OIABTCP OIABCIP OIServer Userguide

AVEVA™
Communication Drivers Pack – Allen

Bradley - ABTCP Driver
User Guide
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AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide
Contents
Chapter 1 Getting Started..................................................................................................... 5
Welcome .................................................................................................................................. 5
Supported Client Protocols ........................................................................................................ 5
OPC ................................................................................................................................... 5
SuiteLink ............................................................................................................................ 5
DDE/FastDDE ..................................................................................................................... 6
DDE ............................................................................................................................. 6
FastDDE ....................................................................................................................... 6
Supported Device Protocols....................................................................................................... 6
Supported Devices .................................................................................................................... 6
Chapter 2 Configuration........................................................................................................ 7
Finding Your Communic ation Driver in the SMC.......................................................................... 7
Setting Up Your Communication Driver ...................................................................................... 7
Before You Begin...................................................................................................................... 8
Configuring the Communication Driver ....................................................................................... 8
Configuring PORT_TCP IP Connection ................................................................................. 9
Configuring Port Objects .................................................................................................... 10
PLC5_TCPIP Object .................................................................................................... 10
SLC500_TCP IP Object ................................................................................................ 11
Configuring Device Redundancy ........................................................................................ 12
Multi-Instance and Cloning ...................................................................................................... 13
Chapter 3 Device Groups and Device Items ................................................................... 15

Device Group Definitions ......................................................................................................... 15
Device Item Definitions ............................................................................................................ 16
Exporting and Importing Communic ation Driver Item Data ......................................................... 18
Scan-Based Message Handling ............................................................................................... 19
Unsolicited Message Handling ................................................................................................. 20
Chapter 4 Item Names ........................................................................................................ 23

PLC-5 Item Naming................................................................................................................. 23
Output File Items ............................................................................................................... 24
Input File Items ................................................................................................................. 25
Status File Items ............................................................................................................... 25
Binary File It ems ............................................................................................................... 25
Timer File Items ................................................................................................................ 26
Counter File Items ............................................................................................................. 26
Cont rol File Items .............................................................................................................. 27
Integer File Items .............................................................................................................. 27
Floating Point File Items .................................................................................................... 27
3
AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide Contents
ASCII File It ems ................................................................................................................ 28

BCD File Items .................................................................................................................. 28
ASCII String Section Items ................................................................................................. 28
Block Transfer Section Items ............................................................................................. 29
PID Section Items ............................................................................................................. 29
SFC Status Section Items .................................................................................................. 30
SLC-500 Item Naming ............................................................................................................. 30
Output File Items ............................................................................................................... 31
Input File Items ................................................................................................................. 31
Addressing SLC I/O Modules ....................................................................................... 32
Diagram System .......................................................................................................... 32
Label I/O Modules with "Word Counts".......................................................................... 33
Sequentially Number the Input Modules ........................................................................ 33
Sequentially Number the Output Modules ..................................................................... 33
Status File Items ............................................................................................................... 34
Binary File It ems ............................................................................................................... 34
Timer File Items ................................................................................................................ 35
Counter File Items ............................................................................................................. 35
Cont rol File Items .............................................................................................................. 36
Integer File Items .............................................................................................................. 36
Floating Point File Items .................................................................................................... 37
ASCII File It ems ................................................................................................................ 37
ASCII String Section Items ................................................................................................. 37
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................... 39
Monitoring Connectivity Status with the PLC ............................................................................. 39
Monitoring the Status of Communication Driver Conversations .................................................. 40
Using DDEStatus and IOStatus in Excel ............................................................................. 40
Reading Values from the Communication Driver into Excel .................................................. 40
Writing Values to the Communication Driver from Excel ....................................................... 40
Error Messages ...................................................................................................................... 41
ABTCP Communication Driver Error Messages ................................................................... 41
PLC-5 Error Messages ...................................................................................................... 58
SLC 500 Error Messages ................................................................................................... 59
PLC-5 and SLC 500 Error Messages .................................................................................. 59
4
C HAPTER 1
Getting Started
This document describes the AB TCP Communication Driver, and the device and protoc ol environment in
which it works. It includes application-level and bus-level communications protocols, item naming
conventions, and Communication Driver features.
Welcome
The AB TCP Communication Driver (referred to as the Communication Driver through the remainder of
this user’s guide) is a Microsoft® Windows® application program t hat acts as a communications protocol
server. Its user interface is a snap-in Microsoft Management Console (MMC) program, which is part of
the ArchestrA System Management Console (SMC) suite of utilities.
This Communication Driver allows other Windows application programs access to data in PLCs (also
referred to as devices) attached to an Ethernet network or through a Pyramid Integrator module. The
Communication Driver requires a TCP/ IP package that supports the WinSock interface standard. It can
access data directly via the Ethernet in programmable cont rollers such as SLC-5/05, Ethernet PLC-5, or
PLC-5/250 using an Ethernet Interface Module (a Pyramid E I integrator module).
While the Communication Driver is primarily intended for use wit h Wonderware InTouch® Version 7.11
Patch 02 and later, it may be used by any Microsoft Windows program capable of acting as a DDE,
FastDDE, SuiteLink™, or OP C client.
The server can operat e in either stand-alone mode or with ArchestrA through Device Integration objects.
Supported Client Protocols

