Setting up CP 343-1 card (siemens)

Johnny T

Member
Join Date
Jul 2003
Location
Fife, Scotland
Posts
642
Hi

I've bought a CP343-1 Lean ethernet card to connect my PLC to a PC running Citect. I've just spend all day trying to get the PC to talk to the PLC but without success. After several unsuccessful calls to Siemens tech help they suggested that I had a problems with my ethernet port on the PC side of things.

This looked like it could be the problem because all I was receiving in the Windows Network Connections was "Network cable unplugged".

However.. I disconnected the CP343-1 from the other end of the ethernet cable and plugged in my laptop and bingo! the ethernet connection became 'live'. I had LED's flashing around the PC port and the connection in the Windows Network Connections became 'enabled'.

This has led me to suspect that I haven't set something up right for the CP343-1 card...

So... questions that I have regarding this card are:
Does the silver 'earth' link needed to be pushed in or out for normal operation?

At the moment the green 'run' light is on on the front of the CP343-1 card, is this the only light that should be on or should I be seeing the Tx/Rx lights flicker as they try and 'find' a network partner?

I have configured the hardware configuration in Simatic Manager with the card in slot 6 and put in an IP address (192.168.0.1) is there anything else that needs 'switching on' in the hardware config?

I noticed, after I had added the card to the hardware config, that the CP343-1 module has its own 'program' folder. Do I have to put any special blocks etc in here to get it talking?

The PLC I'm using is a S7-312. The docs mention a S7-312C but not a S7-312... could this be a problem? (I hope not).

Basically.. is there something simple I'm missing here?

Please help.. I'm tearing out the few remaining strands of hair that I own and I'm going to have to start on someone else's hair if this continues....

Cheers

JT :)
 
Johnny,

First of all, are you using a 'crossed' cable? The CP 343-1 will need a crossed cable for comms (at least that is what I have always had to use)

Johnny T said:
Does the silver 'earth' link needed to be pushed in or out for normal operation?

My link is in, though I am not sure if that will effect operation.

Johnny T said:
At the moment the green 'run' light is on on the front of the CP343-1 card, is this the only light that should be on or should I be seeing the Tx/Rx lights flicker as they try and 'find' a network partner?

No, the LED's will only flash when the CP is sending or receiving data.

Johnny T said:
I have configured the hardware configuration in Simatic Manager with the card in slot 6 and put in an IP address (192.168.0.1) is there anything else that needs 'switching on' in the hardware config?

The only thing I can think of here, is have you enabled the network connection in netpro?

Johnny T said:
I noticed, after I had added the card to the hardware config, that the CP343-1 module has its own 'program' folder. Do I have to put any special blocks etc in here to get it talking?

No, your send and receive blocks can be programmed in the PLC

Johnny T said:
The PLC I'm using is a S7-312. The docs mention a S7-312C but not a S7-312... could this be a problem? (I hope not).

I doubt it, but as I have never had the pleasure of a 312, I can't confirm that.

Hope this has been of some help

Paul
 
If you aren't getting a physical ethernet link (as indicated by your PC saying 'Not Connected', what kind of cable are you using? For a direct port-to-port ethernet, you need to use either a crossover cable, or a hub, or a switch.

Your laptop is probably smart enough to auto-configure it's port for the proper wire connections, but the CP-343 is not.

Windows should show a valid network connection even if the device on the other end of the link has no IP, as long as it is connected properly.
 
Many thanks for the replies.

I'm using a cross-over ethernet cable.

I've got the earth link pushed in.

I'll go back and have another look at netpro but it all seems to be set up correctly in there. I have a station with a CP312 on MPI port 2 and next to that my CP343-1 card that is connected to the green ethernet link across the top.

I've set the PC ethernet link to be the same subnet id as the one on the PLC.

Is there anything else I have to do in netpro to 'enable' the connection?

Cheers

JT :)
 
rdrast said:
If you aren't getting a physical ethernet link (as indicated by your PC saying 'Not Connected', what kind of cable are you using? For a direct port-to-port ethernet, you need to use either a crossover cable, or a hub, or a switch.

