Glenn Robinson

I am trying to use an Automation Direct Productivity P2000 to control a Kinetix 300 servo drive using Ethernet/IP.  I got the EIP working fine using Explicit Messaging.  The hardware enable and overtravel limits are hardwired ON.  The drive doesn't show any faults.  When I turn on the software ENABLE bit (bit 7 of byte 0 in the Output Assembly), the Ethernet communication stops.  Motionview continues to work, but if I disconnect and reconnect, it can't find the drive.  I have to physically power down the drive to reestablish Ethernet communication.  Once I power back up, EIP communication resumes with no issues. Any thoughts?  What am I missing?

The communication is strictly serial.  The chip that I would be communicating with is embedded inside a finished product.  The communication is used to calibrate the device prior to shipment.  The customer is currently using a PC-based control and a National Instruments USB-to-I2C converter.  It works, but it's a band-aid system.  They want to upgrade to something that can better handle the industrial environment and is easier to troubleshoot.  If necessary, I can use the PLC for setting the calibration conditions, then a mini-PC to handle the communcation between the PLC and the finished product.  I'd rather not as it adds another layer to the system, but I can if that's my best bet.

Has anyone heard of a way to communicate with an I2C device over Ethernet/IP from a CompactLogix PLC?  There are plenty of ways to do it from a PC over a USB-to-I2C converter, but doing it from a PLC seems to be a rare event. I appreciate the help.