Display More1. what does that mean exactly?
"port is used" does not tell much. one port could be used to communicate with multiple devices on same network. that is where ethernet switch comes in...
the question is how exactly it is used? is it EthernetIP or Modbus/TCP? is it master or slave?
2. not sure why is that important or even an issue.... it simply tells who controls communication. messages still go both ways regardless of role. so if your PLC is EthernetIP master and motor drivers is etherentIP slave, you would probably want KRC to be also EthernetIP slave so it can serve same master.
3. first you need to have a clear idea of available connectivity options and roles of the interfaces as well as size and type of signals to be exchanged. then you can start looking at some gateway as a possible solution.
4. Actually as far as i know, KUKA offers such options for ProfiNet (M/S or just -/S).
But EthernetIP is always a M/S version.
1. One of the Servo Motors on the End effector tool is designed to use the Clear Link Motor Controller or at least that's what was recommended to us from the End Effector Design Team. In the Wiring Schematic for the clear link controller, it shows a direct EtherNet/IP Line from the controller to an Allen Bradely PLC. So the PLC would Master the Motor controller, while at the same time the PLC would be the slave to the KRC4. I would have to explore this option and make sure I can use Ethernet/IP with the KR C4.
2. We would like to program everything from Kuka's software and the teach pendant, the idea is that we spent a lot of time and money on the Kuka Arm and the software and the Training so we would like to use it as much as possible to take advantage of it. If we run into a major brick wall, will consider the reverse option