Ethernet Communication Question

    Hello,


    First off, I am new at this.

    We have Fanuc M-900iB/280 purchased with Ethernet/IP option, EOAT has master IO-Link ethernet/ip reading analog sensors through a converter connected to the IO-Link module, also communicates to line plc through Ethernet. As I understand, there are 2 Ethernet ports in robot controller can be configured as scanner and adapter, I will configure one port as scanner for EOAT, other port as adapter for PLC.


    My questions are:

    Which ports to configure as scanner?

    Do I need anything else in robot controller side to receive analog values?

    Do I need EDS files for EOAT?

    Do I need EDS files for PLC to communicate to robot controller?


    Thanks for your advice.

    Normally I assign Port 1 as adapter to have talk to the PLC. The second port would be go to a switch or go out to EOAT or to a welding power source.


    You may need to configure your AO/AI signals under the Analog I/O menu. I'm not entirely sure what you may need to configure exactly...due to little information provided and the use scenario. I would advise looking at a HandlingTool manual for the software version you are running.


    You will probably need EDS file, so you know what settings to provide under the Ethernet/IP I/O submenu. Things like Assembly Instance In/Out, major/min revision, sizes, etc. That goes for EOAT and PLC.


    I believe I'm correct in everything I've stated above. If not someone here will happily correct me :smiling_face:

    "Which ports to configure as scanner?"

    I don't think about it as configuring a port as scanner or adapter. The EIP connection is configured as scanner or adapter. I have the same network port running scanner and adapter connections.

    The port that the robot will use to communicate is decided based on the IP address you set in Host Comm and the IP address you set in the EIP scanner connections.


    "Do I need anything else in robot controller side to receive analog values?"

    This is handled in one of 2 ways: 1) Use the analog settings in the EIP connection 2) Configure your Group Inputs to map to the appropriate memory locations in the Assembly Instance.

    Remember that Fanuc Group Input or Analog Input only support 16 bit values.

    Again, thanks all! and think I have some facts now since we got power to the robot yesterday and did some testing.


    For EOAT:

    • IO-Master link EIP (IFM AL1122), has 3 analog sensors connected to converters, EIP pneumatic valve bank, one digital input and one digital output, with this I want to use the scanner.

    For PLC:

    • I want to use the adapter

    Issues:

    • The Fanuc robot comes with 2 adapters .

    Questions:

    1. Use a switch to connect EOAT, plc and to adapter of robot controller?
    2. Order the scanner for EOAT, use adapter for plc?
    3. Or as jmd2777 suggested, same network port running scanner and adapter.

    Hope I provided more detail this time.

    And as always, appreciate all the advise.

    NTran, the terminology that you are using is confusing. I think sometimes you use "adapter" to refer to the Ethernet port and sometimes as a connection configured as an "EIP adapter".


    Anyway, we would normally use a network switch. So the connections would look like this:

    EOAT ---> network switch

    PLC --> network switch

    Robot ethernet port#2 --> network switch

    Sorry JM,

    Please educate me on this as Fanuc is not something I am use to yet.

    In robot controller we have what you called 3 ethernet ports

    The devices we use IFM Al 1122 is IO-Link master EIP.


    As in you advice, same network switch for those connections, I know this may not be a good question but I only know some basics.


    Please see attached.

    Please discard previous question.


    So what I can collect is:

    • If I have one scanner port in robot controller I have to manually enter eds file parameters and it can scan the IO-link master with analog on EOAT, independent from plc.
    • The other port that is an adapter, plc can scan it and need eds file.

    Another way is as JM suggested, this means that signals from eoat are mapped through plc then to robot.

    • EOAT ---> network switch.
    • PLC --> network switch .
    • Robot ethernet port#2 --> network switch.

    Thanks

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