The Ethernet Communication Settings is where the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway are configured. Below is a list of settings that can be adjusted.
- DHCP
- IP Address
- Subnet Mask
- Default Gateway
- Speed
- Socket Timeout
DHCP
The DHCP option can be used to have the DHCP server automatically assign an IP address to the EQ-DCM.
IP Address
The IP address is used to identify the EQ-DCM on the network. The default IP address is 192.168.2.2.
Subnet Mask
The subnet mask is used to separate the network address from host address. The default subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.
Default Gateway
Default Gateway The default gateway is the IP address of the gateway that connects the local area network to the internet. This value can be left blank. The default value for the gateway is 192.168.2.1.
Speed
The EQ-DCM can be configured to have the Ethernet connection operate at 10 Mbits/s or 100 MBits/s. The default setting is 10 MBits/s.
Socket Timeout
The socket Timeout is the length of time a socket will remain open while there is no activity. The default value is 30 seconds.
Serial Protocol Settings
The EQ-DCM in this model supports Allan-Bradley’s DF1 protocol and the ASCII protocol. After choosing the protocol, the available options for that protocol will be displayed.
Currently available serial protocols are isted below.
- Allan-Bradley DF1
- ASCII
- MODBUS
Allan-Bradley DF1
The DF1 protocol is a serial protocol developed by Allan-Bradley for communicating with PLC’s, HMI’s, and other DF1 capable devices. The currently available options are as follows :
Communication Mode
Currently only the Full Duplex mode is available. The Half duplex mode will be available in the near future.
Error Detection
There are two methods of error detection available for the DF1 protocol, BCC and CRC error checking.
ASCII
The ASCII protocol is a serial protocol used to communicate with scanners, printers, and other ASCII devices. There is no protocol setup needed for the
ASCII protocol. The EQ-DCM will continue to receive data until a carriage return is received.
MODBUS
Please refer to MODBUS application note for details.
Ethernet Protocol Settings
Currently only Allan-Bradley’s AB Ethernet protocol is available. After choosing the protocol, the available options for that protocol will be displayed.
Currently available protocols are listed below.
AB Ethernet
AB Ethernet (or CSP as it is referred to by Allan-Bradley) is an Ethernet protocol developed by Allan-Bradley for communicating with PLC’s, HMI’s, and other AB Ethernet capable devices. There is currently no protocol setup needed for the AB Ethernet protocol.
Routing Table Setup
The routing table is a feature used by the EQ-DCM to determine where incoming message requests are to be routed. Messages can be routed to either of the serial ports or to the Ethernet port. When the EQ-DCM searches through its routing table, it will use the first table entry that matches the criteria in the incoming message. Because of this, the order in which the data is entered is important. The routing table can support up to a maximum of 20 routes.
To define a route in the table, the following information is needs to be entered.
- Source Port
- Destination Address Range
- Destination Port
Add Route
The Add Route button is used to create a new route in the routing table. When adding new routes, the slot number automatically defaults to the next available slot in the routing table. If multiple routes are present, the slot number can be changed to insert a new route between existing entries.
Source Port
The source port is the port where incoming message requests will be received.
Destination Address Range
The destination address range is used to determine where messages need to be routed. The address range can be a singe value or a range of values. In order to select a single address, enter the same value for both the low and high addresses. Any messages that fall into the defined range will be routed to the appropriate destination port. Messages that are received and do not fall within the defined range are discarded.
When messages are received from the Ethernet port, the remote destination value is examined to see if the message falls within the defined range in the routing table.
The allowed values for the destination range are 0 to 255.
Destination Port
The destination port is the port that messages will be routed to if they meet the criteria defined in the routing table.
IP Address
The IP address is only used if the Ethernet port is entered as the destination port. The IP address is the address of the Ethernet device that messages will be sent to.
Edit Route
The Edit Route button is used to edit an existing route. When the slot of the route to be edited is selected, the information about that entry is displayed and can be changed.
Delete Route
The Delete Route button is used to remove a single entry from the table.
Clear Routing Table
The Clear Routing Table button is used to remove all of the entries from the routing table.
Protocol Conversion Settings
When communicating to devices that use different protocols, it is sometimes necessary to setup protocol conversion parameters. These conversion parameters
are in addition to the protocol setup of each port. Below is an explanation of conversion parameters for converting between certain protocols.
ASCII – DF1
When converting between ASCII and DF1, the following conversion parameters are needed for proper communication. When data is received from the port that is configured for the ASCII protocol, the low address defined in the destination address range of the routing table will be used as the destination byte when
formatting the DF1 message. The following are the conversion parameters required for converting between ASCII and DF1.
- File Number
- Element Number
- File Type
- Message Function
File Number
This is the file number that ASCII data will be sent to.
Element Number
This is the element number for the specified file number that ASCII data will be sent to.
File Type
The file type identifies the type of data file that ASCII data will be sent to. The available file types are listed below.
Message Function
The message function defines the type of DF1 message that will be formatted. The available functions are listed below.
- Typed Write
- Protected Typed Logical Write
Downloading and Saving Settings
After the settings have been configured, the last step is to download or save them. The three options available are listed below.
- Download Configuration
- Download and Save Configuration
- Save Configuration