Having trouble connecting to Compact Logix

sparkytex

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Join Date
Jun 2013
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Port Hardy B.C.
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Hello guys,

One of the very few compact logix PLC's on site has an NFG analog input channel. I need to get online with the processor and change channels, once I'm online I can find my way around (Used to RSLogix5) and make things happen. My laptop does not have a 9 pin rs-232 port so my only means of communications through RSLynx is through Ethernet IP. I tried creating a driver but failed to establish communication with the processor. The processor is a 1769-L35E Compact Logix processor.

I know the Ethernet port on the processor is configured already as its plugged into a phoenix Ethernet switch, which a panel view is connect to and communicating to the processor via Ethernet. Its seems to be a completely different IP network as our PLC 5 which is 223.103.41.etc. This one seems to be the classic 192.168.2.etc. or so it says on RSLynx under an older driver. Normally the laptop I use has a static IP address assigned to it to talk to the PLC 5's on our Ethernet network. I tried attach the RSLogix5000 program so you guys could have a look and lend me a hand trying to get online with this processor but the file is too big at 2.6 MB even though I compressed it.

I don't know where to look in RSLogix5000 to find the current Assigned IP address of the Processor. Any help would be greatly appreciated with configuring a proper driver

cheers, Tex
 
Unlike PLC-5/SLC-500/MicroLogix controllers, the IP address for the Ethernet network port on a ControlLogix and CompactLogix controller is not configured in the offline file.

If the controller is running I/O on Ethernet there will likely be entries in the I/O tree configuration for the Ethernet daughtercard, but not necessarily. And these do not actually configure the IP address !

Instead, the IP address is always configured using RSLinx Classic or BOOTP/DHCP, and is stored in the nonvolatile memory of the Ethernet module (ControlLogix ) or the Ethernet daughtercard (CompactLogix).

If you have RSLinx Classic and can connect to the RS-232 serial port, you should be able to "drill down" to the Ethernet daughtercard, right-click and select the Module Configuration.

Unfortunately RSLinx Classic 2.50 pre-dates the CompactLogix 1769-L35E by 6 or 7 years. You can try installing CompactLogix EDS files, or just upgrading RSLinx Classic to the 2.59 release.

The other method I often use is to plug in using an Ethernet tap (or a hub, or a switch with a mirroring port) and listen in on the Ethernet traffic to that particular port using Wireshark.

Another straightforward option is to just set your laptop for that 192.168.2.x range and PING a bunch of similar addresses until you hit it.
 
Thanks for the tips, I'll give it a shot again tomorrow, I did not try to ping the processor as I hadn't set a static IP on my laptop in that range. Ill re-post my results. Thanks guys!

TEX
 
I want to clarify and emphasize a couple of things.

RSLinx Classic needs to have the appropriate EDS files installed in order to "drill down" to an Ethernet module via the RS-232 port. For CompactLogix that includes the EDS files for the CPU, for the virtual backplane, and for the Ethernet daughtercard. Yes, three of them !

The EDS basically tells RSLinx "this device has a CIP protocol port, and here's what it's connected to, and here's the services it supports". The effect is that you get that nifty little module icon and [+] emblem that indicates you can "drill down" to another level of CIP routing.

You can get those EDS files installed either by manually downloading them and using the Hardware Registration Tool, or by upgrading to a version of RSLinx that includes them as part of the core EDS bundle.
 

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