intelligent Ethernet switch

Kataeb

Member
Join Date
Jan 2007
Location
www.livelovelebanon.com
Posts
628
Kindly, do you know if there is an "intelligent" Ethernet switch that can handle three identical Plc's (having same IP address) and one Laptop (with a different IP).
The idea is to automatically access any of the three Plc, from the Laptop with the same software, to do some download or upload.
Thank you
 
What you want is a router capable of NAT. I don't know of any for industrial applications that have multiple ports that you can configure for the "LAN" side. I would think you'd need a router for each LAN with the same IP. Then network the "WAN" ports via switch to the laptop. You'd need to port forward the required ports.

The Moxa EDR series will do this.
 
In a IP network what distinguishes a connected device from another is just the IP. You can't connect more than one device with the same IP in the same VLAN
 
what i meant is that the (intelligent) switch will detect all three devices (having same IP), and transfers data to each, upon a selection control word (or from the Laptop command)..
 
what i meant is that the (intelligent) switch will detect all three devices (having same IP), and transfers data to each, upon a selection control word (or from the Laptop command)..


That would be a No.
The best you could do, is use a managed switch, and only enable one PLC port at a time.

Just give the PLC's different addresses and be done with it. Duplicate IP's are wrong, and will screw up the rest of your network.
 
The attached image shows what you want to do. The boxes in the middle are routers employing NAT to translate the identical machine addresses on the right to individual addresses on a common network on the left. The have 'x' in the last place but on the right, they can all be the identical address down to the last octet. I snagged it from a Phoneix Contact video about their mGuard product. Other companies have similar devices.

Routing.PNG
 
The attached image shows what you want to do. The boxes in the middle are routers employing NAT to translate the identical machine addresses on the right to individual addresses on a common network on the left. The have 'x' in the last place but on the right, they can all be the identical address down to the last octet. I snagged it from a Phoneix Contact . Other companies have similar devices.

That's not quite what that diagram is showing though ?

That's showing NAT from several subnets to one another, all the addresses on either side have .x after them, implying they are all different

OP, this is probably your best option ;-)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-Manual-RJ45-Ethernet-Switch/dp/B002VXSK88

https://www.vpi.us/network-devices/gigabit-ethernet-switch-1044
 
Last edited:
That's not quite what that diagram is showing though ?

That's showing NAT from several subnets to one another, all the addresses on either side have .x after them, implying they are all different

OP, this is probably your best option ;-)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-Manual-RJ45-Ethernet-Switch/dp/B002VXSK88

https://www.vpi.us/network-devices/gigabit-ethernet-switch-1044

I think the bigger problem with the diagram is that it is showing THREE NAT devices to connect the identical subnets, compared to one.

I've never seen anything like your links before, but that does seem pretty applicable.

Kataeb,

Ultimately, what you want to do is WAY outside normal switching/routing.

Hypothetically, you could put each PLC in a different VLAN on a managed switch, and then have something in Windows to change which VLAN you are sending from. However, this A) requires a fair bit of networking knowledge and B) I've never seen software that makes Windows play nicely with VLANs or to switch between them.

I think the "manual switch" linked by tragically is your best bet.
 

Similar Topics

I just graduated as a mechanical engineering student, and started this new job a controls specialist with a company in my area. My coworker has me...
Replies
13
Views
906
MELSEQ "intelligent modules" configuration, programmatically resetting the CPU Hello. This is for the Mitsubishi experts, and thanks in advance...
Replies
5
Views
1,016
Haven't done much with soft starts, more-so VFDs' in my time. Looking at replacing 3 x 37KW (415 V 50 Hz) star-delta starters with soft starters...
Replies
11
Views
2,826
We have an old punch press machine. Many years ago (probably around 1990) a machine builder called Steelcase Inc (currently not in machinebuilder...
Replies
4
Views
1,525
Hi, I have a situation at my plant, where I need to interface my existing PLC with some field devices Via Modbus Interface. I can not change the...
Replies
22
Views
5,093
Back
Top Bottom