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6:EthernetandPLCMessaging

Discussion6Notes(https://adamwsonu.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/discussion6notes.pdf)

TOPIC1:IndustrialEthernet

AnincreasinglycommonwayforaprogrammertoaccessaPLCisviaanEthernetnetwork.ThesePLCscanalsocommunicate
withoneanotheroverthesameEthernetifneeded.OnthisEthernet,eachpieceofequipmentwishingtocommunicateorreceive
communication must receive an address so that it can be identified specifically. This address is called an Internet Protocol
AddressorIPaddress.However,thisequipmentdoesnotcomewithanIPaddressbutitdoescomewithaMediaAccessControl
Address(MACAddress),aunique,devicespecific,identifier.Thisisa64bitbinarynumberoftenrepresentedinhexformatsuch
as 14:D5:37:EF:88:A9:D9:29. Given this length there are 2^64 = 1.84467441 1019 possible devices that can be represented
uniquely.

Typically when a new device is received it does not contain an IP address and is set to broadcast its MAC address over any
networkitisconnectedtosothataautomaticsoftwareorasoftwareopenbyanengineercanidentifyitoverthenetworkand
assign it an IP address. Two main types of IP address assignment methodologies are Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) and Static IP address assignment. While the most common method in the computer networking world is DHCP, the
mostcommoninindustrialEthernetapplicationsisStaticassignment.ThedifferenceisthatinDHCPtheIPaddressofanode
can change whereas Static Assignment means that the IP address will remain the same. In industrial applications it is often
importanttoalwaysknowtheIPaddressofallequipmentwithoutlooking.

WhetherahomenetworkorusingaPCinacomputerlab,atthispointyouhaveprobablyallhadsomeinteractionwithsome
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WhetherahomenetworkorusingaPCinacomputerlab,atthispointyouhaveprobablyallhadsomeinteractionwithsome
formofEthernetsoyoumayhavesomeunderstandingofthestructure.Belowiswhatthelaboratoryenvironmentlookslike.It
ismeanttomirrorthatofarealworldenvironment.

(https://adamwsonu.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/network.png)

Total, there are 22 PLCs (18 MicroLogix 1100 PLCs and 3 ControlLogix PLCs), two industrial switches, 13 PCs, and a motor
controllerallontheEthernetnetworkinthelab.BecauseoftheadvantagesofthenetworkanyPLCcanbeprogrammedfrom
anycomputerwithinthelaboratory.InordertoprogramaPLCinthelaboratorythePCmustbelocatedonthesamesubnetin
thenetwork, meaning that the IP address ofthePC andthePLC must havethe firstthreeoctetsequal. Forexample, if theIP
address of the PLC is 114.116.220.103 then the PLC must have address such as 114.116.220.154 such that the first three sets of
numbersareequal.AnotherdetailtonoteisthatthePCsinthelabaredualaddressedmeaningtheyhavetwoEthernetcards,
onewiththeaddressforprogrammingthePLCsandonewiththeaddressforaccessingthecampusnetworkandtheinternet.
ThisisdonesothatpeopleoutsideofcampuscannotaccessthePLCsremotelyandhackintothem.

The switches in the lab are Stratix 8000 switches made by Cisco and AllenBradley in combination. Cisco is a big name in
EthernethardwareandAllenBradleyisabignameinindustrialautomationsotogetheritisassumedthattheycanmakeadecent
industrialEthernetswitch.Theswitchhasmanydifferentfunctionsinanetwork.Butatthistimeitissufficienttosaythatit
allowsonedevicetocommunicatetoanotherdevicepluggedintothesameswitchwithasimilarIPaddress.

LetstakeaquicklookatindustrialEthernetswitchesbelow.TheCiscoIE3000isessentiallythesamethingastheStratix8000
switchesweuseinthelab.

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Cisco IE 3000 Series Switches Video Data Sheet

TOPIC2:EthernetMessaging

BecausethePLCsareconnectedtooneanotheronthesamenetwork,theyareabletocommunicateduringoperation.Infact,one
PLCcanuseamessagecommand(MSG)tochangetheoutputsonanotherPLCandtheredoesntevenneedtobeaprogramon
theotherPLC.TheMSGcommandallowstheprogrammertochangeanyaddressorreadanyaddressonanotherPLCinthe
program.LetstakealookatwhatthislookslikeintheMicroLogix1100PLC.

