RiceLake Indicator -> CompactLogix

dmroeder said:

LOL, I get derailed easily.

It looked like that Ethernet I/P adapter on their website was $575.

Click to expand...

ASF said:

Sorry to derail the all-important milkshake quality debate, but just in case you wanted my two cents worth on the original question

...the newer (5370 and later) Compact Logix processors can talk TCP/IP, but it's very labour intensive and unwieldy. I would think of it as an method of last resort, if you have no other options.

Here, you do have other options - the Ethernet/IP module. In almost 100% of cases, the development time you save in using such a module will outweigh the cost of it several times over - and when you're done, you have a simple, lightweight, industry-standard solution in place.

I use Mettler Toledo weight transmitters all the time - they too have Ethernet (TCP/IP) adaptors and Ethernet/IP adaptors. The Ethernet/IP adaptor is more than three times the cost of the Ethernet (TCP/IP) adaptor, and it's 100% worth spending that money. I've not used Rice Lake specifically (they're not so big under here), but if your Ethernet/IP interface card is a whole $40, I wouldn't even entertain the idea of doing anything else but ordering one of those, and a spare.

Click to expand...

I'd snatch em up at $40 a pop... But from what I can tell module is 10x that.

Ultimately I have learned that TCP/IP and EtherNet/IP are NOT the same and that the EtherNet/IP module is an absolute must have component given AB controllers use EtherNet/IP. Also sounds like the workarounds for not using their module simply aren't worth the time or effort.

BMK said:

Ultimately I have learned that TCP/IP and EtherNet/IP are NOT the same and that the EtherNet/IP module is an absolute must have component given AB controllers use EtherNet/IP. Also sounds like the workarounds for not using their module simply aren't worth the time or effort.

Click to expand...

I very strongly agree with both of those statements

FWIW - I ended up using a Rice Lake SCT-40 with Ethernet/IP and after trying to utilize the EDS files (which didnt' work) I set up as a generic Ethernet device utilizing the communication guidelines of the Rice Lake manual. I used the manual to poke around the created tags for the device and here's what I came up with.

SCT-40 Notes:

Generic Ethernet Module Settings –
Comm Format: Data - INT
Connection Parameters:

Assembly Instance: Size:
Input: 101 11 16-bit
Output: 100 4 16-bit
Configuration:128 0 8-bit

Name of Module:C -
Name of Module:C.Data[0] to [400]
Data Type: SINT
Value is all 16#00


Name of Module:I -
Name of Module:I.Data[0] to 10]
.Data[4] = Weight Readout in INT form
.Data[8] = status register
.Data[8].0 = Cell Error
.Data[8].1 = A/D Converter Malfunction
.Data[8].2 = Maximum weight exceeded by 9 divisions
.Data[8].3 = Gross weight higher than 110% of full scale
.Data[8].4 = Gross weight beyond 999999 or less than -999999
.Data[8].5 = Net weight beyond 999999 or less than -999999
.Data[8].6 =
.Data[8].7 = Gross weight negative sign
.Data[8].8 = Net weight negative sign
.Data[8].9 = Peak weight negative sign
.Data[8].10 = Net display mode
.Data[8].11 = Weight stability
.Data[8].12 = Weight within +/-¼ of a division around ZERO
.Data[8].13 =
.Data[8].14 =
.Data[8].15 =

.Data[9] – INPUTS
.Data[9].0 = Input 1
.Data[9].1 = Input 2
.Data[9].2 = Input 3

Name of Module:O
Rice_Lake_SCT_40:O.Data[0] = Command Register
O.Data[1].0 = Output 1
O.Data[1]..1= Output 2
O.Data[1].2 = Output 3
O.Data[1].3= Output 4
O.Data[1]..4 = Output 5

cheers

Thanks for posting back with your results. It'll no doubt help someone else in the future!