a bit thick, but I can't make sense of the SMC-Flex manual in this regard. It basically says refer to the 20_COMM-D manual, which doesn't even mention the SMC-Flex.

Should be okay but no guarantees. I believe if the scanner card is set up with ADR activated for that device, it will reconfigure the module if its not correct (someone correct me if I'm wrong here). You may still want to show up with RSNetworks just in case and hopefully someone has documented all of the parameter settings. Anymore, I take the time to put them right on the electrical drawings.

The 20-COMM-D itself keeps most of the DeviceNet-related parameters in onboard memory. In RSNetworx, all the parameters in the "DeviceNet Configuration" category are actually stored inside the 20-COMM-D itself.

This doesn't include a handful of important network-related parameters like Data Link assignments and Network Mask assignments. Those aren't used in every application. If only the command and feedback connection is enabled (which is the default), then you likely don't have to touch any of the communication parameters.

And it doesn't include any of the operational parameters for the SMC itself, like the overload and ramp time settings.

The Auto-Device-Replace (ADR) function in many A-B DeviceNet scanners takes care of all of the device and interface board parameters. No way to tell that it's enabled except to examine the RSNetworx file or to test it by plugging in the new soft-start.

So, if you're going to just use a remote HIM or something else to reprogram the SMC Flex, you won't have to worry about also reprogramming the 20-COMM-D.