CAN Communication & Micrologix

junior · Mar 11, 2009

Anybody know of any CAN (Controller Area Network) serial bus communication modules or network that can be used to communicate between a micrologix 1100 or 1400 PLC and CAN bus automotive controller? or would RSLinx support this?

I need to monitor a few values in the controller by the PLC for alarming. I can get a CAN communication package for labview and then send the data from labview to the PLC, but ideally I would like to do it directly.

TIA
Jr.

Ken Roach · Mar 11, 2009

DeviceNet is a CAN-based network, but I expect that's not what you mean.

What kind of CAN protocol and devices do you need to communicate with ?

I've recently seen a CANOpen to EtherNet/IP gateway from HMS Fieldbus in use on a vehicle application with ControlLogix.

junior · Mar 11, 2009

I need to communicate with a car engine controller to get temperature and pressure readings from it. Basically the PLC is the safety system for the engine test stand.

I don't have the exact details on the CAN communication protocol, but I suspect it's not the CANOpen. I'm trying to get the protocol specification from the engine manufacturer, but it's not that easy, as this information they consider very secretive. Of course, without it, there's nothing we implement.

Ken Roach · Mar 12, 2009

If it's automotive, it's probably OBDII, and if it's truck/marine/industrial engines it's probably J1939.

I am the Rockwell Automation network specialist for the Pacific Northwest, so drop me a line at kiroach at ra dot rockwell dot com. I'd like to discuss this application.

ndzied1 · Mar 12, 2009

Not sure if this helps but the AB Pico is really a device made by Moeller called the Easy Relay. For that product, there is a network interface for CanOPEN (EASY-221-CO). The limitations are that it functions only as a slave and if you have OBDII or J1939 it won't recognize the protocall.

If you are curious there is a manual here:
ftp://ftp.moeller.net/DOCUMENTATION/AWB_MANUALS/h1479g.pdf

I would guess that the device doesn't show up in the AB version of the software but we have programmed Pico's with the Moeller software.

junior · Mar 12, 2009

Ken Roach said:
If it's automotive, it's probably OBDII, and if it's truck/marine/industrial engines it's probably J1939.

I am the Rockwell Automation network specialist for the Pacific Northwest, so drop me a line at kiroach at ra dot rockwell dot com. I'd like to discuss this application.

It is a truck engine controller and the protocol is J1939, but I don't know if that's considered CAN or CAN2.0 or CANOpen, etc...

Basically we want to send a couple of parameters from the Micrologix to the engine controller and then a couple pressure & temperature readings from the controller to the PLC (this way we don't need to double up on instrumentation).

ndzied1 · Mar 12, 2009

CAN Stands for Controller Area Network. It is a specification for a serial bus.

CANOpen is a protocol that defines messages that are sent over a CAN bus.

J1939 is also a protocol that defines messages that are sent over a CAN bus.

DeviceNet is also a protocol that defines messages that are sent over a CAN bus.

You may find this site helpful:
http://www.can-cia.org/

If you need a more immediate explanation, think of the phone lines coming into your house. They can carry voice, or analog modem, or FAX, or DSL modem. All these devices use the same wires and limitations of voltage and impedance of the wires but none can "understand" any of the others.

This isn't an exact analog but close enough to get the idea across.

Pudden · Mar 13, 2009

Gateway solution

Hi Junior,

It sounds as if one of our gateways would fit your application. We have two gateways, J1939 to Modbus RTU and J1939 to EtherNet/IP. For more information:

http://www.anybus.com/support/support.asp?PID=114&ProdType=Anybus X-gateway

http://www.anybus.com/support/support.asp?PID=344&ProdType=Anybus X-gateway

Or send me an email at: [email protected]

Best regards

/Patrick Lansdorf

SNK · Mar 13, 2009

NDZIED1,

Very useful information.
I just hope that more people read this.....

I wish that in tech schools they explained all of these different BUS systems more in depth. I am about 15 years out of school, and I realize that some of these are relatively new, but lots are still used.

Maybe someone could develop a spreadsheet of some of the largest BUS systems, with the associated protocols used. It would be helpful for quite a few of the newer members!

Ken Roach · Mar 13, 2009

Rob Hulsebos used to have a really comprehensive fieldbus summary and comparison website, but I think he hosted it on a Compuserve service that's since gone dark.

This seems to include some of the linked material:

http://read-out.net/signpost/fieldbus.html

junior · Mar 13, 2009

Excellent information guys. Thanks for the responses.

ndzied1 & ken, those websites are very helpful, and it clarifies a lot of my questions.

The HMS anybus device looks like what I would need. I'm going to look through the manual to get more information on how it will interface with the ML1100.

Jr.

Joe_WaZoo · Mar 14, 2009

Jr.

You could also look at the Red Lion DataStation Plus product with a CANopen card. Then use the SAE J1939 driver that Red Lion has to get the specific tags from the engine into your PLC via DF1, DH485, or Ethernet. You can build this example database by downloading Crimson 2.0 from Redlion.net website and see all of the J1939 tags that are available.

Red Lion DataStation Plus

Crimson 2.0 Software (FREE!!!!)

Driver Listing J1939

CANOpen Card

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