Message Configuration Dialog Box - Communications tab overview

Use this tab to set up the communication details and location to which the message is going to be sent.
Parameters
Path
Select this option to specify a path to which the message is going to be sent (target device).
As you type in Path field, the static display below attempts to display a path based on known modules in the path. It uses either the names from the I/O configuration of the controller, numbers that you type, or both.
You can default the path by selecting
Broadcast
when it is enabled.
NOTE: Logix Designer versions 37 and later do not support controllers with serial ports. The
Broadcast
 button appears only in Logix Designer versions 36 and earlier for controllers with a serial port.
Path
 is disabled when
Broadcast
is selected.
Browse
Select this button to display a dialog box from which you can choose a module. Once you select a module, it is placed in
Module
and its path is placed in
Path
.
This button is disabled when
Broadcast
is selected.
Broadcast
Select this option to send a broadcast message over a controller's serial port. This option is enabled only when you choose a compatible system protocol and a write message type.
In the field next to
Broadcast
, select the channel that will be used to broadcast the message. The available channels depend on your current controller.
The corresponding message path is set to 2,255 for channel 0 or 3,255 for channel 1. The address for broadcasts is 255.
TIP: You can also set up a broadcast message by selecting
Path
and typing 255 (broadcast address). For example, to set up a broadcast on a remote controller, type
1,4,2,255
 in the path. Note that 255 is at the end of the path.
IMPORTANT: Clear
Connected
. Broadcast messages only support unconnected messages.
Communication Method
Select the communication method. Choose from:
TIP: Broadcast messages only support the CIP communication method.
  • CIP
     - Select if the message is routed through the
    ControlLogix
     backplane, Ethernet network, or ControlNet network.
  • DH+
     - Select if the message is routed through a
    DH+
     link. When this is the case, the path indicates the path to the DH/RIO module. You then need to specify the following:
    • Channel:
       Specify Channel A or B of the 1756-DHRIO module that is connected to the
      DH+
       network.
    • Destination Link:
       Specify the link ID of the remote
      DH+
       link where the target device resides (0...199).
    • Source Link:
       Specify the link ID of the local
      DH+
       link (0...199).
    • Destination Node:
       Specify the station address of the target device.
  • CIP with Source ID (
    FactoryTalk Linx
    , HMI)
     - Select for an unsolicited message that is routed through an Ethernet network or a ControlNet network to
    FactoryTalk Linx
    , or other Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), that require the Source Link to identify the data. When this is the case, you need to specify:
    • Source Link:
       Specify the link ID of the data (0...65,535).
    • Destination Link:
       Specify the link ID of the remote link where the target device resides (0...65,535).
    • Destination Node:
      Specify the station address of the target device (0...77 octal).
      TIP:
      CIP
      ,
      DH+
       and
      CIP With Source ID
       are not available if you specified a CIP or block-transfer message-type on the
      Message Configuration
       Tab.
Connected
Select or clear this box to indicate whether the message is to be sent Connected or Unconnected. This field is enabled only for CIP Generic messages except when
Broadcast
is selected. Broadcast messages only support unconnected messages.
If the target device does not support connected CIP messages and this box is selected, an error appears when the message instruction is executed.
Cache Connections
Select this box if you want to enable cache connections. To optimize execution time, you should keep this connection open when the MSG instruction
executes repeatedly
.
Clear this box to disable cache connections. To release the connection for other uses, you should clear this box for an MSG instruction that
executes infrequently
 so that it can close its connection upon completion.
Once you select this box, the value is immediately updated, as signified by the blue arrow to the right.
TIP:
If there is only one
DH+
 link, and you do not use
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
 software to configure the DH/RIO module for remote links, specify zero for the
Source Link
and
Destination Link
.
The slot number of the controller is used as the Source Node.
Large Connection
Select to allow the CIP Generic type messages to use a large connection size (4002 bytes) for message transmissions.
Large Connection
 is enabled only when
Connected
is selected, and
CIP Generic
is selected as the message type on the
Configuration
tab.
Not all service types under the CIP Generic message type support large connections. If you select an invalid service type, an error message displays.
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