The client applications connect to the ABTCP Communication Driver using following protocols:
 OPC on page 5
 SuiteLink on page 5
 DDE/FastDDE on page 6
OPC
OPC (OLE for Proc ess Control) is a non -propriet ary set of standard interfac es based upon Microsoft’s
OLE/COM technology. This standard makes possible interoperability between automation/control
applications, field systems/ devices and business/offic e applications. A voiding the traditional
requirement of software/application developers to write cus tom drivers to exchange data with field
devic es, OPC defines a c ommon, high performance interface that permits this work to be done once, and
then easily reused by HMI, SCA DA, control and custom applications. Over the network, OPC uses
DCOM (Distributed COM) for remote communications.
SuiteLink
SuiteLink uses a TCP/ IP-based protoc ol and is designed specifically to meet industrial needs such as
data integrity, high throughput, and easier diagnostics. This TCP/IP standard is support ed on Wind ows
NT and Windows NT-t echnology-based operating systems (for example, Windows 2000, Windows XP,
and Windows 2003).
SuiteLink is not a replacement for DDE, FastDDE, or NetDDE. The protocol used bet ween a client and a
server depends on your network connections and configurations. SuiteLink provides the following
features:
5
AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide Getting Started
 Value Time Quality (V TQ) places a timestamp and quality indicator on all data values delivered to
VTQ-aware clients.
 Extensive diagnostics of the data throughput, server loading, computer resource consumption, and
network transport are made accessible through the operating system’s performance monit or. This
feature is critical for the operation and maintenance of distributed industrial networks.
 Consistent high data volumes can be maintaine d between applications regardless if the applications
are on a single node or distributed over a large node count.
 The network transport protocol is TCP/IP using Microsoft’s standard WinSock interface.
DDE/FastDDE
DDE/FastDDE communication prot ocols allow communication bet ween a client and a server. DDE
protocol is developed by Microsoft whereas FastDDE protocol is proprietary to Wonderware.
Important! On Windows Vista and later operating systems, Local DDE is supported only when the
Communication Driver is activated from its executable file or launched from InTouc h. Local DDE is not
supported when the Communication Driver is activated from the System Management Console (SMC).
DDE
DDE is a communic ations protocol to allow applications in the Windows environment to send/receive
data and instructions to/from each other. It implements a client/server relationship between two
concurrently running applications.
The server application provides the data and accepts requests from any other application int erested in its
data. Requesting applications are called clients. Some applications such as InTouch and Microsoft Excel
can simultaneously be both a client and a server.
FastDDE
FastDDE provides a means of packing many proprietary Wonderware Dynamic Data Exchange
messages into a single Microsoft DDE message. This packing improves efficiency and performance by
reducing the total number of DDE transactions required between a client and a server.
Although Wonderware's FastDDE has extended the usefulness of DDE for our industry, this extension is
being pushed to its performanc e constraints in distributed environments.
Supported Device Protocols

