Anybus Ethernet/IP Gateway - CIP Support?

Ok, you guys/girls, you are my last hope as I already tried their tech support who are probably correct on this matter but someone here might be more versed in Ethernet/IP.

Background:

I'm trying to passing data between two segregated Ethernet/IP networks with Contrologix and I settled on using a Anybus Ethernet/IP Slave to Ethernet/IP Slave gateway. I worked with Prosoft stuff before but they don't make such a gateway so I opted for the Anybus device instead. Like other such devices I encountered before, the documentation is... well, written by engineers.

After piecing together the documentation, it appears there's no way to have more than one PLC writing to the Gateway without overwriting the other PLC unlike the Prosoft product where one can do CIP Data Table Write to only certain block of register. Sure, I can MSG to concentrate data all in one PLC than write to the gateway but I prefer to keep data hops to a minimal if all possible.

more detail, the instruction show the MSG setup as "CIP Generic", Service type-Set Attribute Single, Service code-10, Instance-150, Class-4, Attribute-3. No mention of PLC5 Table Write or CIP Table Write are supported.

Any ideas? Like I said, I can go around this problem but I rather not make it more complicated than necessary.

Set Attribute Single (Service code 10), Instance 150, Class 4, Attribute 3.

Click to expand...

You're right that this suggests a single big block of data sent to the Assembly Object. Usually this would be because it's a 'slave' to a single ControlLogix.

Which exact device is this ? Is it the black box "Anybus-X" or the DIN-rail-mount box with the ports on the front ?

I'm curious about whether it supports "Set Member" services or something else that would let you write to just part of the Assembly.

The model # is AB7831 and unless I'm having a serious senior moment, they just removed this product from their lineup.. .like, today!

This is a similar product but with EIP Master on the other side:
http://www.anybus.com/products/products.asp?PID=369&ProdType=Anybus X-gateway

They also have a way to access the data by adding the module to the project with a EDS or generic module on the network tree instead of using message but again, it access the entire table.

Oh, I'm thinking of going to the ISA Seattle Section tour of WADOT control center next week. Going to be a few controls geeks there.

I was able to select EtherNet/IP Slave for both sides on the website and also came up with AB7831.

I read the User Manual for EIP Slave and unfortunately I only see Set Attribute Single in the supported Services list for the Assembly Object.

http://www.anybus.com/upload/ABX-EIPS-addendum.pdf

If the user manual is accurate, I agree that there's no way to send the device data that goes to only part of the Assembly.

Their Modbus/TCP feature seems to allow granular access to the data image, but not the EtherNet/IP Slave part.

I wonder if you changed to the EIP Master on one side but didn't give it actual connections, if you could then write to the multiple connection objects using MSG instructions.

Ok, I was having a senior moment. The Slave option is not next to the EIP Master option in the drop down box but further down.

Thanks for looking into it, Ken.