Need to add a 1794-IB16 to controlnet

Hello,
The Facts:
1. I need to add a 1794-IB16 to a controlnet 1794-ACN15 module. The module currently has only an analog input card 1794-OE4 connected.
2. I have a laptop with the correct software (RSNetworx for controlnet) but no PCC slot to connect a PCD card. (also no PCD card)
3. Their is only one PLC on the Network. That PLC is a PLC5/80C with an Ethernet sidecar.
4. Is passthru availble
5. The data table for inputs on Node 5 (1794-ACN w/ OE4)shows 8 words.
6. Shutting down the processor or going to program mode will drop power to the entire plant. I can do it but it has to be brief and scheduled to prevent equipment damage. Zero tolerance for errors.

Questions:
1. If required, how do you write the new data to the 1794-ACN15 module without a PCD card or the KTC module which won't fit in a laptop either.(Haven't tried the hammer method though) and Will downloading to the ACN module fault the processor?

2. Will clipping the IB16 fault the processor? (thereby shutting the power off to the facility)

3. If I make the edit to the Controlnet offline, save the .XI file then integrate with the PLC5 through the controller properties page in RSlogix5 then clip the IB16 to the ACN module and download that to the plc5 will the I/O be available for use?
4. I tried several manuals but they don't really cover adding I/O to existing nodes (that I've found) only adding new nodes and I don't need that. Any manual recommendations?(please don't ask to me search AB's website I only have a few days)

Is this a ControlNet "Phase 1.25" system with a PLC-5/80C and 1794-ACN, or a ControlNet "Phase 1.5" system with PLC-5/80C15 and 1794-ACN15 ?

The fact that you mentioned that this controller is involved with facility power and the fact that your location code implies you're in the Gulf of Mexico suggests that it is a power turbine controller, which in turn suggests that it's a Solar Turbines system. Solar Turbines was by far the largest user of ControlNet Phase 1.25 equipment and remains the biggest user of FLEX I/O on ControlNet.

Maintenance of Phase 1.25 systems requires some uncommon and specific skills and frequently involves old hardware, and Solar Turbines is usually the source of both. I always had a test system available to practice and verify edits and procedures before attempting them on a critical control system, but I haven't touched a Phase 1.25 system since 1999.

The only modern tool for scheduling ControlNet Phase 1.25 systems is RSLogix 5 Professional, version 7.20 or later. It had a ControlNet scheduling tool built into the I/O configuration and you could download the PLC5 program via DH+ or DF1 or Ethernet. Because the PLC-5 is the only moderator and connection originator on a Phase 1.25 system, you don't need to be connected directly to the ControlNet network like you did with a Phase 1.5 system. The "Professional" license for RSLogix 5 is uncommon; Toolkit owners and RA service engineers will have it but most general users have the Standard license.

I don't think RSNetworx for ControlNet is involved in Phase 1.25 systems.

All I/O memory in the PLC-5 is fully defined; you wont' find differently sized logical "racks", so the fact that I:5.0 through I:5.7 is defined doesn't tell us much. We need to figure out if there is a scheduled connection to Node 5 that is configured for a Rack Optimized connection. That will be in the I/O Configuration section of RSLogix 5 Professional.

If there is already a 1794-TB3 base connected to the 1794-ACN adapter next to the 1794-OE4, you could just insert the a 1794-IB16 and it should start working *if* there is a discrete connection configured for that chassis. With just an Analog Output module installed, a discrete connection is not required so it's just as likely that the Input module won't work until you create that discrete connection.

Addition or disconnection of an I/O adapter on ControlNet will not cause a controller to fault, unless the user program has been configured to fault the controller in the event of a communication loss to that adapter. I don't know what circuits might be connected to your analog output module so I don't know how critical it is to the process, and I can't guess how it might be configured.

Definitely do not attempt to connect a new 1794-TB3 wiring base to a 1794-ACN that's still powered up. That could damage the adapter and will amost certainly cause the adapter to logically fault.

The first question is whether or not this system is a Phase 1.25 or not. All other recommendations are predicated on that fact.

Thank you for responding Ken.
I have a PLC5/80C 1.5 series F Rev C
The analog on the ACN15 (node 5) does not appear to be used in the program. I would have included this info in the original post but I didn't realize it was pertinent.
We have RSLogix5 7.3 (Doesn't say Pro) and RSnetworx for Controlnet 8.0
This is the Main PLC for an Oil Platform. All the Safeties run through it. I have to keep the downtime to a minimum or the price of gas will be 10cents higher by the end of the week. So there should be some motivation to assist me.
There is no TB3 base connected to the analog card base. Will a power cycle find it or will I need something to go online with controlnet and add it. I have till Thursday to figure it out. Then things will start going bad.

Okay, so it's a Phase 1.5 system. Disregard everything above that's related to Phase 1.25 equipment, then.

You will need to power down the 1794-ACN15 to add the 1794-TB3 wiring base, then download a new ControlNet configuration to the PLC-5C15 controller and re-schedule the ControlNet network.

Downloading a ControlNet configuration and re-scheduling the ControlNet network on a system with only a PLC-5C15 controller and I/O modules requires a direct connection between the RSNetworx computer and the ControlNet network. You cannot "pass through" the PLC-5 or load the network configuration via Ethernet or DF1 or DH+ connection to the PLC-5.

You need some kind of ControlNet interface. Get a PC with a PCMCIA slot that can support the 1784-PCC (clearly somebody had one attached at one time, since they show in your screenshot) or get a 1784-U2CN USB to ControlNet interface.

If you have ControlLogix hardware that includes 1756-CNB or -CN2 modules you could bridge from Ethernet through those modules to the network.

I took a closer look at the screenshot of RSNetworx above (could you zip those at full resolution ?) and it looks like there is already a 1794-IB16 configured at Node 5, next to the analog output module.

Did you add that, or was it already there ?

If you can post the *.XC file (the one that's running now) that would be ideal.

Thanks Ken.
I figured AB would have something we could use. I did search their site for communications on controlnet but only found pcmcia and KT card options.
I don't think you can get a computer with a PCMCIA slot anymore. The cards pictured on the network are from the original network install from around 2001. Pictured is an offline file that I tried to edit by adding the card in and creating the XI file. Its a learning experience for sure.
I just looked up the price of USB adapters. PLCcenter lists at 2K? Thats crazy. it would be cheaper to add an entire new PLC and transfer data over ethernet