The AB TCP Communication Driver is designed to provide direct connectivity to the family of Allen
Bradley PLC5, SLC500 and PLC5250 cont rollers.
The AB TCP Communication Driver uses TCP/ IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol)
bus-level protoc ol.
TCP is the lower-level trans port and data-link vehicle for data delivery over an IP network. It provides
reliable connection-oriented full-duplex data stream transport. IP is the basic protoc ol for the Internet
which uses an IP address scheme to send dat a in packets across networks.
Supported Devices
The ABTCP Communication Driver will provide connectivity to the Allen-Bradley controllers described in
this section:
6
C HAPTER 2
Configuration
Network Communication Bridge/Int erface Modules are the communication links between the ABTCP
Communication Driver and its supported Allen-B radley controllers. You must create t hese links wit hin the
OI Server Manager hierarchy to bridge/ rout e control and information dat a between different networks to
target controllers.
This is accomplished by creating P ort Objects. These Port Objects simulate the physical hardware layout
and must be built to establish communications to each of the controllers. Once you have built the AB TCP
hierarchy, you can configure the respective devices for communications. Finally, you can creat e the
desired Device Groups for each controller.
Before you add these Ports in the SMC, you need to identify y our hardware topology to the devices being
connected.
Finding Your Communication Driver in the SMC

Each Communication Driver is identified by a unique program name (ProgID) under the SMC. The
ProgID for this ABTCP Communication Driver is: OI.AB TCP.1.
On the computer where the Communic ation Driver is installed, it can be found in the local node of the
default group of the OI Server Manager.
You do not need to install the OI Server Manager on the same computer as the Communication Driver.
When you access the Communication Driver remotely, you will not find the Communication Driver node
under the local node. You must locate and identify the Communication Driver on a computer in one of the
node groups.
To find the Communication Driver
1. On the system Start menu, click Programs. Navigate to the AVEVA folder that contains the System
Management Console and then click System Management Console.
2. In the System Management Console, expand OI Server Manager.
3. Locate the group wit h the ABTCP node.
4. Expand t he OI. ABTCP.1 node, and select the Configuration node to dis play the global paramet ers.
To view global paramet er configuration and settings in detail, see the Communication Drivers Pack Help.
Setting Up Your Communication Driver

This section describes the procedures required to set up the ABTCP Communication Driver for use with
the supported devices gateways and communication-interfac es.
Many high-level functions and user-interface elements of the OI Server Manager are universal to all
Communication Drivers. These universal functions are described in detail in the Communication Drivers
Pack Help.
See the Communication Drivers Pack Help, to find more information on:
 Global paramet ers
 Configuration sets
 Time zone features
7
AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide Configuration
 Icon definitions
 Activation/deactivation
 Importing/exporting device items
 Standard diagnostics
The ABTCP Communication Driver uses the TCP/IP to communicate with all devices across an Ethernet
network.
The AB TCP Hierarchy in the Communication Driver starts with the TCP/ IP PORT Object, followed by
supported AB TCP controllers.
Note: Before attempting to configure your Communication Driver, you should determine the hierarchical
structure of your network/controller environment.
Before You Begin

Before configuring the Communication Driver, verify the following items:
 A PC is set up with the necessary net work cards, and is connected to the necessary networks.
 The Windows administration account is created or identified.
 The Communication Driver and any other Wonderware software such as the OI Server Manager is
installed with the proper licenses. For more information, see the License Utility documentation on the
installation media.
 The client soft ware is installed.
 The device(s) is/are connected (net worked) and, if necessary, programmed.
Before configuring the Communication Driver, you should know:
 The device network configuration and addresses.
 Which data items are needed for the client application.
 The device name/topic name/group name.
 The desired update intervals.
Configuring the Communication Driver

