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Bus couplers (AXL F BK xxx)

Dzmitry IvaniukDzmitry Ivaniuk
edited September 2019 in PLCnext Technology & PLCnext Controls

Hello,

How to get access from PLnext Engineer project to remote bus couplers (AXL F BK xxx) Axioline F devices? Is it only available to AXL F BK PN couplers?

 

Comments

  • Martin [PLCnext Technology Team]Martin [PLCnext Technology Team]

    Hi Dzmitry,

    No, it's not limited to AXL F BK PN couplers, or even AXL couplers (or even Phoenix Contact remote I/O).

    Basically, you need to check the protocol that the bus coupler uses, and then check if that protocol can be implemented in the AXC F 2152.

    For example:

    • AXL F BK PN - Profinet IO device. The AXC F 2152 is a Profinet Controller so it can be used with this coupler (as you know).
    • AXL F BK ETH - Modbus TCP server. The AXC F 2152 can act as a Modbus TCP client, so it can be used with this coupler.
    • AXL F BK PB - Profibus slave. The AXC F 2152 will be able to act as a Profibus Master in future, with a left-side extension module (but not available yet)

    If you have a specific fieldbus in mind, please let us know - Phoenix Contact also has some fieldbus converters, which may be useful if you have a BK that the AXC F 2152 currently does not support directly.

    Martin.

  • pgroenewegpgroeneweg

    Hi Martin,

    Perhaps I'm asking a stupid question but I'm relative new to the PLCNext.

    We've got an AXC F 2152 controller version 00/2020.0.0 and we want to connect two remote IO stations to it who are both equipped with an AXL F BK ETH buscoupler. Now I want to configure everything in PLCnext Engineer 2020.0.1 but the problem is that I cant find the AXL F BK ETH in the Network productlist.

    Can you tell me if it is in the list and if so, where I can find it?

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Greets Peter{jcomments on}

  • Martin [PLCnext Technology Team]Martin [PLCnext Technology Team]

    Hi Peter,

    No, that's not a stupid question at all.

    You won't find AXL F BK ETH in the Network product list, because the product list currently only contains Profinet remote I/O bus couplers.

    The Bus Couplers that you have support Modbus/TCP, rather than Profinet, and the AXC F 2152 currently does not have any Modbus/TCP drivers built in to the firmware. So you must do a little extra work to communicate with these Bus Couplers.

    The steps are basically:

    • Download the User Manual (aka "Data Sheet") for the Bus Coupler from our website. I have also attached it here. This contains lots of useful information about the Modbus/TCP features of the Bus Coupler.
    • Download the Modbus/TCP Function Block library from the PLCnext Store.
    • Follow the instructions in the store for installing the FB library in your PLCnext Engineer project.
    • Create an instance of a Modbus/TCP Client in your PLCnext Engineer project.

    Because the BK is a Modbus/TCP server, you will be able to exchange I/O data with the BK using a Modbus/TCP Client in the PLCnext Engineer application. The exact Modbus "Function Codes" and "Registers" that you must use in PLCnext Engineer will depend on your application e.g. the configuration of the BK.

    Hopefully this will get you started. Let us know if you need more help with this.

    ~ Martin.

  • pgroenewegpgroeneweg

    Hi Martin,

    Thanks for the quick response! I will try what you suggest.

    Greets Peter

  • pgroenewegpgroeneweg

    Hi Martin,

    I got it to work with adjusting the example code. Thanks for the help!

    Greets Peter

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