So you want to write your own Ethernet driver to an Allen-Bradley® programmable automation controller (PAC)? Or link a personal computer that runs HMI software to an SLC™ or ControlLogix® processor? Developer How-to Guides and resources can help you create your own solution on your own. With a bit of creativity, you are able to accomplish some impressive things. We are not giving away any secrets, but we are making your job easier with our How-to Guides.
How to Communicate with Rockwell Automation Products
- Integration with ControlLogix Programmable Automation Controllers Using EtherNet/IP [PDF]
This document describes the different ways a product can be integrated with the Logix family of Controllers over EtherNet/IP and provides references to other sources of information necessary to accomplish the task. This is the starting point for understanding how to build an EtherNet/IP product that will communicate with Rockwell Automation products.
- Logix5000 Controller Data Access Manual [PDF]
This document describes how to build a client application that can read/write tags in the Logix5000™ controller family (ControlLogix, SoftLogix™, and Compact Logix™) of controllers using native CIP messaging on EtherNet/IP or ControlNet, or using PCCC over the serial port. To help you understand the message structure of the examples used in this manual, we provide an LDA Supplement [ZIP] file that contains the (V20) controller project file and a Wireshark (see www.wireshark.org) traffic capture that contains many of the examples used in the manual.
- EDS AOP Guidelines for Logix Designer Software [PDF]
This document describes the fields of an Electronic Data Sheet (EDS) files that are used by RSLogix 5000® software (version 20 or later) when adding a device to a project using a new feature called EDS driven Add-On Profiles (EDS AOP). - ODVA provides a free tool called EZ-EDS, that can be used to create an EDS file. This tool helps accelerate the process of creating properly formatted EDS files.
- Type Encoding of Logix Structures in CIP Data Table R/W [PDF]
This document describes how to encode the abbreviated data type of Logix structures for the CIP Data Table R/W services. These services are used to transfer named data (Tags), and are described in the "Logix5000 Data Access Reference Manual", along with the abbreviated data types.
- DF1 Protocol and Command Set Reference Manual [PDF]
This document describes how to use the PCCC protocol to communicate with all Rockwell Automation products that support the PCCC protocol. This document covers the DF1 protocol (an RS-232 implementation) and the PCCC commands that are used in it. The PCCC commands given in this book can be directly applied to other communications networks like EtherNet/IP.
- Delivery of CIP Over RA Serial DF1 Networks [PDF]
This document describes how to use PCCC commands 0Ah and 0Bh to support CIP connected and unconnected explicit messaging over a Serial DF1 link (for example, RS-232 or RS-485). The 0Ah and 0Bh commands are supported on Logix controllers, and are not currently described in the "DF1 Protocol and Command Set Reference Manual" or the "Logix Data Access Reference Manual". This document also describes the PCCC Fragmentation protocol used to transfer CIP messages larger than the PCCC 244 byte limit.
Note: Our How-to Guides are a compilation of basic, public information to be used for development.