Note: This Communication Driver is hosted by the OI Server Manager, a Microsoft Management
Cons ole (MMC) snap-in, which is part of the A rchestrA System Management Console (SMC) suite of
utilities. Many high-level functions and user-interface elements of t he OI S erver Manager are universal to
all Communication Drivers, and only the documentation for the OI Server Manager contains descriptions
of those universal functions/UI elements. Therefore, reading the doc umentation for both the MMC and
the OI Server Manager is critical to understanding this user’s guide. To read t he documentation about the
MMC and OI Server Manager, click the Help topics on the SMC Help menu. Both t he MMC and OI Server
Manager Help is displayed. An Adobe Acrobat version of the Communic ation Drivers Pack Help is
provided.
Note: The shortcut menu items described in this document typically represent only a subs et of any actual
shortcut menu. Most items in each s hortcut menu are standard Windows commands. See the MMC Help
for more information about those commands.
Before the Communication Driver can be configured, the Ethernet adapter and TCP/IP soft ware must be
installed on your computer; and, if you plan to configure your Communication Driver using Host Names
rather than the IP addresses directly, the Host Names for all PLCs on the Ethernet need to be defined by
modifying the hosts file.
8
Configuration AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide
To install the Ethernet adapter

1. Install the Ethernet adapter and TCP/IP soft ware following the instructions provided by the
manufacturer.
2. The Communication Driver configuration accepts either Host Names or IP addresses directly.
o You can configure Host Names directly in the OI Server Manager.
o Optionally, if Host Names will be used, then the Host Names for all PLCs on the network need to
be defined by modifying the hosts file.
o Refer to the documentation provided by Microsoft for information about the location of the hosts
file and the format of its contents.
Note: All configuration files will be moved to "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Wonderware\DAServer\DASAB TCP" on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 operating
systems and to "C:\ProgramDat a\Wonderware\DAServer\ DASABTCP" on Windows Vista and above
operating systems. The rule file will provide the version information.
3. Restart the computer.

To prepare the ABTCP Communication Driver
1. The AB TCP Communication Driver is installed along with the Communication Drivers Pack. It is a
selectable option during the Communication Drivers Pack installation.
2. Accept all the default settings during installation.
Note: Since there are no default values for security settings, you must take note of the User Name
and password selected during install.
1. When the AB TCP hierarchy build has been completed, you can start configuring the respective
devic es for communications.
o Optionally, the desired device groups can be created under the Device Groups tabbed page
with each of the PLC objects.
o Desired device items can also be optionally creat ed under the Device Items tabbed page with
each of the PLC objects.
Note: Any Global Parameters that appear dimmed are not supported. The hierarchy entry is added in the
"edit mode," providing a convenient plac e for you to appropriately describe components of your specific
hardware environment. Both hierarchy node name and device group name are numerically sequenced
by default. They can be renamed at any time.
The Communication Driver will be ready to use after it is activated.

o The Communication Driver can be activated by right-clicking on OI.ABTCP.1 and selecting
Acti vate Server from the shortcut menu. For more information about different modes of
activating the communic ation driver, see the Communication Drivers Pack Help.
Note: When any configuration view is in an open state and you open the same server the second time,
the Communication Driver locks the second instance of this same -server access for any update or
configuration activities. Access to this second opening instance will resume aft er the first one has been
closed.
Configuring PORT_TCPIP Connection

The AB TCP Hierarchy in the Communication Driver starts with the PORT_TCP IP connection, followed
by the supported communication-interface/ gateway modules that allow the Communication Driver to
access the supported net works and devices. The logical endpoint f or each branch of the AB TCP
hierarchy tree is always a Processor Type node which represents the controller device.
9
The following sections detail the steps necessary to configure your Communication Driver Port Objects
according to your network type.
Note: Before attempting to configure your Communication Driver, you should determine the hierarchical
structure of your device/net work environment.
The server-specific configuration portion of the AB TCP Communication Driver hierarchy tree under the
OI Server Manager starts at the TCPIP object. It is a logical representation of the Ethernet port for TCP IP
communications in a computer.
Only one TCPIP object is allowed per ABTCP Communication Driver, and is added by default when you
first install the OI Server. If you subsequently clear your configuration hierarchy, you must create this
TCPIP port object.
To add PORT_TCPIP connection from the Configuration branch
1. Right -click Configuration, and select Add PORT_TCPIP Connection.
An object called New_PORT_CIP_000 is created.
2. Rename the newly created object as appropriate. The Port_CIP_000 Parameters configuration
view is displayed in the Configuration branch of the hierarchy.
This configuration view has two parameters, one of which is configurable:
 Port type: This information is provided automatically by the OI Server Manager (TCP/IP).
 Maximum outstanding message s: The number of messages that the Communication Driver can
send to an IP address before getting acknowledgement from that destination.
o The default value is 4.
o The valid range is 1 to 20.
From the New_PORT_TCP IP_000 branch of the Communication Driver hierarchy, the following objects
can be created:
 PLC5_TCPIP Object (representing PLC5/20E through PLC5/80E PLCs)
 SLC500_TCP IP Object (repres enting SLC5/05 PLC)
 PYRAMID_E I Object (representing your Ethernet Interface 5820 -EI module)
Configuring Port Objects

