L23E CIP limitation

[CJD 0]

Hello, I have a L23E which I want to write a string over Ethernet/IP to any one of 21 Cognex DataMan barcode readers on the same network. I will only ever want to send the string to 4 - 8 readers at any one time. I know the L23E has a limit of 8 CIP connections, as far as I know each barcode reader requires 1 CIP connection. I have tried adding more than 8 modules to the Ethernet port in the IO configuration in RSLogix and when I verify the project I don't get any errors. Is it possible to add a connection for each one of the 21 barcode readers as an Ethernet module to the L23E PLC, and send information to each one or will the PLC throw an error when you try this? If it will, is there a way to change the IP address of the device you want send the information to, depending on what the logic requires? Is it possible to enable/disable the Inhibit Module checkbox in the Ethernet Module properties through logic? Thanks for the help. CJD

[Dumb Dumb 0]

I am by no means an expert on the L23E. According to the manual you can have 32 CIPs. Here is a link to the manual. http://www.emea.rockwellautomation.com/oem/docs/motion/IASIMP-QS010B-EN-P.pdf Good Luck

[CJD 0]

Oh, my mistake. I was counting the TCP connections for some reason! Does anyone know if its possible to enable/disable the Ethernet module through logic?

[Ken Roach 194]

You can enable and disable I/O connections by using the SSV instruction to change the "Inhibit Connection" value for each connection. You described "writing a string over EtherNet/IP", which doesn't sound like an I/O connection. The issue I think you'll run into is the 1769-L23E's limit of 8 TCP connections. That controller is intended to connect to a handful of FLEX or POINT adapters; a POINT adapter with four analog modules, for example, woudl take up just one TCP connection but five CIP connections. TCP connections run based on low-level firmware rules about Keepalives and Timeouts. They can't be canceled by user logic, so you cannot force them closed to allow new ones to be created. This application would work with the larger 1769-L32E controller, or with one of the new 1769-L30 or -L36 members of the "5370" family of controllers, which have a simplified and expanded Ethernet connection limit. I think the first thing to determine is whether the connection to the camera is via an implicit I/O connection or an explicit MSG connection.