How to communicate 4 Micrologix 1400 PLCs with 1 Panel View Plus 600?

Sandeep R Mittal · Mar 11, 2013

Hello Everybody,
I want to design a program for Panel view plus 600 HMI through Factory Talk View Studio version 5.0
I have imported a panel builder application which was communicating with Micrologix 1400 through DF1. But now I have to connect 1 Panel view 600 to 4 PLCs. My Problem is that I am failed to understand from Rockwell user manuals and help how to add 4 controllers to 1 HMI through Ethernet. Can some body help me with program of single tag and 4 controllers configured with explanation?
Regards
Sandeep R Mittal

bce123 · Mar 11, 2013

in rslinx enterprise setup a target to each 1400. you will have to give them ip adresses use the bootp utility for that.

Sandeep R Mittal · Mar 12, 2013

Thanks BCE. But my problem is still there. I explain in another way. For example I have to indicate the status of O:0/0 of PLC1, O:0/0 of PLC2, O:0/0 of PLC3 and O:0/0 of PLC4. I have assigned independent IP addresses to 4 PLCs also through RSlinx Enterprises. Now problem is how to define tag for O:0/0 address differentiating 4 different PLCs. I am absolutely new to factory talk view machine software

dmargineau · Mar 12, 2013

Sandeep R Mittal said:
Thanks BCE. But my problem is still there. I explain in another way. For example I have to indicate the status of O:0/0 of PLC1, O:0/0 of PLC2, O:0/0 of PLC3 and O:0/0 of PLC4. I have assigned independent IP addresses to 4 PLCs also through RSlinx Enterprises. Now problem is how to define tag for O:0/0 address differentiating 4 different PLCs. I am absolutely new to factory talk view machine software

Any PV+ HMI application object tag name has two main components:
Let's consider this one : [FirstCPU]I.2.7

I.2.7 is the CPU controller tag(address) the HMI object relates to;

[FirstCPU] is the RSLinx Enterprise communications "Shortcut"(the virtual path the RSLinx Enterprise communications server will follow in order to "find" the respective tag(address).

So, in your case, the way of differentiating between the three "identical" O:0/0 addresses is by the different communications "Shortcuts" names attached to the HMI application's tags:
[PLC1]O.0.0, [PLC2]O.0.0, [PLC3]O.0.0 and so on.
Again, the name between the square parentheses is user defined and implemented within the FTVS application, RSLinx Enterprise/Communications Setup- Runtime Tab.

Sandeep R Mittal · Mar 16, 2013

Dear All,
First I am checking communication with 1 PLC. I have created a shortcut in RSLinx Enterprises Name as PLC1 serial DF1. Now I have defined a tag address as [PLC1]O:0/0. But when I test the application I get the error
Failed to resolve item's id '[PLC1]O:0/0' because it doesn't exist on any server. can somebody help me?

dmargineau · Mar 16, 2013

Sandeep,
Since the CPU controller you are working with (ML1400)does not support tag addressing while the PV600 + FTVME application supports only tag addressing there are two ways to integrate the two devices.
One will be to directly browse RSLinx Enterprise (Tag Browser)within the ML1400 memory addresses and "pick" them one by one when "connecting" the FTVME objects.
The other method will be to use the FTVS "Map PLC, SLC,.." tool which will "convert" the entire ML1400 memory map to "tag" style addressing.
You cannot follow the "generic" FTVS deployment unless the CPU controller is a Logix class one; even its name "suggests" it, MicroLogix CPUs are not Logix class controllers.

OkiePC · Mar 16, 2013

I agree with all the detailed and excellent information given by dmargineau, but help me assure myself that he didn't blow right past something simpler.

Help me understand this:

A PB32 database was imported into FctMeViewStudio.

The original app was a DF1 terminal, so this should have generated a shortcut matching the node name from the PB32 app.

Last time I used this tool, it used HMI tags for everything, and it is useful to clean up the PB32 tags first (homogenize tag names descriptions, etc.).

When I used this tool, I got four pages of errors due to the heavy use of oddball data types (character arrays of N files) that would not convert, but everything else worked (in test mode) once I "laid hands on" the shortcut in the RSLinx Enterprise browse window. Even if it looks right, click on it again, and say okay if you suddenly start losing communication after messing with a shortcut.

In your case, you need to point the shortcut at the new target on the Ethernet network. If you are not connected live and online, you can right click on the Ethernet area of the Target Tab browse window and find a hidden place where you can manually add a Micrologix and give its IP address.

I use HMI tags exclusively with SLC/Micros, since direct referencing is of zero advantage and too restrictive for any HMI application I have ever created.

When you get it all working, you now need to add more stuff to this HMI to access those other PLCs. Assuming these other Micrologix are copies of the first:

First, add a new shortcut for each of the PLCs and set their IP addresses. They each must have a unique name.
Second, in the HMI tag list, I would recommend that you make a new folder and give it a name similar to the first PLC shortcut name. Next, move all of the tags referencing that controller into your tag folder. Triplicate the folder. Triplicate all your Displays, alarms, navigation facilites, and controls, etc. Find and replace all the tags in the copies to correct the folder portion of the expressions for each of the PLCs.

Piece of cake, right?

I might be mis-remembering about the import process making HMI tags, I may have blunted them in there with my own fat fingers.

