Beckhoff TwinCAT Target System Error

Hi,

I'm working on a project that involves using the Beckhoff C6015-0010 running Windows Compact Embedded 7. Essentially, I'm trying to use the Beckhoff device to control a servo over etherCAT.

I have TwinCAT 3 installed on a Windows 10 Computer and am using the Visual Studio IDE. I've run into an issue with trying to set the Beckhoff device as my target in Visual Studio. I've used the "Choose Target..." button located in the SYSTEM General Tab, and was able to find the device, (host name: CP-32467C), and then selected the add route button, to which I was I input the username and password. At this point, an X appeared on the "Connected" field, which I've taken as the device connected. I close that window, then select the now visible CP-32467C for the chosen target system. The window closes, and I am lest with the main SYSTEM module, but my target is apparently "Offline", and in Choose Target System Toolbar, it reads "CP-32467C (ERROR)". From this it seems like the device is not properly set as the target.

I'm very new to this software and PLCs as a whole, so I am fully aware I may be going about this the completely wrong way, but I felt that this was a pretty simple task to accomplish. I'd be happy to provide more information and discuss what I'm attempting to do further.

I've attached a few screenshots of the process I've done. If anyone can assist me I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

I am not sure do i remember this right, but on the add route dialog you have to check "ip address" box. Then you have to start "broadcast search" to find correct target device. After that you have to go to solution explorer (tree on the left side". Go over to "IO" folder, right click and choose "scan boxes". After successful scan activate your configuration.

Thanks for the response Mara.

on the add route dialog you have to check "ip address" box. Then you have to start "broadcast search" to find correct target device.

Click to expand...

I attempted to use the "ip address" box, but still got the same result. I've actually attempted that before to no avail.

After that you have to go to solution explorer (tree on the left side". Go over to "IO" folder, right click and choose "scan boxes"

Click to expand...

This got me excited because I couldn't remember trying to right click the I/O module, but unfortunately the I/O module doesn't offer a menu when right clicked. The "Devices" option under that does, but "Scan" (I'm assuming is what you meant by scan boxes) is greyed out and unavailable.

I have a BIT more info for anyone trying to help.

My desktop is running TwinCat 3.1, and the C6015-0010 is running Twincat 2.11. I've since tried a different C6015-0100 device that we had, and received the same issue. I've also attempted to go through the procedure on a separate laptop.

I'm currently waiting for Beckhoff to video-call me next week to help with the problem.

My money is currently on some sort of version/privileges issue, or problem with the platform being fairly new.

Still, if anyone has any ideas to offer, I'd love to try them.


edit:
PS here's a screenshot of the greyed out box for visualization purposes

Progress!

I was able to properly connect to the device with my laptop running TwinCAT 2.11.

It seems like there was some form of incompatibility or error when trying to connect to the device using TwinCAT 3. I guess I'll find out if that is expected behavior, or unexpected on Monday when I speak with Beckhoff.

If you were able to connect with Twincat 2, that means you have TC 2 runtime on the controller. You will need to upgrade the PLC to TC 3.1 runtime before you can use the TC 3.1 development software to program it. This is usually done by copying a new Windows image to the SD card or whatever media your controller boots from. These can normally be downloaded from the Beckhoff FTP site but I'm not familiar with your particular device. Beckhoff tech support can certainly help with that.

John is right. You can't get connected to TC2 target device with TC3.

Thanks for the assistance! I'm glad to finally know what I was doing wrong.

Hello there. I also experienced the same problem. What kind of solution did they offer?

Re the question of TwinCAT 2 and TwinCAT 3 inter-operation, I recently did so at one of our sites. I used a PC with TwinCAT 3 development environment to interact with a PLC with TwinCAT 2 runtime. I was able to set a route so that a Visual Basic HMI program on the PC could interact with the PLC. I was also able to scan the I/O modules and view the settings (CoE tab, didn't need to change any). This was in just the "System" part of the TC3 project, which is equivalent to stand-alone program "System Manager" in TC2. I didn't touch the PLC code part of the project ("PLC-Control" program in TC2).

Of course, I could have installed TC2 System Manager on the PC, since it requires no license, but that PC already had TC3 installed, so I tried it.

In a similar vein, I have a VB6 HMI program which interacts with a PLC, some of those systems are TC2 runtime and some are TC3. The HMI PC need only have an AMS "route" set to the PLC, and it doesn't matter if the HMI PC has TC2 or TC3. The TC3 install requires no license (PLC runtime maintains the license). For TC2, install as "CP-level" (means "Control Panel"), which also requires no license. You cannot program PLC code with that, but I have a laptop "TC2 programming station" which holds a TC2 programming license. I think my VB6 program requires a route because it uses AdsOcx calls. It seems there is a lower-level method of communication which doesn't require a route, since the HMI PC was running a LabWindows/CVI code that got readings from the PLC before I setup the route above. BTW, the VB6 code needs to adapt to whether the PLC is running TC2 or TC3. For TC2, "runtime 1" is on port 801, whereas it is on port 851 in TC3 (may only apply to AdsOcx calls). Also, one accesses global variables differently, calling as ".var1" in TC2 and "GVL.var1" in TC3 (or whatever global_variables folder is named in PLC project), though I think you could spell out the folder in TC2. The user of the VB6 code must select either TC2 or TC3 and type the AMS ID of the PLC.