1336 drive shows in RSLinx but how to use it?

[waterboy 7]

I can see a AB 1336 VFD drive in RSLinx but how can I view the Speed etc from it within a PLC. What addressing or driver or EDS file does it need? I can see all this data in the drives own web page but RSLinx provides no datamonitor.

[pandersen 0]

You need to add it as a device in your I/O configuration in Logix 500 or 5000. It looks like the 1336 drives are already defined so you just need to pick it out of the list. I'm not sure how Logix 500 works, but with 5000 once you create the device, global tags will be created with the name you assigned to the drive.

[waterboy 7]

But the Drive is a standalone device... Its not attached to a PLC other than receiving the 4-20 ma signal from a PLC5 Output module. I was hoping OPC would see all the available data bits within the drive itself so I can see status values etc.

[Eddie Willers 2]

Aha... you are using the 1203-EN1 EtherNet/IP to SCANport module. These are not very common because most older SCANport drives are pretty successful with their existing network interfaces to RIO, DNet, CNet, etc. The 1203-EN1 should support the "PCCC Object", in which it emulates a PLC/SLC when you send requests to specific emulated integer files. According to the 1203-EN1 user manual, data elements N30:1-9999 should emulate the drive's parameters. Try creating an OPC Topic that points to the 1203-EN1 and set it for PLC-5E or SLC-5/05 device type. Then try manually creating an OPC item with one of those N30:xxx addresses.

[waterboy 7]

thank you, I have seen that 1203 module in the browser so it sounds like you are right. When I right click it in RSLinx there is no "create OPC topic" in the context, so either I have the wrong eds file or I must have to create the topic itself manually? Is there even an eds file for this module? I have always downloaded them from the device I have connected to but obviously that wont work here.

[Ken Moore 23]

Open Rslinx, along the top menu bar, you should see "DDE/OPC", click on it, then select "Topic Configuration", this will open another window. Click on "New", type in a name for it, then browse through the little RSWho window and select the drive, then click apply. You now have an OPC topic that points to the drive. Go to the Data collection tab, and select the processor type, as suggested earlier, select either PLC-5 or SLC 503+. Once you have the OPC topic configured, you should be able to use OPC test client (comes with RSLinx) to view the drive data.

[waterboy 7]

group added just fine When I try to add the item N30:1 (or any other) with the access path blank and the datatype VT-Empty, the test client says the Item is no longer available. I have always left that field blank in the past. If I type in "No Access Path", I get error that the Access Path is not known If I use the groups name in the Access Path I get some data, Server Handle, 2 byte integer etc. But the quality is BAD Since I have not had to use the Access Path before, is that the right config? update: I added a genuine PLC5 OPC entry using teh same process just to test my procedure and that works as expected. so what did I miss? Edited 13 Mar 2009 by waterboy