Your laptop is probably smart enough to auto-configure it's port for the proper wire connections, but the CP-343 is not.

Windows should show a valid network connection even if the device on the other end of the link has no IP, as long as it is connected properly.

rdcast, this is what makes me think there's something I haven't configured right at the PLC end...

Plug and play.. more like plug and pray eh?

:)
 
I've gone back to the hardware config and found that the Cp343-1 in my hardware config is v1.0 and on the actual card its v1.1

Not sure if this would affect anything though?

I've attached my project as an archive to this post. If there's anyone who can spare a bit of time to glance an eye over the hardware config/netpro config for me, it would be most appreciated.

Cheers

JT :)
 
Just a few points.

Try to use a switch. The switch will do the autoconfiguring on the port that is connected to the 343-1 module.

When I am online with my 315-2PN/DP there is an LED that lights up when the connction is established, regardles of if there is any datatransfer.
 
JesperMP


I didn't want to fork out on a switch if possible.

From what siemens said, I should be able to connect using just a PLC and 343-1 card and the PC...

:-(
 
Johnny,

As Jesper mentioned there is a 'link' LED on the CP343 (at least on the 343-1's that I use) does this light up when the cable is plugged in?

In netpro, have you added the PC and established the connection in the PLC? I didn't see a PG/PC station in netpro.

I am not sure if you need to do this for the Citect PC, I assume that you have to. Perhaps Jesper (or someone else) can confirm this

Paul
 
The link led isn't coming on.

Only the run led is lit.

The only thing I've added in netpro is one module containing the PLC and the CP343-1 card. This is connected to the ethernet line (the green line at the top).

Do I need to also add the PC??

Cheers

JT :)
 
To go online with STEP7 doesnt require you to set anything up in Netpro.
Only the CP has to be configured in the hardware configuration.
Did you save and compile and then download ?
Maybe you have to specifically download to the CP module.
You should be able to ping it from the PC.
Try to use a switch.
 
just a thought...

like Jesper said:
To go online with STEP7 doesnt require you to set anything up in Netpro.

but you have to set your PG/PC Interface to the
TCP/IP card too. ( in 'Simatic Manager'-> options->set PG/PC...)

another question is, what version of 'Step7' are you using?
as far as I know , if it's earlier than V5.3 you will need
'Softnet - Software' to connect your PLC over TCP/IP.
I'm not absolutley sure with this, so @Jesper please correct me
if I'm wrong.

cheers
Rolf
 
I think that the ethernet capability came with v5.2 (think, not sure).
But he should be able to ping it no matter what version.

I would really try a switch or change the cable from straight to crossed (or vice-versa).

Did he really download the hardware configuration ?
Not just the blocks from the manager.
In the hardware configuration, use save and compile and then download.
The PLC will communicate via the MPI port even if no hardware configuration is downloaded.
 
I have compiled/saved and downloaded the hardware config (PLC goes to stop mode and then back to run).

I've tried 'pinging' it but to no avail.

When my laptop is plugged into the PC I can ping it through the windows command prompt. However when I plug in the Cp343-1 card the ping doesn't work.

I am going to look into the Pg/PC inteface suggestion. Do you have to program the CP343-1 directly (ie. just connect your laptop via ethernet to the card) or is it sufficient to program the CPU and with the configuration?

The PG/PC interface is set to MPI at the moment because that is how I'm programming the PLC. I'll go and play around with this and see what happens... does this mean you can set up 2 PG/PC interfaces? 1 for the CPU and 1 for the CP343 card??

I'll get back to you on how it goes....

Many thanks for all your suggestions so far...

BTW I'm using v5.3 sp2 which, as far as I know, is the latest version. Did anyone get a chance to look at the project I attached and check the configuration?

Cheers

JT :)
 
Right.. I've had a bit of a breakthrough... I plugged my laptop straight into the Cp343-1 card and immediately the LINK led came on and the TX/RX light started to flash...

Prior to this I'd only connected my laptop to the PC and the PC to the CP343 card.

So.. I think that I need a straight through ethernet cable instead of the crossover one I've been using.

I'm just going to pop out and get one and see what happens then...

Will post back my results...

:)
 

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