Microcomputing (siemens software)

Hi all,

Sorry if you find this post more than one time, I get a mistake ....

Could someone help me about the use of Microcomputing.
In fact I need to use it with the PPI protocol with 1 or 4 CPUs.

In the siemens documentation, they always says that it is better to use it with CP card.

What is about the use without it ?

If I need to communicate with many CPUs how does it working ?

Could I use 4 COM ports with a CPU on each of one ?

Does Microcomputing allow me to have communication to each CPU accross each PC port ?

Thank you for your help

If you have any other good information, I am well getting it ...

Patrick

PS : Have a nice end of year ...

reganas said:

Hi all,

Sorry if you find this post more than one time, I get a mistake ....

Could someone help me about the use of Microcomputing.
In fact I need to use it with the PPI protocol with 1 or 4 CPUs.

In the siemens documentation, they always says that it is better to use it with CP card.

Click to expand...

A card from Siemens that communicates using PPI would be the easiest.
What documentation? Do you have the specification?

What is about the use without it ?

Click to expand...

Writing your own PPI protocol would not be easy. Even if you had the specification. It looks to be harder than DF1. If you don't have the specification then it would be very difficult to reverse engineer. Buying the card would be cheaper.

If I need to communicate with many CPUs how does it working ?

Click to expand...

The physical layer is a RS-485 line that has multi drop capabilities.
There are masters that only talk when they have the token and there are slaves that respond to the master.

Could I use 4 COM ports with a CPU on each of one ?

Click to expand...

That shouldn't be necessary with a RS-485 line.

Does Microcomputing allow me to have communication to each CPU accross each PC port ?

Click to expand...

Yes, but you would still need the specification and you would need to properly implement the specification. This could be done from one Siemens card.

Microcomputing

Thank you for your answer...

But I want only use microcomputing.

Then, I have read the microcomputing documentation and specification.
I didn't found any informations about the use of microcomputing unlimited in this case for working with more than one CPU.

At this time, there isn't any good help with the siemens support line.
Then I post this question here.

I had try to make reverse engeenering as you said, but I didn't have the time to do it (and Siemens didn't sale or give the PPI Protocol specifications). So, I have to use Microcomputing.

The only bad reason to unused it, is the PPI speed (9600bps).
In fact, I use the biggest S7-200 available, and there is just 30 programming bytes available too. Then I can't do something else.

So, do you have already use microcomputing with more than 1 CPU and without additional CP Card ?
If so, How is it working ?

Thanks a lot

Patrick

Unlimited Micro Computing will work with more than 1 CPU, where "Limited" will work with 1. The packages run $195 vs $299 for the Unlimited version. There is little Siemens help, it was kind of an Orphan software. The reason for wanting you to use the CP5613 card, was throughput speed and Serial Port Limitataions. If you are trying to feed a bunch of data through the serial port to more than one CPU, it won't work well. You are having to send it through the PPI adapter cable and it isn't designed for it. The CP5613 card has it's oun CPU on it and talks directly to the PPI network between CPU's and can run 187.5 KB instead of 9.6 or 19.2 K

Microcomputing

Thank you for your very technical and good reponse

You have well helping me

I hope that I can help you later ....