ControlNet re-schedule

[coopdegrace]

Hi All,

Thanks in advance for any information.

We will be upgrading an 1756-L63 controller and two Ethernet Communications Modules (1756-ENBT) to an L83E and EN2Ts respectively.

The local 10 slot rack also has two 1756-CNBR ControlNet Modules, one for PLC-PLC communications and the other for remote IO (some of these in ControlLogix racks with other PLCs not in the ControlNet network).

My my question is a two part question:

1. Will I have to complete a ControlNet schedule after upgrading the modules? Tech note QA10625 says "After replacing/upgrading the Logix processor and/or firmware (only if there was an export/import applied, if change controller method was used, reschedule is not required)". But I was sure this was required.

2. If I do have to schedule the ControlNet do all the other PLCs on the ControlNet network/s need to be placed into program mode, or only the one in the local rack?
Note: as stated above, one of the ControlNet networks references other IO in ControlLogix racks but not the PLCs. Do these PLC need to be in program mode as well?

Obviously whether I need to put other PLCs in program mode will make a big difference to when and how I go about it as most of the plant will need to be stopped.

I am sure someone out there has done this and knows for sure

Much appreciated.

 

[joseph_e2]

I made two upgrades to a system with ControlNet:
1: Change 1756-L55M12 at v13 (?) to v16
2: Replace the -L55 with an -L81E (v24, I think)

In neither case did I have to mess with the ControlNet at all. It just worked. Didn't have to upgrade the firmware in any of the modules. Well, I may have had to re-flash the 1756-ENBT, but that was our standard practice since most had very old versions. We had a couple of spares we kept on hand with the latest firmware to swap in as we had the opportunity.

 

[Ken Roach]

This sounds like quite a challenge for a complex ControlNet based system.

I don't think your -L63's are old enough for their Ethernet or backplane scheduled connections to interact with the ControlNet connection schedule. But it's relatively easy to delete and re-insert something that does make a new scheduled connection.

Any CPU that participates in a *scheduled* connection on ControlNet will need to go into PROG mode to re-schedule the network. That includes not just controllers that is an owner of scheduled I/O connections, but also any CPU that is Producing or Consuming a tag with another CPU, or a CPU that has a Listen-Only scheduled connection to an I/O module.

But a CPU that is just coincidentally in a chassis with remote I/O modules on ControlNet can stay in RUN mode.