Control net

Question 1: Is it possible to configure a control net network without a 1784-PCC or similar item, that is can you use some sort of pass-thru in the processor or CNB module to get onto the network.
Question 2: I can not see an easy way to get a control net connection to a compact logix system. Has any one any ideas on this.

Regards Alan Case

Not sure about getting ControlNet onto a CompactLogix so I will tackle your other question:

Yes you can bridge to the ControlNet either through an RSLinx Gateway or through ControlLogix bridge modules.

I personally almost always use Ethernet (and a 1756-ENET) to get to the ControlLogix chassis and then bridge through the backplane to the ControlNet bridge module (1756-CNB).

I have found the 1784-PCC to work just fine in most cases however it seems to be really slow to schedule/reschedule a network. Not sure why that is, so I usually stick to using Ethernet to schedule/reschedule my ControlNet.

OG

on another matter, the SLC500 program you sent me......I finally ran through it and got the same results (scan times) you were getting. I tried it on a SLC-5/03, a 5/04 and a 5/05. All the same results. On a whim I tried it on my CLogix and it was 10x faster!

Hi, Thanks for the answers.
I still have few things needing clarification.
When you say to use a RSLinx gateway do you mean a physical gateway or the version of linx called gateway. I have one small network (2 racks) to schedule and don't want to spend a fortune to do this.
Is it possible to use the programming port on the base rack to access the CNB module.
On the remote rack there will be no processor so is it possible to place this CNB into the base rack to schedule/configure and then place it back in the remote rack.

This is only a small job I have to do but it will probably be ongoing so it is not viable to get someone in just to schedule the network.

As I see the minimum I will need is
RSNetworks for Controlnet
Either a 1784-PCC card or 1756-ENET

Thanks in advance Alan Case

Gateway here means not the RSLinx Gateway software (RSLinx lite also can do, I beleive-- anyway I have RSLinx Gateway ), Its the ControlLgix chasis with bridging from one netwrok to another.. You can connect to the ControlLogix through serial port (DF1) , then go to backplane and select CNB module, under that you will be able to see controlnet network. Using RSNetworx for ControlNet select this controlnet path , then you will be able to schedule the network.

There is no controlnet solution for CompactLogix available . Only Ethernet (usinmg NET-ENI ) , DF1 and Devicenet ( 1769-SDN) networks are availabe for compactlogix. Why don't you consider FlexLogix with Controlnet daughter card?

To take that one step further....

Yes, connect to the serial port of your ControlLogix CPU and then when browsing a Who Active window (RSLinx Lite is all that is necessary) you can go through the serial port to the chassis backplane. From there you can see all the modules in that chassis. You can then go through the ControlNet bridge module (1756-CNB) to browse the ControlNet network. You can through browse through the Remote CNB module to the backplane of the remote chassis. Now you can see any module in that remote chassis.

It looks very much like Windows Explorer as you expand folders on your hard drive and see subfolders.

So all you really then is your serial cable (null modem style). RSNetworx for CNet and RSLinx Lite. Then of course your RSLogix5000 to program the CPU. A 1784-PCC is not really necessary.

Bear in mind also that when you schedule, you are scheduling the whole network including all CNBs. You are not required to manually configure every CNB card. So leave the remote CNB in the remote chassis and you can schedule everyone at once.

The Ethernet suggestion was just for speed. The serial connection and the PCC card are not terribly fast at scheduling the ControlNet. Ethernet is much much faster.

The RSLinx Gateway suggestion was yet another option but based on the hardware you are already going to be using I would not consider that as an option after all.

OG

I usually use a 1784-PCC card to schedule my ControlNet, because it gives me more resources for RSNetworx to use making and breaking connections than I can get by passing through a 1756-CNB.

Passing through the ControlLogix backplane via Ethernet works fast, and DF1 through the controller works as well but slower. My experience is opposite Operaghost's, in that I find scheduling more than 5 or 6 connections to be difficult using passthrough.

For your application, Alan, you don't need a PCC. Scheduling one or two chassis of ControlNet I/O is no sweat passing through the 1756-CNB.

I found more than 5 or 6 nodes on serial (DF1) using passthrough to be almost unbearably slow. That is what prompted the move to ethernet.

OG

Thanks for all the replies. I now know what I need and how to do it. This was something I could not easily find in the manuals (and I did try, been reading a multitude of confusing manuals now for 3 days).
I did not want to fork out the dollars at present for a PCC card just to schedule a 2 node network.

I have tried to steer away from flex logix as the factory in question already has 1756 io and 1769 io and I did not want to add to the qty and range of spares required.

As a thought is it possible to connect a 1770-KFC up to the network but sort of in reverse. That is connect the serial port of the KFC to the DF1 of a processor and then join the controlnet to the KFC. I would not do it this way to get a compact logix onto controlnet (cost), but is it possible.

Regards Alan Case