Posted 5 Apr 2023 Hallo, I have two operational S7 PLC's : 1 x S7-300 and 1 x S7-1200. Both PLC's I want access in our internal netwerk, but S7-300 have only a MPI-connection and not a RJ45-connection (profibus) What can I do to access both in the same network ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 5 Apr 2023 Back when I was supporting the S7-300s, there was a signal module for the S7-300 that added an Ethernet port. There were actually 2 models: the cheaper one worked only for getting online with your PC while the more expensive one supported adding I/O. I would suggest the more expensive one that supports I/O because we found that adding a ProSoft gateway module later would work with the better one but not the cheaper one. Another option is this:https://www.ibhsoftec.com/IBH-Link-S7-PP-Eng It attaches to the MPI port and provides an Ethernet connection. As i recall, they were a bit of a pain to get working at first, but worked great once properly configured. They were only for getting online with a PC (no I/O control) and added a driver to your PG/PC interface, which is where the pain came in. If you're looking for remote access to the PLC via another PLC or SCADA system, I think you'll need the in-chassis signal module. Another option is to upgrade the CPU to a 2PN/DP model that has an on board Profinet port. I believe that all of these options are going to involve the aftermarket, though. I'm pretty sure the S7-300 platform is obsolete, but I could be wrong. I've been away from that world for a bit over 3 years now. I have a procedure somewhere that I came up with when doing that upgrade. It was a little clunky but it worked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 6 Apr 2023 To append to what @Joe E. said... Depending on your system complexity and which HMI is connected to your S7-300, an upgrade to S7-1500 might be an alternative. However, the S7-1500 does not have nor will ever have an MPI port - this communication should change to Ethernet. The cleanest solution is to add an Ethernet module to the S7-300. If the S7-300 and S7-1200 do not have to exchange data with each other, you can use a 6GK7343-1CX10-0XE0 module (CP 343-1 Lean - cheaper module) If the S7-300 has to initiate Ethernet communications to exchange data directly with the S7-1200: 6GK7343-1EX30-0XE0 (CP 343-1 module - more expensive) You can also use the CP-343-1 Lean module for data exchange only if the S7-1200 initiates the Ethernet communication to the S7-300. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
