Touch Panel connect to Ch 2 Micrologix 1400?

I'm trying to connect an Ez-Touch panel (C-more panels use the same comm) to the Channel 2 (9-pin RS-232) connector on a Micrologix 1400.

There are only three lines coming out of the "To PLC" connector on the Touch Panel, so I have modified a cable designed to plug into the Channel 0 (8-pin DIN) connector, which I must use for the PC-to-PLC connection.

The problem is configuring the driver in RSLynx Classic.

I selected the RS232 - DF1 type driver but none of the device selections seem to work, when I select one and run Auto-Configure.

The first problem in the "Configure RS-232 DF1 Devices" window is selecting the Comm Port. I have selected COM 3 which one would hope would correspond to Channel 2 (?).

Then, in the Device dropdown list, the choices are :

PLC-Ch0 (don't think we want anything marked Channel 0)
1770-KF2/1785-KE/SCANport
1770-KF3/1747-KE
SLC-CH0/Micro/PanelView (again, marked for Channel 0)
KFC 1.0 ( fried chicken?)
KFC 1.5
Logix550/Compact Logix


The Station Number would have to be 0 (no other stations), except for the KFC devices which insist on a minimum station number of 1.

Everything else should be taken care of by the AutoConfigure once the other settings are right.

Note that I have successfully used RSLynx to make the connection to the PLC on the Channel 0 connector and communicate to the PLC from RSLogix 500.

Please advise on how to make this RSLinx connection, so that I can move on to project development. The program is looking for very specific information and I have had no luck searching for the correlation between the devices listed and a touch panel display.

This is a confusing question. Are you trying to connect an EZ Touch to the 1400 or are you asking about connecting a PC to the 1400?

If connecting thee PC then in RSLinx the Comm Port is the port ON YOUR COMPUTER where you are connecting the cable.

The device is "SLC-CH0/Micro/PanelView"

The connection will be the same as when you connected to channel 0. But make sure to use the correct cable! My documentation I have on the 1400 is hazy on eht connection cable between a PC and channel 2. You may have to look around.

My question is about connecting the touch panel to the Micrologix controller. I indicated that I had successfully connected the PC to the controller.

If you are connecting a C-more touch panel to a Micro Logics PLC, why are you in RS-links.

To configure comms for the touch panel you configure it in your C-more software under panel comunications. Select the Micrologic DF 1 driver. In your Ml1400 PLC under channel configurations configure port the prot you are plugged into as DF1.

RS Links is used for configuring PC drivers to connet to various AB Networks.

Perhaps this is something that I need to accomplish directly through RSLogix 500?

Crossed postings, there.

I have set up the Touch Panel with the Ez-Touch software:
Setup - Select PLC - Allen-Bradley MicroLogix DF1(Full Duplex) - Rev E

View/Edit PLC Com Setup:
Baud 19200
Parity Even
Stop Bits One
Checksum BCC
Timeout Time 30
Poll Time 0
(these were the defaults)

Under the top menu
Panel - Com configuration
I am offered a choice of COM1 through COM4 or Ethernet
COM2 is the ONLY one it will accept.

I still get no indication that the Touch Panel is talking to the PLC.

When I run a simple program that should turn on an indicator light, all I get is
"PLC Message Timeout CMD = A2" displayed on the Touch Panel.

I have tried swapping the TX and RX lines with no result.

Is there some simple thing in TSLogix 500 to tell me that I am connected to a Touch Panel?

Clay_B, how does one
"In your Ml1400 PLC under channel configurations configure port the port you are plugged into as DF1." ?

Is this something on the built-in menu, accessed through the three buttons on the Micrologix 1400 or is this set in RSLogix 500?

I understand that RSLynx should not be involved in the direct communications between the Touch Panel and the Micrologix 1400.

When working with Automation Direct and DirectSoft, I was able to connect the touch panel to the PC for touch panel programming, the PC to the PLC for PLC programming and simultaneously connect the PLC to the touch panel for HMI purposes. This was the easiest way to do program development. That is all I am trying to do with the Allen-Bradley PLC and RSLogix.

Your post is very confusing to me , but one thing that does stand out is the error detection setting. The default for your ML1400 channel two is "CRC". And parity. Check your Ml1400's program to verify this.See picture below

Thank you, that is a good clue to start with.

I can see now how to compare Channel Configurations in RSLogix 500 with
EZ Touch software View/Edit PLC comm setup.

I have change the settings in the EZTouch to show CRC error-checking and set the Parity to NONE to agree with the RSLogix 500 settings.

I have again attempted to run a program which should change an indicator on the display. Again, it has failed. I tried swapping RX and TX lines with the same failure.

I realize the posts are confusing because I know neither the communications flow nor the location of menu settings with which you are familiar. As stated, I have worked with similar components from other vendors and just need to get the basic HMI, PLC and PC connections set up.

What cable are you using? See link below

http://www.automationdirect.com/static/specs/cmorecables.pdf

Note : I'm not a C-More user. Others will have to check in with that.

As I explained in the first post, I had to make up a cable to fit the connector on Channel 2. C-more only makes cables that connect to the Channel 0 (DIN) connector on the Micrologix. I have ten years as a technician and another ten years as an engineer, so making up a cable is not that hard for me.

I know I have the right pins for the EZTouch (15-pin) end because I cut the DIN connector off the C-more cable for Micrologix. There are only 3 connections. I have tried swapping RX and TX at each step.

Automation Direct's EA-SLC-232-CBL will work to connect an EZ-Touch to the DB-9 connector, but since you're good at making cables, I've attached the connection diagram.



-Eric

Thanks, Eric. I appreciate the diagram. I had wondered if that SLC500 cable would be the one to use for the next project. I had not connected the shield, which is a good idea. If shielding had been the problem on the a three-foot cable run, I would have expected intermittent data transmission.

Anyway, I am now making use of Mr. Spock's immortal advice "Cross-circuiting to B".: swapping to different ports and to different computers to see if I have a hardware problem somewhere.

Thanks to all for their advice. I now believe that I know where the controls are for the comm parameters on both ends of the cable.

Communications achieved through Channel 2!

:site:

Having the exact wiring diagram, connecting the shield, reconfiguring the drivers and realizing that the USB-to-Serial converter was going to different comm ports on my PC whenever I unplugged the USB cable - all contributed to a successful resolution.

I recommend buying the EA-SLC-232-CBL as suggested by Eric, if you plan on using C-more (or older EZ-Touch) touch panels on Channel 2 (the 9 pin RS-232)

It would be helpful, if AutomationDirect (vendors for C-more cables) would modify their cable descriptions to acknowledge that there is a choice of port on certain models in the Micrologix line.