AB Generic string communication

Holmux

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Join Date
Oct 2013
Location
Aalborg
Posts
279
Dear All

I have a Laser on my table where I communicate via Putty over Ethernet IP
I have setup the Putty with a RAW connection and an IP address.

I control the Laser via string commands and everything works great :)

Now I would like to move this over in a compactlogix PLC, all my string communication in the past have been true serial ports, so I have never setup a generic module to send out strings.

Is this even durable, I have search high and low, but haven't found the right solution.

Has anyone done this before ??

Regards
/Holmux
 
Which model of CompactLogix are you using ?

I don't like the "raw sockets" feature if I don't have to use it; it's fairly complicated just to write the logic, and every time I go back to a machine where I'm using that, it takes me a long time to remember what I did and why.

The Prosoft MVI69-GEC module is a good choice to send "ASCII over TCP/IP" strings in and out of the controller. Either that or a Red Lion DataStation would be my first couple of choices.
 
I am Using a 1769 L33ER processor.

The laser is a Linx CSL30 from Linx Printing Technologies Ltd, the setup for the TCP/IP is listed like this in the manuel:

AL-SAR511392180-02 - Ultimate 3 TCP/IP
AL-SAR511392180-04 - Ultimate 4 TCP/IP
TCP/IP
Server/Client Application
Server: Laser
Client: Customer Network Device
Listen Port 20001

These where the settings I used with Putty.
 
The 1769-L33ER supports the mature 1769 I/O platform, so the Prosoft MVI69-GEC is an easy fit. It uses Prosoft Configuration Builder and an add-on instruction example so the sample code isn't as complicated as it used to be.

Once you get the module configured, transmitting a string of data to a device on Ethernet is straightforward:

  1. Compose your data string
  2. Move your data string into the Output data tags for the module
  3. Set the data length value
  4. Increment the "Transmit Counter" register.

Doing something similar with the DA10 or DA30 Red Lion DataStation would require a little more C-like program writing, but might be cheaper and more flexible.
 
Which model of CompactLogix are you using ?

The Prosoft MVI69-GEC module is a good choice to send "ASCII over TCP/IP" strings in and out of the controller. Either that or a Red Lion DataStation would be my first couple of choices.

I was hoping I could get away with just using a generic setup :)
But a module would be OK as well, I have used Prosoft MVI69-GSC serial module before and I like working with them, but that was when I lived in the US, now I a back in Europe and Prosoft don't hang on trees around here, for sure not in stock anywhere, so I will have to buy two and keep a spare myself just to be able to service my costumer, so a module would be my last option.
 
There are sample applications in the Knowledgebase, and an "Application Technique" programming guide for using the Open Sockets feature. The 1769-L33 family supports that feature, while the previous generation (L32E, L35E) did not.

https://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/at/enet-at002_-en-p.pdf

The good news is that you can always set up your computer with a terminal program (I use RealTerm) to diagnose and examine the data being transmitted by the CompactLogix, while you're also online and editing and monitoring the program in the PLC.
 
In addition to Ken's references, there is Sockets AOI available in the knowledgebase, that may help you.
 
Since the L32 was replaced with L30ER and L33ER, we started handling all printing through Ethernet TCP socket (telnet). We even use a common device server to convert the Ethernet output to serial for kiosk printers. The sample code that Rockwell provides serves as a good start to replace the serial port function. You can even have 2 or more outputs if you want to get fancy.

For laser printers (the Brother HL-5100 is excellent for this), there are a few rules that should followed that require a little extra programming:

  • Slow the output message to about 100ms per line. This keeps the printer from missing data. I guarantee that this works.
  • Make sure communication errors are monitored and provide a timeout reset (clear all sockets) instruction if there is a stop in transmission.
  • Use a string array as a buffer so that the sockets can be opened, transmitted, then closed as with any print function.
  • Laser printers generally use default 80 character lines with a default Courier New font that have evenly spaced characters. Therefore, keep the string lengths to 80 character unless font control and color characters are added to the output strings.
 
Last edited:
The error codes are the next thing I will be working on, the system is working but a bit fragile :)

So I will be fine tuning and testing crashes til I am happy.

Thanks
for the info
 
The error codes are the next thing I will be working on, the system is working but a bit fragile :)

So I will be fine tuning and testing crashes til I am happy


Which laser and implementation of the socket comms did you use? In the past I've written my own socket code, but yesterday I found the AOI/examples in KB50122 work quite well and are very easy to use. If you are sending a single ASCII string, it will work right out of the box and with a couple more lines of ladder it will send multiple ASCII strings with ease.
 
I will control 4 laser from the same PLC, but each laser only needs a single string.

So the AOI example will not need much tweaking before it will work OK.

But it's getting late here, I will look at it tomorrow.

Thanks
 
The AOI for the socket really looks nice, i just loaded the program into a PLC (1769-L30ER), hoping is will do the job :)

The AOI is made for a system using a EWEB module, but I would guess this is just addressing ??

I am just trying to work true the errors, I can also be my socket simulator that is teasing me.
 

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