Mendon Systems

CJ2M Ethernet IP error F3

16 posts in this topic

What exactly is an F3 error code on the CJ2M Ethernet port trying to tell me?? I have read the troubleshooting section in the W465E manual, but it really doesn't explain this very well.

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This means that the IP node address on the rotary switches is different to the IP address set in CX-P.

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Well ............ from the description of the error, that's what you would think, BUT the node switches are set correctly. The PLC IP address is fixed at 192.168.1.101 and the node switch setting is 65 hex (&101=#65). The only way to get rid of the error is to go to the FINS/UDP tab of the Ethernet setup and change the conversion method to IP Address table. If it is set to any of the automatic modes the F3 error occurs. There are about 10 pages of description in section 5-2 of the W465E manual and none of it makes sense, particularly why automatic doesn't work. The F3 error does not interfere with Ethernet/IP communications to CX Programmer.

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What is your subnet mask?

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255.255.254.0 -- We are using 192.168.0.xxx and 192.168.1.xxx on this network. DHCP assigns the 192.168.0.xxx addresses and fixed IPs go in 192.168.1.xxx.

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Quick drawing of subnet mask to help with the discussion:

post-19500-0-07533700-1370399745_thumb.j

Therefore, with a subnet mask of 255.255.254.0, the last bit of the third octet becomes a part of the node address. So, if your IP address is 192.168.1.101, then your node address is really this in binary:

post-19500-0-97798400-1370398657_thumb.j

 

FINS Node numbers can range from 1-254. Since your node number is 357 in this case, then it cannot automatically map the IP Address to a valid FINS node number. By making the IP Address table, you are mapping IP Address 192.168.1.101 (node 357) to node 101. In the automatic mode, it would have assumed that node 101 was 192.168.0.101. What this in effect gives you is one network whose IP Addresses start with 192.168.0 or 192.168.1 and has 508 possible nodes (with no router required). This is compared to a standard class C network (subnet of 255.255.255.0) which would have IP Addresses that start with either 192.168.0 or 192.168.1 (and would require a router to communicate between the 2 networks). Each network could have 254 nodes in this case.

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Thanks Mike!!! That is the first explanation I have seen that actually makes sense!

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You are quite welcome. How many nodes are you going to have on the network? Is 254 not enough? If it is, then I would have the router start addressing its DHCP Nodes at 100 (or whatever is appropriate) and then you could use 2-99 (1 is probably the router) for your fixed IP Addresses. Then you could put your subnet back to 255.255.255.0 and then all of your issues go away.

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Yes, that became obvious once you explained what is going on. The number of nodes isn't a problem, but this is a combination of two networks with old equipment installed. One was set up using 192.168.0.xxx and the other was set up using 192.168.1.xxx. I think that for the moment I will stick with using the address table now that I understand why it is needed. Messing around with that old unsupported hardware would probably be more trouble than it is worth.

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Awesome explanation, Mike!

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Hello Guys, I'm with same problem described in this thread. I configure my CJ2M-33 with IP: 10.9.100.50 and mask 255.255.0.0 (which is the mask of the network that my PC is connected) but I got the F3 error. The troubleshooting is not helpful because it just describe the error. I've set the 16^1 switch to 3 and 16^0 to 2 (32 hex which is 50) but error still continues. I can program and run the plc by Ethernet but it keep me always showing this error. Can somebody help me to solve this? Regards

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Read Mike Walsh's description again!! It is the best writeup around for sorting out the F3 error!! With the mask set to 255.255.0.0 your network is going to be 65535 nodes. It seems to me like you mask should be 255.255.255.0. If you really need that IP mask you will have to set up an address table for everything that the CJ2M accesses. Edited by Mendon Systems

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Hello Mendon, My mask is 255.255.0.0 I fix the problem, I add a new register in the table IP Address Table with dest.node = 50 and dest.IP = 10.9.100.50 and the error disappear, but this is because I'm accessing it via fins UDP. Later I will try to use TCPIP but I can ping the PLC so maybe everything is ok. Edited by FET_Destroyer

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Hi Micheal! My PLC CJ2M-CPU33 EIP 21 I set IP 192.168.6.1 Sub 255.255.255.0 I meet err MS flashing Er F3, Er HE IP 01, and cannot connect CX-Program to CPU, only meet IP EIP 21 because i cannot connect to CPU chang IP, you can show me how to fix this problem

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You should be able to connect to the PLC using EtherNet/IP as the protocol, but you will have to make sure that your laptop is on the same network (IP address 192. 168.6.***). If that does not work for some reason, plug into the PLC with USB and then change the IP Address.

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