Trick an NB HMI into thinking it's talking to a CJ2M? Or other solution?

[strantor_ 2]

I apologize in advance if I am unclear as to what I'm trying to do. I've retyped this several times and it seems to be one of those things that's hard to communicate if you're not there to see it - Like Christopher Walken trying to explain Baseball in Blast From The Past.

I'm writing programs for an NB10 and a CJ2M-CPU32 with Ethernet comms between them. I am waiting on delivery of the CJ2M-CPU32 which is taking forever, and in the mean time I've been using a CJ2M-CPU12 that I have laying around - it doesn't have an Ethernet port.

I've already programmed a significant portion of both HMI and PLC, without the benefit of having them communcating with each other. Now I'm getting to the point I really need them talking and getting desperate without my CPU32, and trying to make something else work. 

The only Omron PLC with an Ethernet port that I currently have is a CP1H with a CP1W-CIF41 option board. All addressing in the HMI I have mapped to points in the (future) CJ2M-CPU32. I tried using my CP1H as a "simulated" CJ2M with the same IP address, but the HMI is having none of that. It's giving me a "[1] PLC Response Error," which is different than the "[2] PLC No Response: 00-0C-3" that I get when the cable is unlugged or when the PLC IP address is wrong, which tells me that it is "seeing" the PLC at the correct IP address but it too smart to be fooled by a CP1H when its looking for a CJ2M. When I put a dummy program (NB/CP1H) in the NB and in the CP1H, it works; I can toggle a bit from the HMI in the PLC. But when it's looking for a CJ2M, apparently only a CJ2M will do.

In the NB program that I've already invested so much time in, I can't simply change the model of PLC. If you start with CJ series, that's it. If you want to change models, you have to delete the CJ series, and put in a new CP series. But when you delete the CP series, it deletes all of the addressing for every single widget on every screen, that was mapped to the original CJ series.

 

I hope I have clearly stated my problem. Are there any suggestions for either tricking the HMI into thinking a CP1H is a CJ2M, or migrating the NB project to a CP1H without losing all addressing, or something else?

Thanks in advance,

Strantor.

[strantor_ 2]

P.S. In the event someone says "just use the "Change PLC Model" option by right-clicking the PLC" as such:

I tried that. When I do that, there is what I think is a "bug" that afterwards there is no PLC (PLC0, PLC1, etc) listed when I go to assign an address to something in the HMI design.

 

[Michael Walsh 268]

Unfortunately, you are right in your assessment of the issue.  I have documented a slightly painful process to be able to change the communication method for an NB project.  It should work the same for changing the model number.  Here is the document:

Changing NB Communication Method POC.pdf

So, you should be able to continue with development and testing with the CP1H and then use the document to change it to match your CJ2M.

Good luck!

[Jay Anthony 119]

Awesome as usual...

[Michael Walsh 268]

Thanks @Jay Anthony!  I hope that all is well!

[strantor_ 2]

Thank you Michael. Following those instructions it worked perfectly just now, when I migrated the addresses from CJ/CS/NJ series to another CJ/CS/NJ series (as a test). But when I add the "CP Series Ethernet" it does not work. Starting from scratch with an untouched copy of my program, I add the CP Series Ethernet, set up IP address and everything as described, and go to find/replace, on both sides of the window, the new PLC is not in the list. Only PLC 0. 

Just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I added 3 of each. It will only let me transfer between CJ/CS/NJ series.

 

 

 

EDIT: figured out that if I change the the comms protocol in the HMI from CS/CJ/NJ to CP series, now my options become PLC 0,2,4 instead of 1,3,5. So it would appear that to use find/replace there is an unreasonable prerequisite that all the PLCs be on the same protocol. I will try adding a serial connection instead of an ethernet connection, see if that works, and report back.

 

Thanks again for providing the document.

Edited 9 Jan 2018 by strantor_

[strantor_ 2]

Ok I wasn't able to add the CP Series and transfer directly from CJ to CP. For your (and everyone's) reference, here's how I had to do it, using the general concept that you provided.

Starting point. CJ/CS/NJ with all my addresses in it

Step 1: add a CP series (or any PLC with serial port I guess). This is just an intermediate container for information.

Add a serial link between them

Step 2: Perform the memory address transfer as described in the document provided by Michael Walsh in post #3

Step 3: Delete the CS/CJ/NJ, and accept the scary confirmation message. 

Add a CP series where it used to be. Configure the IP address according to the document

Step 4: Double click the HMI , Go into the communication settings, note that the HMI protocol is different than the only PLC in the program. Change it to CP series ethernet.

Step 5: Perform the Same find/replace operation to migrate the addresses out of the temporary CP1H (PLC1 in my case) to the new CS/CJ/NJ (PLC0 in my case)

Step 6: delete the temporary CP1H and serial connector

Done!

 

Thanks Michael!

 

 

[Michael Walsh 268]

@strantor_ Wow!  That is quite the process.  Thank you for coming back and sharing your efforts with us so that no one else has to go figure this out!  

[strantor_ 2]

6 hours ago, Michael Walsh said:

@strantor_ Wow!  That is quite the process.  Thank you for coming back and sharing your efforts with us so that no one else has to go figure this out!  

You bet!

 

[strantor_ 2]

Here's an anomaly for ya! (I finally got a break )

I received the CJ2M today and hooked up. I was in the middle of performing my multi-stage process when I looked over and saw that the HMI was just talking to the CJ2M right out of the box. Amazing! It's looking for a CP series, instead found a CJ series, and for whatever reason, it's totally cool with that.

[Michael Walsh 268]

It likely just limits the memory areas to those of a CP Series - No EM.