Inordertoaddamessagecommandtoyourladderlogicprogramyoumust:

1.AddaMSGcommandtoarungandgiveitafilesuchasMG11:0orMG11:1.

(https://adamwsonu.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/msg_on_rung.png)2.ClicktheSetupScreen

(https://adamwsonu.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/msg_setup.png)

a.SelectChannel1(Integral)touseEthernet.

b.Selecteither500CPUReadorWritefortheCommunicationChannel.SelectreadifyouwanttoreaddatafromanotherPLC,
selectwriteifyouwishtowritedatatoanotherPLC.

c.TypeintheDataTableAddress(ThisControllerside)astheplaceyouwanttostorethereaddataortheplacefromwhich
youwanttoobtaindatatowritetotheotherPLC.Thesizeinelementsishowmuchdata(words)youwanttoreadorwrite.
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d.TypeintheDataTableAddress(TargetDeviceside)astheplaceyoureadfromorwritetoontheotherPLC.

e.SelectLocalandgivethecommandaRoutingInformationFile(RI)suchasRI20:1orRI20:2.

3.EntertheMultiHopdatabyclickingontheMultiHoptabinthesetupscreen.

(https://adamwsonu.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/multihop_msg_setup.png)HereyouonlyneedtogivetheToAddressasthe
EthernetIPAddressoftheotherPLC.

Youshouldnowbepreparedtoanswerthefollowingquestions.

1.TrueorFalse?AMACAddressisthesamethingasanIPAddress.

2.TheAutomationandAppliedControlsLabcontainshowmanyMicroLogix1100PLCs?

3.TheStratix8000IndustrialEthernetswitchesinthelabaremadebywhattwocompaniesinpartnership?

4.TheIE3000IndustrialEthernetSwitcheshave______powersupplyinput(s).

5.TheIE3000supportswhatpowersupplyvoltages?

6.If500CPUWriteisselectedinaMSGCommandsetup,whatisthedefinitionoftheTargetDeviceDataTableAddress?

7.WhensettinguptheMultiHopportionoftheMSGcommand,theIPaddressneededisthatofthe_____________.

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2Responsesto6:EthernetandPLCMessaging

timothySays:
September26,2011at11:28pm|Reply

Havequestion..letssayIhave12plcsallwithstaticipsthatthe3firstoctetsarealldifferent.HowwouldIconnectthemall
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Havequestion..letssayIhave12plcsallwithstaticipsthatthe3firstoctetsarealldifferent.HowwouldIconnectthemall
toonecomputer?WouldIneed12niccards?Soundsabsurd.Curiouswhatothermethodscouldaccomplishthis?Maybe6
dualportniccards?Lolmaybesomeotherperipheral..thentwelvedifferentinstancesofrslinx?SoundslikeImbeggingfora
pccrashlol..lookingforabetterway..

adamwsonuSays:
September27,2011at5:52pm|Reply
Timothy,

Goodquestion!Firstherearemyassumptions:Youareattemptingtoeitherprogramall12PLCsinafactoryondifferent
networksfromthecomfortofyourofficeorarebuildingaMESofsortsthatismeanttodisplaydatatoacentralstation
comingfromseveraldifferentnetworks.First,IwouldsuggestgettingeverythingononenetworkbutbecauseIimagine
youvethoughtofthatbutcannotforsomereasonthenextbestoptionwouldbetouseanothercommportonthePLC,
suchasserialordevicenetport,andpurchaseagatewaydevicethatconvertstheserialporttoethernet,assignthegateway
device of all 12 PLCs to contain the same first three octets and live with one NIC card on the PC and one instance of
RSLinx.Also,dependinguponwhatyouaredoingtheremaybesomewayofsettingupaVLANtoaccomplishit.Your
bestbetistocallyourlocalABrepandtellhimorheryouhaveimmediatepurchasingneeds!Goodluckandletmeknow
ifIcanhelpfurtherandmoreimportantlywhatyoudidtosolvetheproblem!

Adam

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