SLC 5/05 Comms Inquiry

Would it be possible to attach a dial up modem to Channel 0 DF1 port of a SLC 5/05 then utilize the passthru/gateway function to access the Allen Bradley Ethernet and any devices connected to that?

I have done something like this successfully before utilizing a dial up modem with a SLC 5/04 to connect to the DH+ network. But am a little confused when it involves the ethernet comms.

I have never tried it, but the manual seems to indicate you can.

See PDF below.

It's possible, but of limited utility.

DF1 to DH+ is relatively simple, because each has a single-byte network address and a limited and very similar set of function codes.

Ethernet, on the other hand, uses much larger packets, a huge variety of function codes, and a four-byte network address.

You can configure a Pass-Through Routing Table in the SLC-5/05 controller (the data file is designated in the Channel 1 Configuration window) to allow incoming DF1 packets to be routed to a specific IP address. The feature is documented in the User Manual/Help as well as in RA Knowledgebase Article ID 19850 (TechConnect).

This method would let you go online with a MicroLogix 1100, for example, on the Ethernet network. But it wouldn't let you download to a PanelView Plus, or access a remote Webserver.

For dialup-to-Ethernet applications, I would recommend investing in a "RAS Modem" sort of device that uses dialup modem technology to get better data rates, compression, security, and a much wider range of protocols.

Rockwell Automation's "9300-RADES" Ethernet switch/dialup modem is one of the few industrial-packaged devices that does this well. The now discontinued Shiva LanRover Modem and the also discontinued 3Com OfficeConnect 3C886 were good commercial-grade devices for this purpose that are occasionally available in the aftermarket (1 in stock from an Amazon seller right now !).

Thank you for the information.