Ge $conn_status

I got an answer for this here a number of years ago: I was looking for a way to check the connection status of a GE PLC Ethernet port to Cimplicity HMI software. Can't find my original post, but I was told that $CONN_STATUS_P1C1 and $CONN_STATUS_P1C2 system tags would allow me to verify that I had network connection between the PLC and the HMI workstation. That worked like a champ. Now, we are in the midst of migration from Cimplicity to Citect, and the same tags are not recognized by Citect. Since we now only have 1 GE PLC instead of the 5 we used to have (been replacing them with Triconex), the tag issue is a minor but real bother. I am pretty sure that these system tags would also have a real memory address space, just not sure what that might be.

Anyone point me in the right direction? TIA

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=33414

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=83098

The above posts may help you out. They speak of using a heartbeat for communications. This is when the PLC will set a bit on and the SCADA will turn it off or vice versa. You can then tell from both devices that the communication has been lost if the bit remains on / off for too long.
Regards,

Check the documentation for the communications driver that Citect uses to see if it gives you a communications status property.
In Proficy View there is a "Status" property intrinsic to the communications drivers. The property applies to any HMI tag. In a Proficy View HMI target My_Variable:STATUS is Boolean.
I've used the property in both the GE Ethernet driver and the Modbus TCP driver.

After posting, I thought to RTFM... pulled out my dusty copy of GFK-2224J TCPIP Ethernet Communications for PACSystems, and remembered that the Ethernet cards have a status bit table. Bit 13 is LAN OK and bit 16 is LAN Interface OK. Using those, I can see that both are true. I am using LAN OK at this time for my status.