Is it possible to connect HMi to positioning servo drive?

Hello everyone.
I was given a task to connect EATON hmi (the 4" version) to a DX-480 EMERSON positioning servo drive... The HMi will be replacing the old data entry panel and communicate through serial cable.

Please let me know if anybody here has any esperience with this kind of setup, because I don't even know where to start... For now the task of the HMi is going to consist of sending a string "PR=24" to the drive in ASCII code with press of a button.

Thanks for any help in advance..

Terminal Mode

All Emersons should be able to communicate through Terminal Mode (that OLD DOS or Windows serial communication). You will get the commands from there to send/receive data/commands to the servo pack. This goes back too many years to remember. It should be also in the help section of Emerson software. I hope this does not confuse more the situation.

Thanks danpantea for the reply..
I can send commands to the drive using the computer but what I am looking for is the ability to send commands using HMi, which will replace the data entry panel that was used to send commands to the drive. However the capability of this panel is limited and since the drive is capable of receiving any kind of commands using ASCII code transmission I was hoping to replace the old panel with HMi...

So basically right now what I need help with is figuring out how to make a button on HMi that will convert string "PR24" (standard comand recognized by the drive) into ASCII equivalent and send it to the drive through appropriate port with the right settings...
However my HMi keeps looking for PLC and give me an error that sais "Initial PLC control area fail" and "Initial plc status area fail" so I guess I don't even have the connection to the drive or the HMi only like to connect to PLC...

I am Lost...

Thanks for the help..

I've not used the HMi but most operator interfaces would refer to this as a connection to a serial printer.

I know you're not connecting to a printer but that is what straight ASCII communications are used for a lot of the time. I know the larger EATON display, the ePro, will do this.

I know the EXTER panels from Beijer will do it as well.

You may need to write a macro in the HMi to make this happen but again, I haven't used it before.

Hope this helps,