MPI communication via IBH Softec

[metaller]

Hello there, does anyone have experience with two processors communication(S7-300 with S7-200) via IBH Softec communication (MPI-Ethernet-MPI) cable? I don't know how to set them for communication between them...
Thanx for any reply...

 

[JesperMP]

Not sure I understand what you are trying to do.

If the two PLCs are within 50 m of each other, then you dont need anything else but a direct MPI cable. If the length is more than 50 m then you can extend the MPI segment with a repeater.
If the two PLCs are interconncted via MPI you can connect the MPI/Ethernet cable to just one of the PLCs (*), and all nodes on the MPI network will then accessible from the PC via Ethernet.

*: The MPI connector on the PC where you want to plug the MPI/Ethernet cable will have to be of the type with a PG socket (6ES7972-0BB41-0XA0 for ex.)

Or do you mean that you have 2 MPI/Ethernet cables ? And you want to connect both PLCs that way.
I think that you cannot make the two PLCs communicate directly with each other that via Ethernet in that way.
I may be wrong though.

 

[metaller]

Yes, we have two MPI/Ethernet cables... Its S7-300 with IBH and S7-200 with IBH, both connected to factory ethernet. We've just thinked, that this sollution is not possible. Only thing is to connect them with original MPI cable, and read data throught IBH on S7-300. That's what I did'nt wrote. The data are transfered to WinCC via ethernet.

 

[JesperMP]

You could set up WinCC or some other dataexchange software on the PC to transfer data back and forth between the two PLCs.
But I wouldnt use this method for "mission-critical" data.

 

[metaller]

Hmmm, maybe with some sofware, but which? The problem is that ,when setting PG/PC interface, he can communicate with only one IBH... So, our solution is to connect PLCs with direct MPI (or, as in our way MPI/Optic-Optic/MPI) and read data only from one, in thic case S7-300.

 

[JesperMP]

Hmmm, maybe with some sofware, but which?

I would use WinCC if the number of tags are not so many.
You have it allready, so it would be the easiest for you.

I don think there are other solutions, because there are a couple of "gotchas":

1st. If you want to go via OPC, then you cannot use Simatic Net. This because it does not support OPC connectivity via the "PC adapter" which is what the MPI/Ethernet adapter "mimics".
You would have to get an alternative OPC server, maybe one from IBH.


2nd. Only one PC application can access the MPI/Ethernet adapter at a time (according to the specs), so WinCC and the other OPC server cannot connect at the same time.

Its all very complicated.

The easiest solution is to get two repeaters and then exchange the data with X_PUT and X_GET in the S7-300.
By the way, the regular repeater is electrical - not optical.

 

[metaller]

We would not use repeaters... but optical converters MPI/Optical... That's the way i will do it... X_Get and X_Put. I've already tried it, and works fine. Data from 200 to 300 and then via IBH to WinCC.