From the New_PORT_TCPIP_000 branch of the Communication Driver hierarchy, the following objects
can be created:
 PLC5_TCPIP connection (representing PLC5/20E through PLC5/80E PLCs)
 SLC500_TCP IP connection (repres enting SLC5/05 PLC)
 PYRAMID_E I connection (representing your Ethernet Interface 5820 -EI module)
PLC5_TCPIP Object
The PLC5_TCPIP object represents the logical endpoint to the hardware hierarchy. It is created from the
New_PORT_TCP IP_000 branch of the Communication Driver hierarchy.
To add the PLC5_TCPIP object to your ABTCP hierarchy
1. Right -click on the New_PORT_TCPIP_000 object.
2. Select Add PLC5_TCPIP Connection from the shortcut menu. A New_PLC5_TCP IP _000 object is
created.
3. Rename the newly created object as appropriate. The PLC5_TCPIP parameters view is displayed.
10
Note: You can add up to 1024 of each type object to the hierarchy.
4. The PLC5_TCP IP parameters view is displayed.

This configuration view has six configurable elements:
 Host Name: Host name or IP address of the destination.
o The number of characters cannot be more than 255.
o The field cannot be blank.
o The host name is defined in the system host file, usually found
in: \WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\hosts).
Note: The Host Name defaults to the LocalHost. If the LocalHost is selected and delet ed, resulting in a
blank Host Name field, and you apply the changes, this will result in an error message.
 Data block size: The number of date bytes that can be sent in a message for this hierarchy.
o For reading blocks:
The default value is 2000 bytes.
The valid range is 2 to 2000.
o For writing blocks:
The maximum writing block is 220 bytes, and not configurable.
 Connection timeout: Time (in milliseconds) allowed to establish a socket connection to a target
devic e.
o The default value is 2000 ms.
o The valid range is 1000 to 20000 ms.
 Reply timeout: The time (in seconds) the Communication Driver will wait for the acknowledgement
after it sends out a message. The message will be resent when time-out occurred.
o The valid range is 1 to 300 seconds.
 Supports PID and string files: Set this flag if using a 1785 PLC-5 that supports PID, ASCII String,
Block Transfer, and SFC Status Files.
 Supports unsolicited ‘CLIENT’ messaging: Set this flag to true to enable the Communication
Driver to receive unsolicited "CLIE NT" data updates from the selected PLC.
o The Communication Driver is enabled aut omatically to accept normal, "Peer -to-P eer" unsolicited
data updates wit hout this flag set to true.
o The reason to turn on this flag is if the MSG instructions programmed inside the PLC/ Host is
configured with "CLIE NT" as the target station, rather than a specific IP address on the network.
SLC500_TCPIP Object
The SLC500_TCP IP object is created from the New_PORT_TCP IP_000 branch of the Communication
Driver hierarchy.
To add the SLC500_TCPIP object to your ABTCP hierarchy
1. Right -click on the New_PORT_TCPIP_000 object.
2. Select Add SLC500_TCPIP Connection from the shortcut menu. A New_SLC500_TCPIP_000
object is created.
3. Rename the newly created object as appropriate. The SLC500_TCP IP parameters view is
displayed.
11
Note: You can add up to 1024 of each type object to the hierarchy.
o The SLC500_TCP IP object represents the logical endpoint to the hardware hierarchy.
o The New_SLC500_TCPIP_000 Parameters configuration view is displayed. The
SLC500_TCP IP parameters view is displayed.
The SLC500_TCP IP object is used to configure the SLC -500 processor on an Ethernet direct
connection. This configuration view has four configurable elements:
 Host name: Host name or IP address of the destination.
o The number of characters cannot be more than 255.
o The field cannot be blank.
o The host name is defined in the system host file (usually it is
\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\hosts).
Note: The Host Name defaults to the LocalHost. If the LocalHost is selected and delet ed, resulting in a
blank Host Name field, and the Apply button is clicked on, an error message will appear.
 Data block size: The number of date bytes that can be sent in a message for this hierarchy.
o For reading blocks:
The default value is 510 bytes.
The valid range is 2 to 510.
o For writing blocks:
The maximum writing block is 220 bytes, and not configurable.
 Connection timeout: The time allowed to establish a socket connection to a target device.
o The default value is 2000 milliseconds.
o The valid range is 1000 to 20000 milliseconds.
 Reply timeout: The time (in Seconds) the Communication Driver will wait for the acknowledgement
after it sends out a message.
o The message will be resent when time-out occurred.
o Valid range is 1 to 300 seconds.
Configuring Device Redundancy

