Microwave Data Systems 4710

I am currently experminting with MDS 4710 radios. Can any one tell me how to communicate from Modicon and AB PLC's to the radio so the data can be transmitted. This may be a stupid question but I am just totaly confused. I look at the PLC programs (created by another person) and do not see how the data that needs to be transmitted is being told to go the the radio.

Thanks!

That radio is RS232 only you need set up a port to work with it. I that radio will most likely need rts/cts hand shaking so the port on the plc port should support hardware flow control. The pin out for it can be found on MDS's website but it is in a manual that covers the x710 line as thay are all basicly the same. We use them with modbus.

Hi Dave,

If the radios are RS-232 on both sides, then you can literally think of them as a cable (albeit possibly a bit of a slow one). If the communication is to take place between two PLCs, then one needs to initiate. they of course need to be able to talk the same protocol as well, and both need to be set up with baud rate, parity, stop bits etc to match what the radio is expecting.

If one end is connected to a PC, then that would normally be your initiating end.

If there are PLCs on both ends then yes, you'll need to write some code t implement data exchange.