Read tags from Anybus Communicator Ethernet/IP ? (AB7072)

Anybus Support Anybus Gateways
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#1

I have an AB7072 talking DF1 to a Micrologix. I have two questions

First, how do I know if the DF1 is talking successfully and reading my Integers?

Second, how do I read tags over the Ethernet/IP from an HMI? The Youtube video I watched added the Communicator as a Generic Ethernet Module to RSLogix, which I’m very familiar with, but in my application I’m using an HMI.

So I need it to go HMI <—Ethernet/IP—> AB7072<—DF1—>Micrologix

When adding as a generic ethernet module you get your I data and O data in your PLC. But what do I do if I want to read from an HMI instead?

#2

Hello @tomgiorgio,

You can confirm you are receiving data by looking at the node monitor. This is accessed by right clicking on the node in Anybus Configuration Manager (ACM). You should also be able to see that the Subnet status LED is green representing no error.

I am sure you can connect a HMI directly to the communicator not can you directly access tags. The HMI would need to make a connection to the communicator for data, either as an EthernetIP IO device or a modbus TCP slave.

Deryck

Deryck

#4

I’m not sure I understand the second part of your response?

#5

Hi @tomgiorgio,

To help me better explain can you provide a description of how you expect the communicator to be connecting to the HMI? Particularly, Will it be on the serial side or Ethernet side and what protocol will it be using?

Deryck

#6

I need my system to work exactly as described above:

HMI <—Ethernet/IP—> AB7072<—DF1—>Micrologix

So the communicator will talk Serial to the Micrologix via DF1
Then the HMI needs to talk to the communicator, preferably over Ethernet/IP. My HMI can’t add an IO Device like a CompactLogix could. So I need to read tags, as if I was reading them from a PLC (just like you would with, say, a Flexy reading tags from a CompactLogix over Ethernet/IP).

If the communicator doesn’t let me do that, is there some other gateway that can? If not then I suppose I can read the tags via Modbus TCP but I’d really prefer not to have to do that

#7

@tomgiorgio,

Does the HMI need to read tags off of the PLC? You cannot have tags setup directly on the communicator. What I believe you need to do is have the plc read the IO data then create tags on the plc mapped to the data in the IO table. An alias tag or possibly use a mov command should work. I don’t have enough experience with Studio to recommend the best option

Deryck

#8

I’m not using Studio at all. The only PLC involved in this system is the Micrologix. I need to take integers from a Micrologix and access them via Ethernet/IP tags from my HMI. Does any HMS product allow me to do this?

If not, how do I get my integers into Modbus registers instead?

#9

Hi @tomgiorgio,

Ok, I think I understand.

I don’t know of any device we offer that allows data to be read using tag access.

You can read the data off of the Communicator using modbus TCP with out any additional configuration to the Communicator. The memory registers you map the data to is already tied to modbus registers. You will just need to refer to the register mapping in section 2.5. of the user manual.
Here is a screen shot where I attempt to show how the mapping works. In the example the request is mapped to memory address 0x02 which corresponds to input register 2. Let me know if you have any questions.

image
image1391×793 132 KB

#10

Deryck,

Doesn’t AnyBus have an OPC Server software for the Gateways? All HMI’s including FT Studio use OPC server driver/servers.

#11

Hello @lday,

The X-gatways can have OPC connections this is not available on the communicators.

Deryck

#12

I am working on a project right now converting with Citect HMI.
The Citect HMI has a Driver built in that Communicates directly
to the AnyBus Ethernet/IP bridge to Modbus RTU Communicator.
But Rockwell FactoryTalk HMI cannot do this unless the bridge
is an OPC server.
Just an FYI…

#13

CitectToEthernetIPCommunicator
Here is what the config looks like from Citect to the AnyBus Ehernet/IP Bridge.
Good Luck
What HMI are you going to use?

#14

Hi Iday,

Do you know what protocol you are using with it? You might be talking modbus to it or your HMI supports connecting to ethernet/IP IO adapters.

Deryck

#15

I’m using Exor

#16

The Citect HMI Driver is EtherNet/IP to the Communicator Direct.