Micro 1200 PV300 first post

Okay giving this another shot, logged in paid my membership but when I went to preview post promted that I was not logged in and lost post, lesson learned: copy paste for backup in word.

Hello and thanks for your time.

I am relatively new to the AB PLC world having spent the last 8 years traveling and doing more electrical and non AB control work in the field. That has recently changed (thankful for that)

I have the following devices:
Micrologix 1200 1762 L24BWA
PV 300 2711 K3A17L1

My goal was to get these two devices to communicate accross a network to were I would only have to use the ethernet driver in Linx in order to work with them.

I know that the PV model I have is a DF1 port and the only way to change this is (ie DH485 which would allow for comm over AIC+) would be a firmware upgrade using the utility program. I was unable to find that file on AB site or a link to the file in this forum. Do you need techconnect for this?

So with that wall in front of me I did more reading and came across a diagram ( 2711-UM014G-EN-P page 206 ) that showed a DF1 PV being connected to a 1761 NET ENI which connected to another 1761 NET ENI which was connected to a Micrologix. So thought this may work for me, I have the right devices and cables. My mistake I believe that the diagram was only showing how to setup for message sharing (DF1 setup using ENI/ENIW utility program) and not for viewing through RSLinx using an ethernet.

Cabinets on the floor have a Micrologix 1200 1762-L24BWAR which has the two serial ports, one is connected to a PV300 K3A17L1, while the other is connected to a 1761 NET ENI. ENI is connected to a switch which then has a cable to a RJ45 port on the outside of the cabinet. Of course I am only able to see the Micro in Linx to work with the PV I have to access inside of the cabinet, change driver etc.

Company is very concerned with arcflash and to access cabinet power has to be shut off. facility is older so one disconnect controls multiple cabinets, so turning off one cabinet affects other lines. We are very busy and all lines are running 24/7(which is a good thing) so to make updates needed by operators (or requested) it is not that easy.

My plan was to have the two ENI NET modules in the cabinet so that I could have the RJ45 port outside of the cabinet and be able to acces both Micro and PV without cycling power.

I have spent alot of time researching this matter on this site and AB's (of course that is my opinion!). If there is a link or reference that I have missed please let me know and I will do the leg work. I guess in the end is what I want to do even possible?!?

Thanks again for your time,

Welcome to the Forum ! I do the same thing with my posts; I write them in a text editor then check to see if somebody's beaten me to the punch, before pasting my reply into the box.

To summarize your application:

Cabinets on the floor have a Micrologix 1200 1762-L24BWAR which has the two serial ports.
One port is connected to a PV300 K3A17L1.
The other port is connected to a 1761 NET ENI.
The Net-ENI is connected to an Ethernet switch, which then has a cable to a RJ45 port on the outside of the cabinet.

You've discovered, of course, that there is not channel-to-channel passthrough on the MicroLogix 1200R controller.

You could use two 1761-NET-ENI modules for this application, as described in the PanelView Standard User Manual.

I'm attaching a marked-up version of that diagram to this post.

What you need is a Routing Table in the 1761-NET-ENI "A", which tells it that incoming serial packets from the PanelView are to be sent to an IP address that's "mapped" to a DF1 Address. Let's say that DF1 Address "2" has been set to be equal to 192.168.1.20, which is the IP address of 1761-NET-ENI "B".

The PanelView application has to be changed to check the "Use Networking" option, and put the MicroLogix into the node list as Address 2.

With regard to uploading/downloading to the PanelView over Ethernet, I'm not so sure that will work. I haven't tried it myself, but I had a customer who had a heck of a time with it (admittedly, it was over a VPN connection over a cell phone modem). I think you'll have to ask RA Tech Support, or just try it yourself.

Thanks Ken

Okay so with your help I was finally able to breakthrough (wrap my mind around) the routing table in the utility program for the ENI NET’s. I have communication from the PV 300 to the Micro 1200 through the two NET ENI’s that are connected through an Ethernet switch.

Interestingly I also see both devices on my Ethernet drive in RS Linx but as you had pointed out not able to download to the PV 300, (yet). This has me one step closer so next will be to tackle the issue of download.

Sidenote:
Amber lights on ENI NET that is connected to the Micro 1200, these are solid which indicates some type of comm. Error (half duplex). There is a connection but no data exchange. I am able to go online with the Micro 1200, change data values in the Micro 1200 using the PV300 so no sure what this one means.


Okay so all of the above was typed this morning.
I have since gone to RA tech support through our distributor, I feel a lot better when tech cannot tell me that it can or cannot be done! Lets me know that I am not totally insane, yet.

My reason for what I type below is to maybe help someone else that has wanted to try something like this. There may be some other controls person that is at a Facility that is older and moving to newer arc flash protection guidelines and cannot afford to have lines down therefore this person would want to work with devices without a powerdown and is stuck with specific control equipment.

