logging on to a new plc

How do I connect with a AB Contrologix PLC when I have never talked to it before? Is it as simple as using RSLinx to try to establish an ethernet connection and then uploading from processor?
May seem obvious to some but its something I've never encountered in 30+ years as a maintenance electrician

Disable your wifi and plug into a dummy switch with the control logix, then add the default IP to the controller in RSLinx. You can now use RSWho from within Studio5k to connect to the controller. You can also use RSLinx to reconfigure the IP address.


I'm not sure what that default IP is anymore, though. Someone else will likely chime in and also explain the other method you can use (bootp server).


You can connect and fire up bootp and see if it discovers your processor.

It might be that simple. I'm assuming that this is a PLC that already has a program in it (by your description)

-Get your network adapter configured on the same network as your ControlLogix
-Make sure you can successfully ping it
-Get RSLinx to see the Ethernet adapter in your ControlLogix chassis
-If you see a yellow ?, try right clicking and selecting "Upload EDS"

Now as to whether you can simply upload the program... If it is v21 or newer, the comments/descriptions should be stored in the controller, so you should simply be able to upload with or without an existing ACD file. If it is v20 or earlier, you will want an existing, up to date offline copy of the program to go online/upload. If you upload without an existing copy of the ACD file in v20 or earlier, there will be no comments.

Another possible wrench in this operation is whether you have the major version of RSLogix5000/Studio5000 installed to be able to upload. One problem in Rockwell land is their lack of backwards compatibility. Simply having the newest major revision doesn't do anything for you if your controller isn't also the newest major firmware revision. You have to install every major software revision for every major firmware revision you want to communicate with.

If you can post more details about the part numbers you are working with and their firmware revisions, more specific information can be provided...


Edit: If you have brand new, out of the box hardware, then you have some more work to do. I assumed you already have a running system because of your use of the word "upload". If I'm incorrect, post and we can go down that path...