Communications between PowerFlex 40 and Click PLC

Hello,
Current I am working on a school project involving PLCs and the PowerFlex 40 drive.

The Drive is currently running though the Drive Executive program.
I am unfamiliar with this software so I was going to buy a cheap PLC to compensate. I am looking into buying a CLICK PLC (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc..._(Stackable_Micro_Brick)/PLC_Units/C0-00DD2-D)

Will I be able to communicate to the drive via ethernet with this PLC.
Are the the programs compatible?

Any tips would be appreciate.
Thanks,
Matt

MattEveritt6 said:

Hello,
Current I am working on a school project involving PLCs and the PowerFlex 40 drive.

The Drive is currently running though the Drive Executive program.
I am unfamiliar with this software so I was going to buy a cheap PLC to compensate. I am looking into buying a CLICK PLC (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc..._(Stackable_Micro_Brick)/PLC_Units/C0-00DD2-D)

Will I be able to communicate to the drive via ethernet with this PLC.
Are the the programs compatible?

Any tips would be appreciate.
Thanks,
Matt

Click to expand...

Well, given that the Clic PLC does not come with an Ethernet port, I would have to say no. It comes with a comm port that can put out Modbus RTU, and the PF40 can be talked to that way, but you wasted your money on the Ethernet card for the drive. Still less expensive than adding an Ethernet bridge of some sort. If you just get a MicroLogix 800 series PLC it can talk directly to the drive via Modbus too, then you know for sure that it will work. There is free software for the MicroLogic line, called Connected Components Workbench. Direct connections between the drive and PLC is all built-in to the software, but the ML800 line does not do Ethernet.

If the PLC is not necessary and all you want to do is to be able to control and observe the drive across the Ethernet port, you can do that with the CCW software.

If you want to control the drive via Ethernet from your PC, through a PLC, use a small CompactLogix PLC with an Ethernet port, it is MUCH easier. You will need RS5000 though... And that is not free.

Also not that the PF40 does not have an ethernet port as standard, the port on the drive that looks like ethernet is not ethernet.

alan_505 said:

Also not that the PF40 does not have an ethernet port as standard, the port on the drive that looks like ethernet is not ethernet.

Click to expand...

Oh, good thought! I have made that mistake myself, even though the drive HAD the Ethernet adapter installed (the ports end up right next to each other).

Matt,
If it's a small drive, you can quickly tell by this.

If the drive does NOT have the Ethernet adapter card added to it, it looks like this:

The Ethernet adapter card doesn't fit under the regular cover, so it comes with what's called a "maternity dress" cover to house it, so the drive ends up looking like this:

If yours doesn't look like this, then you are plugging your Ethernet cable into what is called the DPI port (Drive Peripheral Interface), which also uses an RJ45 connector. That would explain why you can't get Drive Executive to work...

Yes, the PowerFlex40 we are dealing with DOES have the ethernet adapter card on it. Don't worry though.. I didn't pay for it, it was the school's equipment. I'm just wondering what would be the best way to integrate the PF40 aswell as certain laser sensor inputs and 2 valves for outputs. We have a RSlogix 5000 license at the school, so that's a non issue as well. So you're saying the micrologix800 cannot support ethernet?
Thank you for the replies.

One of the versions of the Micro800 series PLC's does support ethernet.
Do a search on AB's website.

Yes I'm aware of the Micro 850 that supports ethernet. A little over my price range though. I'm looking for something under $150

MattEveritt6 said:

Yes, the PowerFlex40 we are dealing with DOES have the ethernet adapter card on it. Don't worry though.. I didn't pay for it, it was the school's equipment. I'm just wondering what would be the best way to integrate the PF40 aswell as certain laser sensor inputs and 2 valves for outputs. We have a RSlogix 5000 license at the school, so that's a non issue as well. So you're saying the micrologix800 cannot support ethernet?
Thank you for the replies.

Click to expand...

Hmmm... you are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

The Micro800 line has free software, but does not support Ethernet. It is a "Component Class" PLC, like the Clic, intended for use on a single machine.

The MicroLogix 1100 and 1400 have on-board Ethernet, so you can download and upload programs etc. over Ethernet from your PC using RSLogix 500 or RSLogix Micro. But you say you already have RS5000, yet that does not talk to the MicroLogix family. So you would have to find a copy of RSLogix 500 or Micro to go that route.

If you want to use your RSLogix 5000 software, you need at least a CompactLogix PLC. With that you get the ability to have RSLogix 5000 load all of the necessary parameters automatically when it sees the PF40 connected to its network. Saves a ton of time.

But given this is a student project, it might be more valuable for you to learn what that is worth by having to do it the harder way first. If it were me, I would opt for the Micro800 and free software, then forgo the Ethernet issue.

alan_505 said:

One of the versions of the Micro800 series PLC's does support ethernet.
Do a search on AB's website.

Click to expand...

Forgot that one...

Okay! this has been super helpful, thank you

You can get free software for the MicroLogix1100 (it also does the MicroLogix1000).

Alan.

If you use anything other than a PLC that supports RSLogix5000 you will have to use the message instruction as they do not support ethernet IO only the CompactLogox and ControlLogix does this.

If you use any other brand of PLC you are on your own when using ethernet, but you could use analog out from the PLC to a analog in on the drive to set the speed.