In a nutshell and some of you may already know this, RSlinx will enable a download to happen to a PV300 (with a specific DF1 port) through two ENI NET’s but only through the serial port on the CPU and using the DF1 driver (note: must use router tables). So this does not help because to me why on earth would you have two ENI NET’s just to communicate with one DF1 device using the DF1 driver in Linx?

Anyways in the end, I believe I am washing my hands of this one, it may be possible to communicate/download to both a PV 300 (DF1) and Micro 1200 (DF1) using, that’s right, Three ENI NET’s. (somehow sesame street’s Count comes to mind as I increase my number of converters). This drives cost way up. So in this particular application I believe that to perform upgrades to a panelview 300 with the arcflash rules of today power will have to be shutdown. Maybe I could work with a DB9 splitter on the back of the PV300 and run a line to a Graceport.

Thanks for your time Ken and if anyone finds this odd bit of information useful that is cool, somehow I am leaving this situation a little unsatisfied.

PS had to add this.
the reason I chased this is I am stuck with DF1 pv300's, I know that if I had another model I would be able to comm/download to both a pv300 and Micro 1200 at the same time using one driver in linx through an AIC card, but alas I am stuck with ENI NET's and DF1 PV300's

Something like this at Graceport

Yes Bernie I am thinking along those lines now.

As it stands now there is the PV300 connected to the Micro 1200 which is connected to the ENI NET which is then connected to a Graceport RJ45.
To keep my panel door closed and be able to communicate with the PV 300 and not undo any cables I am going to move towards having a splitter connected to the PV300 DF1 port with one line connected to the Micro 1200 and the other line connected to a Graceport for outside the cabinet.
This is my line of thinking feel free to shoot it down if there is a hole.

Thanks again for the input

Stuart

As long as there's nothing else that needs Ethernet connection to the Micrologix I'd say trash the NET-ENIs and just go with the Graceport switch. The ENIs are talking at serial speeds anyway so you don't lose that way.

Okay so after all this work I am now what you would call stoked.

Bernie, the only reason I think that they had the RJ45 put in in the first place was the panel builders use ethernet. The individual production lines are not networked together so you are right there really is no reason for the NET ENI's.

As I stated earlier in this thread, I am not new to troubleshooting (or at least I tell myself that) but am new to AB world, especially with how this facility is setup. I had no idea a Graceport existed like this, so without your help I would still be frustrated with arcflash guidlines.

Hope that this thread may help someone else facing this type of issue, not sure, but this one did take me down a rabbit hole.

Thanks again guys

Stuart

Glad to help.

Outstanding 1st time thread, Stuart, Ken, Bernie!

Now that you have both HMI and PLC available via NET-ENI (at 19.2k?), as nodes in RSLinx, you have solved the main issue and provided a path to your control system LAN.

Just beware of the 6 connection limit in series D NET-ENI module and don't get carried away using RSLinx Gateway to cause slowdowns between the HMI and PLC.

If the HMI and PLC are local (<50' apart) to each other, you could put a Digi One IAP in place of one of the NET-ENI modules and set it up with the routing needed, whereby I think you can actually remotely program both units via Panelbuilder32 and RSLogix 500 respectively. I have NOT done this, though, before I got to that point, I upgraded my PV300 micro to a G304K due to reliability concerns, and with zero failures, I have not needed to access the HMI, so I kept the NET-ENI on that application.

Welcome to the Forum!
Paul

Now that you have both HMI and PLC available via NET-ENI (at 19.2k?), as nodes in RSLinx, you have solved the main issue and provided a path to your control system LAN.

yes the baud rate is 19.2k

Just beware of the 6 connection limit in series D NET-ENI module and don't get carried away using RSLinx Gateway to cause slowdowns between the HMI and PLC.

Thanks for the heads up

If the HMI and PLC are local (<50' apart) to each other, you could put a Digi One IAP in place of one of the NET-ENI modules and set it up with the routing needed, whereby I think you can actually remotely program both units via Panelbuilder32 and RSLogix 500 respectively. I have NOT done this, though, before I got to that point, I upgraded my PV300 micro to a G304K due to reliability concerns, and with zero failures, I have not needed to access the HMI, so I kept the NET-ENI on that application.

Again thanks for pointing out another solution to the intial question, I am going to revisit this because somehow I still do not feel satisfied! I will let you know if I get that to work. I have ordered a Graceport, basically operators come up with some small adjustments that may be needed for limits on inputs using the PV300 so that would be the reason for wanting to "update" the interface.

Welcome to the Forum!
Paul

Thanks glad I have found another resource, gonna need it!

Since yours is not the Micro, but the taller PV300, the G304K is not a drop in replacement. The Digi ONE IAP <-link, however, is a direct upgrade for the NET-ENI and has two configurable serial ports, so I would definitely look into those. I think they cost a bit less too <-link.