RSLinx: Virtualizing an HMI server, PLC backbone ControlLogix+ControlNet

Dear all,

We are looking into virtualizing an old HMI server (Cimplicity 5.5 on Windows 2000 SP4). The PLC backbone is an ControlLogix system on a ControlNet. Currently a Controlnet PCI card is installed in the server. Cimplicity uses OPC for communication with RSLinx OEM installed on the server with a Controlnet driver.

Since the control net pci card cannot be used inside a virtual machine (I am using VMware Workstation Pro v14), I am looking into other solutions.

A solution I think is viable is installing a controlnet PCI card in the new host machine, installing RSLinx Gateway on the host machine, making a host only virtual network between host and virtualized HMI server and configuring a new driver in RSLinx OEM (on the guest) which connects to the RSLinx gateway (on the host).

Will this solution work? Any other options that minimize the hardware and software impact?

Any help is appreciated.

Definitely get the AB experts to weigh in. To me it sounds clunky and error prone (but technically workable) to use a new machine for the ControlNet PCI card, then introduce another communication link with an extra copy of RSLinx Gateway (requires an additional, higher end license).

I would think that the more straightforward approach would include adding Ethernet capability to the ControlLogix setup (maybe another module?) and connecting directly from your virtualized system via the existing RSLinx OEM OPC server. Your architecture does matter as the connection would be Ethernet instead of your existing coax cabling.

Alternatively, check out gateway products that speaks both protocols. I suspect this would be simpler, cheaper, and less error prone than introducing another PC with RSLinx Gateway + the ControlNet PCI card. This is outside my area of expertise, but a quick Google search yielded interesting results and another. Help anyone?

Is the ControlNet in place because of dual media or redundancy reasons ?

If not, then I agree it might be easier to just substitute an Ethernet link to the control system.

Otherwise, this is precisely what RSLinx Gateway was built to do. Cimplicity will use the same OPC topic name, but the configuration will be pointed to the RSLinx Gateway Remote Devices driver instead of the 1784-PCIC driver.

Ken Roach said:

Is the ControlNet in place because of dual media or redundancy reasons ?

If not, then I agree it might be easier to just substitute an Ethernet link to the control system.

Otherwise, this is precisely what RSLinx Gateway was built to do. Cimplicity will use the same OPC topic name, but the configuration will be pointed to the RSLinx Gateway Remote Devices driver instead of the 1784-PCIC driver.

Click to expand...

Indeed, the ControlNet is in place for redundancy reasons, so converting to Ethernet would mean a bigger impact on the system, both hardware and software wise (all components need to be monitored and alarmed due to regulatory reasons).

If have also looked into these gateways surferb suggests and we do use it in some other installations for other protocols, but here, again this would mean introducing extra hardware and thus software modifications.

Thanks for the replies, I will try to setup a test with the RSLinx Gateway and if that doesn't work look into the Anybus Gateways or equivalent.

Nice catch, Ken!

Ken Roach said:

Is the ControlNet in place because of dual media or redundancy reasons ?

Click to expand...

Also, for discussion sake, VMWare ESXi supports "PCI Pass through" - Google "VMDirectPath". This also makes me cringe in the context of your high availability control system - test, test, test. I know you mentioned VMWare workstation, which does not support this feature. It may be possible on other workstation virtualization platforms (e.g. Xen, Virtualbox, Hyper-V).


Curious to hear how it goes!