How do I configure Ethernet/IP in FactoryTalkME to a non-Rockwell device

I am trying to get a SoftPLC brand smart plc to talk to a Panelview plus 7. I am wondering if anyone has done this before.

Welcome to the PLCTalk forum community !

Can you provide some additional detail on the SoftPLC controller ? That's both a generic term and a specific Texas company that has been building controllers since the 1980's, including a platform they call the "Smart SoftPLC SM2S-x".

I don't have specific experience with that product, but considering its heritage it very probably emulates PLC-5 data tables.

Are you building an HMI from scratch, or working on an existing system ?

It is indeed the smart controller from SoftPLC.

It is intended to be used to replace a PV1200 talking remoteIO to a PLC 5.

I have been able to get RIO comms between a PLC 5 and the SoftPLC.

I need specific direction on setting up the ethernet driver in the softPLC and choosing a device in the Panelview.

PV p/n 2711P-T10C21D8S
SoftPLC p/n SM2S-LT w/ SM-ABRIOA5.

They use s-expression format to setup the driver. Below is their example

(ethernet_ip
(driver_version 1)
(interface eth0)
#(debug 0x3f)
(debug 0)

(my_assemblies
# 3 assemblies for originator_role_connections
(my_producing 1 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "TO_DRIVE"))
(my_consuming 2 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "FROM_DRIVE"))
(my_config 3 (data int16)(elements 0)(tag "DRIVE_CONFIG"))

# 5 assemblies for target_role_connections
# first expected connection:
(my_producing 100 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "TO_PLC"))
(my_consuming 150 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "FROM_PLC"))
(my_config 151 (data int16)(elements 1)(tag "CONFIG_FOR_ME"))

# second expected connection:
(my_explicit 200 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "TO_HMI"))
(my_explicit 201 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "FROM_HMI"))
)

(target_role_connections
(expect exclusive_owner (my_consuming 150)(my_producing 100)(my_config 151))
)

(originator_role_connections
(target 192.168.1.3
(io_connection
(config (my_config 3)(tgt_config 103))
(t_o (rpi_us 150000)(my_consuming 2)(tgt_producing 101))
(o_t (rpi_us 150000)(my_producing 1)(tgt_consuming 102))
)
)
)

)

More detail:
the tag, "TO_DRIVE" for example, is name given to a datatable file, say N7. If the customer wanted to used SoftPLC brand HMIs, we could use the tag name in place of N7.

I am waiting for the actual PV to arrive and I am trying this thru the FactoryTalk studio right now. So maybe not the best.

Thanks for those details !

I don't have specific experience with those two products communicating with one another.

(my_explicit 200 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "TO_HMI"))
(my_explicit 201 (data int16)(elements 8)(tag "FROM_HMI"))
)

Click to expand...

Does the SoftPLC have a setting or "mapping" that will allow you to correlate a classic PLC-5 style Data Table number and type to those INT16 arrays ?

I would be surprised if SoftPLC emulates ControlLogix explicit named tag access in a way that is compatible with ControlLogix messaging or HMI, but I suppose it's possible. Have you tried inserting a placeholder CompactLogix into the FactoryTalk Linx network schema and creating a screen object to read TO_HMI[0] ?

Because it's Ethernet instead of a legacy network like RIO or DH+, the PV+ and the FactoryTalk View engineering workstation will use the exact same protocol land functionality, so you can definitely test this before receiving the PanelView Plus hardware.

The SoftPLC use classic PLC5 style datatables. So in currently I have tags "B_31" & "INT38" which are mapped to B31 & N38 in these two "my_explicit" lines.
I agree that the softPLC cannot emulate named tags. I believe the tags are more useful in a web/XML enviroment. I have tried multiple different families and types of PLCs in FactoryTalk Linx.

Thanks for your suggestions and the quote. It made me chuckle.