AB SLC 5/05 serial and ethernet connections

Cleland03

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Dec 2007
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Kitchener
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I have just started with a new company and they want me to look at some logic in a automated system using a SLC 5/05 processor, 3 input cards and 2 output cards.. I have only ever used controllogix so this is a bit of a learning curve...

The serial port is hooked up to a panelview that is used to run the system but I cannot access the program from there.. I want to hook up a laptop to the ethernet port so I can monitor the program but need some help.

I have a laptop, crossover cable and rslogix 500 installed on the computer. I have read a bunch of threads and they have suggested that you need to go through the rs232 port to find the ip address to be able to connect through ethernet but I dont want to unhook the panelview for fear of interrupting the system and I am not good enoguh with plcs to fix it.. just want to monitor the inputs / outputs and logic..

Advice on how to connect a laptop through ethernet and download a current program without disconnecting the rs232 cable or disrupting the system would be greatly appreciated!
 
Is the Ethernet port really not connected to anything at all ?

Ideally you would have an offline copy of the program that would show the IP Address in the Channel 1 configuration.

If not, you're about to get a short crash course in basic Ethernet tools.

My first step would be to set a fixed IP address on my PC, like 192.168.1.2. Then connect up to the SLC-5/05 Ethernet port with the crossover cable and run the BOOTP/DHCP Server Utility (it comes with RSLinx and will be in your Rockwell Software directory).

Wait for a couple of minutes. If the controller is set for BOOTP/DHCP, you'll see requests from the controller for an IP address. You can use the BOOTP/DHCP Utility to provide an address that's on the same IP subnet (192.168.1.x) as your PC.
 
Alright thanks I will try that..

The ethernet port isn't connected to anything, just sitting open. This is a stand alone cell and was installed by a seperate automation company years ago and has little to no documentation.

Just to make sure.. I can connect and use the bootp utility without effecting the program / screwing anything up?
 
Just to make sure.. I can connect and use the bootp utility without effecting the program / screwing anything up?

Yes
 
But I rather think the port will be set-up with an IP address.

I suspect the system integrators will have used that for programming/commissioning the system.

A Ken suggested, an offline copy of the program will show the port configuration
 
And to clarify, you said...

Advice on how to connect a laptop through ethernet and download a current program without disconnecting the rs232 cable or disrupting the system would be greatly appreciated!


I presume you meant to say UPLOAD.

Downloading (putting a program into the PLC), will certainly disrupt the system.

You must surely have a backup copy of the PLC program somewhere...!

If you don't, when you have UPLOADED the program, you will have NO documentation ! No rung comments, No address descriptions, no Symbolic addresses. And this will make unraveling the software an absolute nightmare !!
 
ok thanks.. yes I meant upload, and I will do some more investigation into finding a copy of the program but this information helps me get started!
 
To jump ahead: for Ethernet monitoring and analysis, the industry standard is the free open-source program Wireshark (www.wireshark.org).

In most circumstances, Wireshark can help you determine the IP address of a device that's been configured but not documented, by capturing ARP (address resolution protocol) packets.

Download and install Wireshark if you plan on doing any Ethernet troubleshooting. It's a fantastic tool.
 
Wireshark - seconded !

If you've only got the laptop and the PLC connected via crossover cable, it's easy to see the address of the other device.
 
I’d setup an “EtherNet/IP Driver” in RSLinx, connect the laptop to the PLC and the driver should find the PLC. The only thing I’m not sure about is if the subnet mask in the Laptop and the PLC need to match. With that said, I also think that if you setup Wireshark, connect the Laptop to the PLC and power up the PLC (with it connected to the Laptop) the PLC should come up and ask if anybody’s out there which you will see in wireshark (with the IP address as part of the message). I could be wrong on this but Its easy enough to try. Once you find the address, put a piece of masking tape on the PLC and write the address on it. Can’t tell you the number of times I’ve forgotten the current IP address of one of my PLC’s.
 

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