RSlinx connect to Micrologix 1000 with DF1

Hi, I am new to PLC. Got a Micrologix 1000 with RS232 cable. Installed RSlinx on XP with SP2. Try to connect PC to ML1000 with DF1 protocal. Get time out message when doing auto-config.

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the Forum, Mike.

DF1 Full Duplex Autoconfigure usually works very well, so you have something unusual in your setup.

Try the default MicroLogix 1000 DF1 parameters; 19200 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, CRC error checking.

If you are using a USB/RS232 converter, there are two common issues:

1. Selecting the COMx port. You absolutely have to use the Windows Device Manager to find out which COM port your USB/RS232 converter has been assigned by the operating system. This varies widely.

2. Some USB/RS232 converters simply won't support Autoconfigure, because it involves rapidly changing the serial framing settings of the port. Some of them simply can't keep up.

The last and least likely possibility is that this MicroLogix 1000 might have been set up to participate in a DH485 network and has the serial port set for DH485 as the Primary Protocol. You might be able to get it to auto-detect DF1 just by using the default parameters and browsing it for a while, or you might have to find a way to connect to it with DH485 protocol. This can be tricky because the old serial converters from the early 90's (called 1747-PIC and 1761-NET-AIC) have a driver that's hard to run in modern Windows.

Post more about your serial port hardware and Windows settings, your DF1 configuration and the heritage of the controller.

Hi, Ken.

I am not using USB/RS232. The ML1000 is directly connected to XP desktop with COM1 on the motherboard. I checked in the device manager to make sure it is COM1.

You probably right for DH485 set up. I got this ML1000 from eBay and try to learn PLC. When I create the link in RSlinx. Somehow the DF1 has a -485 at the end. If this ML1000 was set up to participate in a DH485 network before, anything I can do to change it other than DF1 browsing for a long time?

Thanks!

That confusing driver label used by RSLinx Classic is a long-standing gripe of mine: it's meant to indicate the Device Type.

When you configure a DF1 driver with the Device Type set for PLC-5 Ch.0 or 1785-KE/1770-KF2, the driver name is displayed as "DF1-1 DH+"

When you configure a DF1 driver with the Device Type set for SLC Ch.0/MicroLogix/PanelView or for 1747-KE/1770-KF3, the driver name is displayed as "DF1-1 DH485".

That label doesn't actually indicate that the DF1 driver is connected to a network bridge, but rather indicates the class of controller (PLC-5 or SLC-500) that the driver is meant to connect to.

Since you have an honest-to-goodness COM1 port and Windows XPSP2, you can try to use the RSLinx Classic "1747-PIC/AIC+" driver. This will run the DH485 protocol on your computer and if the MicroLogix 1000 is really set for DH485 protocol, it will show up in the browse.

There have been a lot of threads on this Forum in which fellows have had their first experience with a controller be fantastically frustrating over simply establishing communications, only to find that they were sold a damaged controller on eBay. You should consider that possibility too.

What cable are you using ? Should be 1761-CBL-PM02 ( null-modem cable)

Thanks to Ken and Mickey.

I am using a 1761-CBL-PM02 (8 pin mini din to RS232). It is possible I got a bad ML1000 eBay. However, I hope to give another try.

Reading ML1000 manual, looks like ML1000 should switch to DF1 if DH485 is set before and I should be able to connect. However, if ML1000 is set to DF1 half slave, then it will not respond to DF1! At this point, I can not try DH485 with AIC or UIC.

If this ML1000 is set to DH1 half slave (don't know the device number), anything else I can try?

Thanks!

If this ML1000 is set to DH1 half slave (don't know the device number), anything else I can try?

Click to expand...

Yes try the DF1 Polling master driver in RSLinx.

Exactly which model of MicroLogix 1000 controller do you have ?

There's a slightly risky way to default a MicroLogix 1000: the AC-powered models with DC Inputs have a +24V DC auxiliary power supply, with screw terminals on the top-left corner.

If you intentionally short out these terminals, then power up / power down the controller briefly, it should clear the controller memory and return the serial port to default settings.

Of course there's also a chance it will destroy the controller. It's not a recommended practice but if you're got a controller you can't use, it's maybe worth a shot. It doesn't work, of course, on the AC-powered, AC-I/O models or the DC-powered models.

This sort of ability to accidentally make it difficult to communicate with a controller is the reason that every subsequent model of MicroLogix controller has a "DCOMM" default serial settings button.

Hi, I have the same problem. Have lots of ML1000 with DF1 disabled, or set to half slave, and cant connect. Please if you find a way to comunicate with the controller make me know.
Thanks in advance,
Nicolás

The way to communicate with the controller is to correctly configure the computer, Nico !

I can't guess what sort of computer hardware, serial cables, or RSLinx configuration you are using.

So you will have to post that information here on the Forum.

The existing thread has to do with DF1 Full Duplex and the Autconfigure feature.

Your solution will involve DF1 Half Duplex and probably some hardware handshaking. It would be best to start a new thread to address these issues.

The biggest challenge you have is that DF1 Half Duplex with hardware handshaking is not supported in computer operating systems newer than Windows NT 4.0.

Do you have any information from the MicroLogix 1000 application, like an offline file or some notes about how it might have been connected to a modem ?