Controllogix Messaging, firmware versions ?

[passwordg]

I have several older Controllogix and Compactlogix machines with firmware 16.7 and receiving new machines with Compactlogix firmware 21.xx (or whichever is the latest)
I use a lot of MSG instructions to send data. Would the different firmware versions cause any problems, or should I update the old PLCs ?
I'm also thinking of trying Produced and Consumed Tags. Will they work with different firmwares ?


Thank you.

 

[PLC GURU]

There shouldnt be any issues

 

[Ken Roach]

In general there are no issues with Produced/Consumed Tags or MSG instructions between controller firmware revisions.

But there are two differences you will find between your v16.x controllers and the new v21 controllers with regard to inter-controller communication.

The first is the addition of an option for Connection Status in the header of a Consumed Tag. This is a selection you make when you set up a Consumed Tag, and I think the option was added in v17 or v18; I don't recall exactly.

The second and more important is that the new 5370 series CompactLogix controllers consider the Ethernet port to be part of the CPU, rather than a daughtercard on a virtual backplane.

When you configure a MSG instruction that's outgoing from the 5370 series CompactLogix, the CIP path goes directly from the CPU to the Ethernet port (Port 2) rather than going to the virtual backplane (Port 1) and the Ethernet daughtercard (Slot 1) first.

When you configure a MSG instruction in another controller that's targeted at the 5370 series CompactLogix, the CIP path goes only to the Ethernet interface, and does not need the extra "hop" to the virtual backplane (Port 1) and the CPU (Slot 0).

I believe that the CompactLogix will still accept a message targeted at the CPU in Slot 0, but it doesn't need it.