The OI Server Manager provides the ability to assign redundant device for fail-over protection in the
event of device failure. Two devices must be configured in the same Communication Driver having
identical item syntax.
Primary and secondary devices will be setup in the REDUNDA NT_DEV ICE object in the SMC, along
with a common item name (ping item) shared by each device to determine device status.
To setup up a REDUNDANT_DEVICE from the configuration branch:
1. Set-up a primary device and hierarchy in the OI Server Manager in the SMC.
2. Create at least one device item that can be shared between the primary and secondary devices to
determine devic e status.
3. Set up an secondary device on the same Communication Driver. Once again, creat e an identical
devic e item within the secondary device so that device status can be determined.
4. Select and right-click on the configuration node under the TCP/IP Network Device object.
12
5. Select Add REDUNDANT_DEVICE Connection. An object called

New_REDUNDANT_DEVI CE_000 is created.
6. Rename the newly created object as appropriate. The New_REDUNDANT_DEVI CE_000
configuration view is displayed in the Configuration branch of the hierarchy.
7. Enter or use the device browser to select the primary and secondary devices. Save the hierarchy
node configuration by clicking on the save icon.
Note: Unsolicited message configuration is not supported from the device redundant hierarchy.
Important! A Ping item must be specified and be a valid tag in both the primary and secondary
controllers to determine the connection status for $SYS$Status. The Ping item can be a static item in the
devic e such as a firmware version or proc essor type. If the Ping item is invalid or does not exist in the
controller, the failover operation may not work correctly as the value of $SYS$Status may continue to
stay as FALSE in the standby device.
Multi-Instance and Cloning

The AB TCP Communication Driver supports multiple server instanc es. You create a dditional server
instances and even clone existing server instances in those server groups.
Note: Creating multiple instances requires a Professional level license.
For a detailed step-by-step description of creating a new instance, or cloning an existing instance of the
Communication Driver, see "Instantiating Data Sources" in the Communication Drivers Pack Help.
13
C HAPTER 3
Device Groups and Device Items
The Device Groups tab in the OI Server Manager user interface is used to create new, modify, or delete
devic e group definitions for an object. For DDE/SuiteLink communications, one or more device group
definitions must exist for each PLC that the Communication Driver will communicat e with.
Important! For DDE/SuiteLink, it is strongly recommended that eac h device group (topic) definition
contain a unique name for the PLC associated with it. The OPC, however, has the flexibility to use any
names, including duplicate names, for the device group definitions.
Device Group Definitions

The Device Groups dialog box, which is displayed by clicking the Device Groups tab in the
New_<Name>PLC_000 Parameters configuration view, is used to perform the following activities:
 Adding, defining, and deleting device groups.
Note: When you add a new device group, ent er a unique name.
 Configuring default update intervals.

