Problem connecting to 1500 Simatic PLC

Anybus Support Embedded
#1

Hello,

I have problems connecting an Anybus CompactCom m40 with Profinet to a 1500-series Simatic PLC. The PLC’s message is “Not reachable”.
The switch settings of the ABCC40 are both set to 3. I set the host name to “pam-003”. This is meant to be a very simple setup (replacing an older setup with ABIC Profibus), used in stand-alone shift register mode and connected to a modest FPGA. Using its web-server the module works impeccable, I couldn’t yet test output data, but I see the 8 input bytes and 8 output bytes and can read correct data as it should be.

The PLC is a simatic 1511-1PN PLC with a Profinet communication module CM1542-1, to which the ABCC40 is connected. I made the GSD-file with the generator tool, which I think I installed correctly. All in’s and out’s are defined, the Ethernet address set to 192.168.0.3, Profinet device name “pam-003”, device number “3”.

Of course I tried many different configurations, different GSD-files, the ABCC40 directly to the PLC, the result always being Status “Not reachable”.

Would anyone have an idea what I could be doing wrong? An almost identical setup is running fine with Profibus communication modules and many “old” ABIC’s.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Best Regards,

#2

Hi @gjf,

Can you share some screen shots showing how the module is added to your plc? Is it added as an io device? Can you make sure you have a station name set?

Regards,
Deryck

#5

Hello Deryck,

The problem is solved. I used the wrong station name, and didn’t manage to find out the correct station name until I found a program called “ProfinetExplorer”. Bit complicated to get running, but then it showed me within a second the name I had been looking for since six weeks. The ABCC has a nice web interface, could I suggest that the next firmware iteration shows the station name as well?

For me I chose the Anybus module as I expected it to be easy to build in. I see now that it also can be complicated to use and that HMS expects the user to be software and network specialist, which I’m not, that’s why I wanted to have a module that does all this for me. Possibly the station name is somewhere listed in the numerous documents that are most certainly useful for people that can spend 100% of their time to this module, but I do many projects in parallel and simply don’t want to spend all my time to this.

If you’re interested: the device is part of a small measuring device that can measure currents with a resolution of 12fA (femto-Ampere) up to maximum 10mA. It is a device to readout Faraday-cup devices in (low-energy) particle accelerators. It also offers high voltage down to -200V for the Faraday cup’s repeller and controls for the mechanical In/Out movement. We already have some 30 devices like this working with the older ABIC and Profibus which we made 8 years ago.

Best regards,

Gerrit Jan Focker

#6

Hi Gerrit,

Thanks for the follow up glad to hear it is up and running.

We do try to handle as much of the complicated parts and simplify as we can. You are correct though the Compact com does require some level of understanding of the protocols. Typically the station name is going to be configured from the profinet Master configuration software. Here is a link to our documentation for setting up our profinet X-gateways if you are interesting in seeing that process. If you are using TIA portal it should be a similar process for the compact com. https://www.anybus.com/docs/librariesprovider7/default-document-library/application-notes/hms-scm-1202-052.pdf?sfvrsn=b18c8cd6_9

That sounds like a cool application, I always enjoy hearing what application our devices are used in.

Let me know if there is any thing else i can assist with.

Deryck

#8

Topic closed due to inactivity.