eWon Flexy 205 remote access with Allen Bradley PLC

Ewon Support Ewon Flexy
#1

Hello,

I have successfully implemented it at several customers but I came across this issue and couldn’t find a solution.

Here is what I have verified (everything is connected by Ethernet):
(1) eWon can be reached out through Talk2M so the network is working properly.
(2) eWon records correct tag value from PLC so connection between PLC and eWon is fine.
(3) I followed the procedure to map stations in Rslinx with the correct PLC IP address. But it stayed offline.
(4) I logged into another eWon through Talk2M and I can remote access PLC connected to that eWon unit successfully.

Thank you very much
Tony

#2

In RsLinx is the device configured as “ethernet device” and not “ethernet/ip”.

Is the device in the same 255.255.255.0 subnet as the Flexy LAN without a VLan or switch between the two.

When connecting to the flexy in eCatcher do you get a message that “All devices on the network are reachable by connected users”.

Are you running your Allen Bradley software in a VM.

#4

Zach,

Thanks for the follow up.

The IP address of PLC is manually configured under AB_ETH-1.
The PLC and Flexy are in the same subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and connected directly via Ethernet. No switches.
I cannot see the message of “All devices on the network are reachable by connected users”. However, for other Flexy systems that I can dial-in to PLC remotely, I cannot see this message either.
AB software is on my laptop, not in a VM.

Tony

#5

You can check which devices your able to connect to in the

properties> configure LAN devices & Firewall

If the firewall is set to standard you should be able to reach all devices connected on the LAN side in the subnet.

You can also check when connected though the VPN if you can ping the PLC.

#6

I changed the firewall setting from High to Standard. And I can see the message. But PLC is still offline in Rslinx.

#7

Is the Flexy on the latest firmware which is currently 13.3.

Are you able to ping the PLC and if not has teh Gateway address been set to that of the Flexy’s LAN IP.

#8

Firmware is 13.3.

I can ping Flexy but not PLC.
Could you please explain the “Gateway address” guidance? I don’t think I understand it.

#9

The gateway address is used for communication. See the following image as an example.
gateway

Since you cannot ping the PLC you do not currently have a direct route to it though the VPN connection. Not having the gateway address set as the Flexy’s LAN IP could cause this issue.

You can also test communication by connecting directly to another LAN port on the Flexy and seeing if you can ping the PLC from there.

#10

I changed the Gateway address on PLC to the LAN IP address of Flexy (powered cycle PLC), and tried three LAN ports.
All of them failed.

#11

To be clear by trying the three ports did you plug your computer directly into one of the local LAN ports and try to ping the PLC from there. Not through the VPN.

#12

Sorry I misunderstood.

I pinged PLC with LAN and it succeeded.
I pinged PLC through VPN and it failed.

#13

Could you send a backup from eBuddy with support files included.

With the ewon that you can communicate with the PLC are both machines setup the same way and using the same means of communication (wifi, cell, ethernet).

#14

MOVED TO STAFF NOTE (165 KB)

The two eWons are setup differently but have the same means of communication.
I made a copy of the eWon I can communicate with the PLC, and put it into the problematic eWon, and I can communicate with the PLC now.

I guess I could start from here and setup the problematic eWon again. But I would like to know the root cause for earlier failure so I won’t make the same mistake in the future.

#16

Zach,

Are you able to identify any problems in the backup file?
Thanks,
Tony

#17

The two tags I see in the setup have unknown values. For not being able to reach the PLC though the VPN I don’t notice what could be preventing that in the event logs. It does not look like the tags were being read in the backup that was sent though.