RSLINX Ethernet driver problem

Hey guys,

I have 2 laptops. Both running RSLinx 2.42.00 build 18. I am trying to add an ethernet driver to talk to a Control Logix 5555 via a 1756/ENBT/A. When I add the driver to laptop 1, everything is perfect. Recognizes PLC, and I can talk perfectly. Laptop 2 however, refuses to recognize the device. I have tried adding it multiple times, along with stopping and starting Linx, and even restarting the laptop just as a shot in the dark. Has anyone seen this and or have a remedy? Thanks.

Russ

Some dumb questions first:

do you have a TCP/IP driver set up?

Are IP subnet addresses the same?

did you match the masks with the processor?

can you go to a command line and ping the Contrologix IP address?

are both laptops using RSLinx Pro?

have you configured the ControlLogix IP address in the RSLinx Ethernet driver?

I've got a couple of things that I check now for ethernet problems, having been bit by them a few times. First thing, you need to check to see if the computer is set up right.....
1.Are the TCP/IP settings correct?(dynamic vs static addressing)

(Umm... most plc networks I work with have assigned ip addresses, so the laptop also needs to be assigned an ip address, for static addressing)

2. Can you "ping" the processor?

(from the command line prompt, type in (for example) "ping 128.98.176.200" and the computer will tell you if there is a communications path, and how long it is taking to respond. Put one of your plc's ip address into the ping statement instead of mine, and you should get a response of some kind.

If step 1 is fine, and step 2 responds with a timeout error, stop looking at rslinx.... Your problem is with the laptop, ethernet card, cables, etc. If these work, let me know and we can try some other things.

Men,

First of all, thanks for the quick responses. I did not ping the address, because I know I am connected to the device as it is transmitting and recieving messages under driver diagnostics. When I unplug the ethernet card in the PLC rack, I get the red X, so I know I can see it. I am unsure if the subnet masks are the same. What I have done is just add a new ethernet devices driver, and under the station mapping tab, I just added the IP address of the ENET card I want to talk to. This is all I have done, so I am unsure of the subnet masks or it there are any and where to see them. I did this with the other laptop with no complications, so perhaps something else is different I am unaware of. The same goes for the masks, as I am unaware of having to do this, if it is necessary. Both laptops are using RSLinx lite version I stated in my original post. And yes, the Enet card is working, I am online and talking to the PLC with one laptop, just wondering what's going on with the second. Hope this helps you give me some more ideas. Thanks again.

Russ

P.S. Just for fun, I did ping the address and got a response, no timeouts. Also, just for reference, the other ethernet drivers seem to work, and when I add another node and PLC IP address to the list of the driver in question, I recognize that PLC immediately. Just a little more info.

The only thing I can think of immediately is that the IP address of the 2nd laptop is identical to the ControlLogix processor you are trying to see; PING will not know what responds to a request because you can ping your own IP address and get a response.

From the command line, type "ipconfig" and it will print out the ip addresses for each port. Then validate its not the same as the ControlLogix IP address.

It's possible that you just don't have the EDS file for this version of the 1756-ENBT module registered on Laptop #2.

Right-click to get the Device Properties in RSWho, then use that version information to download the EDS file from www.ab.com/networks/eds.

Use the RSLinx hardware installation tool (Rockwell Software -> RSLinx Tools -> EDS Hardware Installation Tool) to make sure the correct EDS file is registered on that machine.

And remember, Russ, once you have the EDS files installed you can use the easier-to-configure EtherNet/IP driver in RSLinx, which doesn't require you to enter a table of IP addresses.

Ken,

Thanks for the tip. I downloaded the EDS file for major rev 2, which is the one I needed and everything is cool. Thanks again, not only did you give me the anser, but your directions were easy to follow. Thanks again.

Russ