CompactLogix L33 getting RS232 Data

All,

I have a CompactLogix L33 and would like to get data from a height gauge.
The gauge is a Fowler Sylac Mark VI with RS232 output.
I can connect the RS232 output to my PC (RS232 to USB adapter and a virtual COM port) and then receive the height using Hyperterminal
Each time I press the enter key on hyperterminal, the height will be returned.

My view is that this is a lab instrument designed to be used with a PC, not a PLC.

My simple thoughts is to get a RS232 to ethernet device (*******, RTA, Anybus), but I started reading about CIP, where this is probably not a CIP device.
Do any of these create a virtual COM port then write the data to a PLC tag, or I can MSG the device to get the data?

All in all, what device do I need to get the height into my PLC?

Is this a lab environment or a production environment?

I'm thinking you could plug the gauge directly into a 1769-ASCII module (no USB converter) but let others chime in on that one.

Yes, a ASCII to Ethernet/IP gateway would do it. I done this many years ago with a RFID reader.

It's a bit of work getting everything working right, you need the PLC to send out that CR and then translate the ASCII to numbers but it's all doable with a bit of experimentation. I used Prosoft at the time but I'm sure there are easier gateway these days.

ETA: physical setup gateway is ethernet to PLC and serial to the scale.

Production environment.
The PLC is no where near the height gauge.

I've used a ******* EIP2101 before for a RFID head. But that sent HEX commands to get the RFID head to read and write and the head was very well documented.
Documentation for this is the serial baud rate, etc. No information on how to get the data.

Tomorow I'll call Fowler to see if they are just spamming the reading or sending only when I send a CR to.

Ok, don't you already know how it works when you successfully have it respond to your PC with a USB-serial adopter? You should already know the RS232 com setting and you already know how it respond to ASCII command.

No, you typically do not need a MSG block, it depend on the gateway you pick. I think you are thinking too hard on this. You already got this working

[Scale] <> [Laptop Serial]

What I typically do in such case is to use the laptop in the middle to figure out how to interact properly to both side.

So first I would program the PLC to send out the proper command

[PLC] > [EIP | Gateway | Serial ASCII] > [Laptop USB-serial]

you get the PLC to write the proper command to your hyperterminal screen. Once you get that working then connect as follows

[Laptop USB-Serial] > [Serial ASCII | Gateway | EIP] > [PLC]

You would then manually send ASCII number in hyperterminal into the gateway and see if the PLC register properly see the number string. Then you can look up on how to do a string to number conversion in PLC.

I skip over the gateway configuration detail because every gateway works a bit differently.

Guys,
Thanks for all the responses.
I probably am over thinking it.. nice and simple.


What device is recommended?
The EIP device I have used in the past is obsolete. I could get an upgraded version, but it was complex to setup. Something very simple would be nice.

Any advice?

I have used RTA (Real Time Automation) gateways in several projects in the past to accomplish what you are trying to do.
https://www.rtautomation.com/product/460etca/

Would the 435NBX be a better fit?

creativepaper said:

Would the 435NBX be a better fit?

Click to expand...

Possibly, I used the 460ETCA because I was communicating with 2 devices that needed RS485 connections.

You could call RTA support and explain your application and I am sure they will provide the information needed to help you out.