I have to use a new L81 ControlLogix processor to MSG read a SLC5/05. I've done this before on the older series using an ENBT, but the new processor has an Ethernet port built-in, which I assume changes the path.
Does anyone know the new communication path to use in the MSG setup? I can't seem to find any documentation on it. The processor is in the first slot on the rack.
Is it something like:
1,S1,2,192.168.155.77
Thank you!
As the 5580 controller has an embedded Ethernet port, I don't think the Slot it is in matters for direct message (MSG) communications out this port, as you are not routing through the backplane to reach the controller. Likewise, you are not routing through the backplane to go out from the controller's Ethernet port to nodes on the network.
I actually, and surprisingly, cannot find any documentation which describes the MSG path to use to go out from the embedded Ethernet port to other nodes? Perhaps by modern standards they expect us to be able to select all nodes on the network via the I/O Configuration? But we know that won't be the case for some time to be, such as the example here.
What I do know is that to communicate with itself, the manual path to type is "THIS" and I have seen that referenced a few times over the last year or so. You can also browse to and select the controller itself in the I/O Configuration and whatever the user name of the controller is will be propagated to the Path field, but "THIS" will still be entered as the actual path.
However, to go directly out to the likes of an SLC 5/05 Ethernet port, which is not available to be added into the I/O Configuration, it is not abundantly clear what the exact path would be? As a test, I have added a 1769-L32E to the I/O configuration, which also has a "direct" Ethernet port, and then configured a MSG path to point to this port. All the browse selection does is add the path of the name of my L32E, which happens to be "CPX_L32E". This then creates the IP address in the MSG instruction's backing tag path as:
10.10.10.120
Which is the IP address I have assigned to the 1769-L32E.
However, if I go back to the MSG path configuration and simply enter:
10.10.10.120
It will fail to accept this as normally we are expected to enter a port/address pair for the MSG path, right? So if there is a port number required, it's probably going to be 2, or 3 or 4 or something, similar to the new 5380 CompactLogix controllers with Dual IP. 2 being the obvious port number to start with. The problem is though, that the MSG path will allow you to assign port numbers up to port 7 (max.) without checking if that port number is valid for the current I/O Configuration or even platform you are using. So yes, it will accept:
2, 10.10.10.120
But it will also accept:
7, 10.10.10.120
And I can't tell you which would be correct without having the hardware to actually test it with.
But, I'm holding out here for the suspense factor...
Back in the MSG instruction's backing tag, and under the path member I mentioned earlier, which is incidentally displayed in Hexadecimal, we can see the following full path:
$12$p10.10.10.120
I explained this syntax recently in another thread...
Path to Freedom...
...so I won't go all into that again here. But, from the above, I can tell you that Studio 5000 has assigned a preceding port number of "2" before the IP address. So this means that although the port number is not exposed to the user in the path field within the MSG instruction applet itself, it is viewable in Hex within the backing tag. So this means that the port/address pair is:
2, 10.10.10.120
Which was assigned when selecting the 1769-L32E.
This would align with the fact that the 5380 CompactLogix controllers start at port number 2 for Linear/DLR mode.
If I create other node types under the I/O Configuration and change the MSG path to them, they likewise automatically assign port 2.
So to be clear, you do not need any local backplane or slot routing within the MSG path. Only the port/address pair is required for these new 5x80 controllers. Also, if messaging to the embedded Ethernet ports on these newer controllers, you only need to add the IP address of the controller. The port is directly exposed to the network.
EDIT1: Sorry Firejo, just saw your post. Don't forget the port 2 option for the 5380 (5069) controllers.
EDIT2: Sorry rupej, I had meant to clearly post your required path that you would manually type in to reach the SLC 5/05:
2, 192.168.155.77
Regards,
George