Lookout communication to a micrologix 1500 via 1761-Net-ENI

[ICI]

We are running Lookout 5.0 server/client setup. We have a number of Allen Bradley SLC500 we communicate with via ethernet. We have just installed 2 new UV water disinfection units that are controlled with Allen Bradley Micro Logix 1500 PLCs. The 1500s are connected serially to a AB 1761-NET-ENI ethernet module/gateway. After setting up an AB Logix Driver in our Lookout server using the ethernet interface option from the drop down list, I'm still unable to communicate with the 1500. Is there a solution to this problem without running a OPC server to communicate with the 1500.

[Ryan.S]

"After setting up an AB Logix Driver in our Lookout server using the ethernet interface option from the drop down list, I'm still unable to communicate with the 1500"

Do you use AB_Logix object? I don't think there is an ethernet option in the drop down list. The only choice for 1500 is serial.

Which PLC are you actually using, SLC500 or MicroLogix1500? They need different objects in Lookout.

[ICI]

Hello Ryan,

Yes I'm using the AB_Logix object and in Lookout 5.0 there is an option for ethernet at the bottom of the list. We have 6 AB SLC500 PLC's that we talk to but now we have 2 AB Micrologix 1500 that will not communicate. We were told before by National Instruments that we couldn't talk to the the SLC 500's via ethernet but we do and have been successfully doing it for many years.

[Ryan.S]

Message Edited by Ryan.S on 09-26-2006 09:31 PM

[Ryan.S]

ok. in Lookout 5, there is an option for Ethernet in AB_Logix object, which is removed in Lookout 6. Actually, this option has nothing to do with 1500. The only usable interface for 1500 is KE/KF/Serial and the connection should be direct to PLC.

You can find all possible interfaces and hardware connections for each PLC in Lookout help. We do support ethernet connection to SLC5/05 now in Lookout 6. Although sometimes the ethernet connection to SLC500 works, we don't guarantee the usability and stability.

[reandy]

Another thing to think about is the '4 user' limit to the net-eni. We had this issue at our facility.

A vendor brought in a new system, it had seversl MicroLogix's with net-eni's on them. They supplied their own mmi package. It consisted of 2 pc's running RS-View. There was a ControLogix5000 running 'supervisory' diuties, talking to all the micros.

I wanted to gather some performance data with our lookout server, however it couldn't 'find' the MicroLogix.

After some calls to AB, we were informed that the net-eni would only talk to 4 devices at a time. 2 of them was to the RS-View pc's, 1 was to the ControLogix5000, and the last one was being used by the PLC Programmer's computer's RSLinx (which he keeps running all the time). so there went the 4 'slots' and Lookout couldn't talk to them.

We decided that we would do a com request in the ControLogix to get the info, and read it into a register, then talk to the ControLogix with Lookout.

Rich Anderson

Anamax Group

[reandy]

Also note, the only way we have been able to get to the MicroLogix is with the RSLinx OPC running on the Lookout Server PC. We use the OEM version, it does that. Then in Lookout, use the OPC client, and get all the data you want from the micros.

Rich Anderson

Anamax Group