RSLinx and a New PC based HMI

Steve Etter

Lifetime Supporting Member + Moderator
Join Date
Apr 2002
Location
Morristown, TN
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I am working on a new Touchscreen PC, Windows 7 Professional, where I am installing FactoryTalk View ME Station to interface with a CompactLogix PLC. Everything is good with one exception – I can’t establish communication with my laptop where I have developed my FTView application. Consequently, I can't directly download my application directly to the HMI. Here is what I have:
1) The laptop, PLC, and new HMI are all connected via a single Hirschmann Managed Switch
2) The Laptop, PLC, and new HMI are all configured to a common IP address range.
a. Laptop: 172.XXX.YYY.16; 255.255.254.0
b. PLC: 172.XXX.YYY.180; 255.255.254.0
c. Laptop: 172.XXX.YYY.181; 255.255.254.0
3) From the laptop and HMI can ping each other successfully.
4) The application on the HMI (loaded via a Flash Drive) successfully interfaces with the PLC.
5) The RSLinx Classic and RSLinx Enterprise on the laptop both recognize the PLC
6) Neither Classic or Enterprise on the laptop recognizes the HMI
7) RSLinx Enterprise on the HMI does not recognize the laptop.
8) Windows Firewall is 100% disabled.
This is the same laptop I use all over the plant to communicate with multiple PLCs and HMI’s on various networks. I frequently have to change IP address ranges so I’m very familiar with getting those lined up. I’ve started up and commissioned a fair number of Logix5000 PLCs and PanelView HMIs, so again, I’m pretty familiar with how to do that. What I haven’t done (before now) is to have started with a fresh PC and brand new version of FactoryTalk View. I suspect I’m missing something pretty simple here with respect to configuring Windows and/or Security in the new HMI.

Anybody had this problem or know what I’m missing?

Thanks in advance.
 
Be sure to check IP and mask in the HMI. In particular look at the mask for typos.

Make sure you have the EDS stub for the HMI installed on the laptop.

On edit: I see it's ME station on a PC. Not sure if or how that shows up on RSLinx.
 
Last edited:
When you have a PanelView Plus, it's the RSLinx Enterprise runtime on the PV+ with its Ethernet driver that is recognized in browses by other computers with RSLinx Enterprise. Sometimes people delete that driver when they are using serial comms to a controller, and are surprised to find that the PV+ isn't visible on Ethernet anymore.

If you plan to download new runtimes to this computer using RSLinx Enterprise and the FactoryTalk View File Transfer Utility, it's the RSLinx Enterprise runtime you need to get working.

Try this: Go into the RSLinx Enterprise configuration for the Ethernet driver on the touchscreen computer and check the "Listen on EtherNet/IP Encapsulation Ports" checkbox. It's on the "Advanced" tab.

You might have to access this via the FactoryTalk Administration Console if you don't have FactoryTalk View Studio on the touchscreen PC. Remember that you're using the Local FactoryTalk Directory, not the Network Directory, when running an ME project.
 
Thanks Ken. I found it was not checked. I'll have to wait until tomorrow though to see if it wors - I hosed my laptop and locked myself out. The IT guy says he will fix it tomorrow morning.
 
Ok. Well checking the "Listen on EtherNet/IP Encapsulation Ports" checkbox didn't do it. It did change things, however, just not what I needed. Here is what happened:
  1. The application lost communication to the PLC.
  2. RSLinx Classic is able to recognize the PC's existence.
  3. RSLinx Enterprise still does not recongize the PC.
When I uncheck the checkbox, everything goes back to how it was before.

I'm still hunting....
 

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