Sandeep R Mittal · Mar 18, 2013

OkiePC said:
I agree with all the detailed and excellent information given by dmargineau, but help me assure myself that he didn't blow right past something simpler.

Help me understand this:

A PB32 database was imported into FctMeViewStudio.

The original app was a DF1 terminal, so this should have generated a shortcut matching the node name from the PB32 app.

Last time I used this tool, it used HMI tags for everything, and it is useful to clean up the PB32 tags first (homogenize tag names descriptions, etc.).

When I used this tool, I got four pages of errors due to the heavy use of oddball data types (character arrays of N files) that would not convert, but everything else worked (in test mode) once I "laid hands on" the shortcut in the RSLinx Enterprise browse window. Even if it looks right, click on it again, and say okay if you suddenly start losing communication after messing with a shortcut.

In your case, you need to point the shortcut at the new target on the Ethernet network. If you are not connected live and online, you can right click on the Ethernet area of the Target Tab browse window and find a hidden place where you can manually add a Micrologix and give its IP address.

I use HMI tags exclusively with SLC/Micros, since direct referencing is of zero advantage and too restrictive for any HMI application I have ever created.

When you get it all working, you now need to add more stuff to this HMI to access those other PLCs. Assuming these other Micrologix are copies of the first:

First, add a new shortcut for each of the PLCs and set their IP addresses. They each must have a unique name.
Second, in the HMI tag list, I would recommend that you make a new folder and give it a name similar to the first PLC shortcut name. Next, move all of the tags referencing that controller into your tag folder. Triplicate the folder. Triplicate all your Displays, alarms, navigation facilites, and controls, etc. Find and replace all the tags in the copies to correct the folder portion of the expressions for each of the PLCs.

Piece of cake, right?

I might be mis-remembering about the import process making HMI tags, I may have blunted them in there with my own fat fingers.

Dear Okie,
Thanks a lot. I have tried all these but nothing worked. The difference in your recommendation and my done is Ethernet and DF1
1. I have connected 1400 to PC via DF1
2. I have created shortcut as PLC1 through DF1 in RSLINX Enterprises.
3. RSlInx has detected the PLC through DF1.
4. Then I import tag in the tag browser from the RSlogix application which is downloaded in PLC. Here RSLINX name in tag browser is also PLC1
5. Then I have added a display and added 1 multistate indicator to it and selected the output tag.
6. Now I test the application on PC itself and get the error as stated in previous quote
Now I want to know is it different that
1. I test this communication between PC and 1400 directly in FTVS or I transfer the .mer file to PV600 and then connect 1400 to PV600
2. Ethernet communication is mandatory. DF1 will not work.

In all this R&D 1 more problem existed that I tried uninstalling RSlINX Classis assuming RSE and RSC may be conflicting but it did not solve the problem rather it created a new problem that my RSLinx Classic (RSC) is not opening after many reinstallations. I tried to take support from Rockwell they said you should have not used DF1 and have given up. 1 help topic says it should be available in notification tray but not.

I am totally tired up debugging the problems. Is it really so buggy?

OkiePC · Mar 18, 2013

Sandeep R Mittal said:
...
6. Now I test the application on PC itself and get the error as stated in previous quote
Now I want to know is it different that
1. I test this communication between PC and 1400 directly in FTVS or I transfer the .mer file to PV600 and then connect 1400 to PV600
2. Ethernet communication is mandatory. DF1 will not work.

In all this R&D 1 more problem existed that I tried uninstalling RSlINX Classis assuming RSE and RSC may be conflicting but it did not solve the problem rather it created a new problem that my RSLinx Classic (RSC) is not opening after many reinstallations. I tried to take support from Rockwell they said you should have not used DF1 and have given up. 1 help topic says it should be available in notification tray but not.

I am totally tired up debugging the problems. Is it really so buggy?

Yes, it is really so buggy. I wish I had more advice for you. At this point, it might be best to start fresh and install FTView Studio all over again. I recommend that you install it in a virtual machine, and version 6.10. If possible, use a different PC. FTView has burned me too. When I "upgraded" from 4.0 to 5.0 my PC became unusable for 9 days until my IT department could undo all the damage done to the registry by the rockwell software.

Also, the very first time I made an application from scratch that was Df1, I spent 13 hours trying to figure out why communications did not work. I never did really change anything, but after seven or eight reboot cycles, it all just started working.

So, try not to lose your patience, and realize it is not you, it is the garbage posing as software that you are stuck with. Also, don't expect the software to behave the same way on a day to day basis, each time you reboot your machine, there is a good chance that FTView will behave differently.

Sandeep R Mittal · Mar 19, 2013

Dear Oki,
Thanks a lot. I remember you have helped me in past too. Thank you very...... much and will give you a good news after I make it working with Ethernet. But It will take time since I don't have version 6 set up. I am trying for it.

Sandeep R Mittal · Mar 19, 2013

Many thanks to dmarg and BCE also for helping me.

Sandeep R Mittal · Apr 13, 2013

Dear Oki
Thanks. Finally it worked with FTVSE 6.0 windows 7 32 bit. Bundle of thanks for your guidance.

How to communicate 4 Micrologix 1400 PLCs with 1 Panel View Plus 600?

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