 Editing update int ervals for the objects.
Note: When you select another part of the Communication Driver tree hierarchy, you are prompt ed to
save the modifications to the configuration set.
To create or add device groups

1. Right -click in the Device Groups dialog box.
2. Select the Add command from the shortcut menu.
o When you add a new device group, enter a unique name (up to 32 characters long).
To make edits on device groups
Make edits on a device group’s name or update interval for an object as follows:
 In the Name column, double-click on the device group’s name to be edit ed and make the edit.
 Double-click on the device group’s value to be edited in the Update Interval column, and make the
edit.
To delete device groups
Deleting a device group from the list can be performed as follows:
1. Right -click on the devic e group to be deleted.
2. Select the Delete command from the shortcut menu.
Note: When you select another part of the AB TCP Communication Driver tree hierarc hy, you are
prompted to save the modifications to the configuration set.
To configure default update intervals

1. To configure a default updat e interval for the object, right-click in the Device Groups dialog box.
2. Select Config Default Update Interval from the shortcut menu.
15
AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide Device Groups and Device Items
To edit update intervals

 To edit the updat e interval for an object, double-click its value in the Update Interval column and
make the edit.
o Update Interval is the frequency (in milliseconds) that the Communication Driver acquires data
from the topics associated with that device group.
o Different topics can be polled at different rates in a PLC by defining multiple device-group names
for the same PLC and setting a different Updat e Interval for each device group.
Each configuration view associated with nodes/objects in the Communication Driver hierarchy tree has a
common feat ure, the Save button.
1. When you modify any parameters in the Device Groups dialog box, click Save to save and
implement the new modifications.
o If you do not click Save, the configuration is reset to its original condition (since the last save).
2. After all modifications, you must save when prompted for the new data to be saved to the
configuration set.
Device Item Definitions

The Device Items tab in the New_<Name>PLC_000 Parameters configuration view is used to define
aliases to actual PLC items. The Device Items dialog box is the place where the following activities are
performed:
 Creating new device item definitions for PLC items.
 Modifying the existing devic e items.
 Deleting device items.
 Archiving the created list of device items to a .csv file, a file with values separated by commas.
 Bringing a .csv file into the Device Items tab.
Each device item definition should contain a unique name for the PLC associated with it.
The Device Items dialog box has the following two columns:
 Name: This column defines the alias names to actual PLC items.
 Item Reference: The actual PLC item names, linked to the creat ed alias es, are defined in this
column.
For example:
Name Item Reference
Timer n7:0
Float f8:1
Note: When you create or add a new device item, a unique name needs to be entered for it.
Once the Device Items feature is utilized to configure item names, it provides the Communication Driver
with the capability to perform OPC Item browsing. When the Communic ation Driver is running and an
OPC client requests item information, the configured items will show up under the PLC hierarchy node.
16
Device Groups and Device Items AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide
Note: Devic e items have the precedence in addressing items in the controller device at runtime. It ems
request from the client would be searched from the Device Items Name list first before going out to the
controller.
To create or add device items

1. Right -click in the Device Items dialog box.
2. Select the Add command from the shortcut menu.
o A device item is created in the Name column, and it is numerically named by default.
For example, Item_0, It em_1, and so on.
3. Change the default name by double -clicking on it and entering the new name.
o Enter a unique name for the new device item.
For example, "Timer."
To add item references
Item references for eac h of the device items that have been created can be added as follows:
1. In the Item Reference column, double-click on the area in the same horizontal line as the selected
devic e item.
2. Type in the actual PLC item name in the frame that appears.
o For example, "n7:0."
3. Click anywhere in the dialog box or press the ENTER key to have the change take effect.
Note: System items are not valid item reference, but Communication Driver-specific system items are
ok.
To rename a device item from the list

1. Right -click on the devic e item to be renamed.
2. Select the Rename command from the shortcut menu and enter the new device item name.
3. Click anywhere in the dialog box or press the ENTER key to apply t he change.
To delete a device item from the list
1. Right -click on the devic e item to be deleted.
2. Select the Delete command from the shortcut menu.
o The device item and its corres ponding actual P LC item name will be deleted from the dialog box.
To clear all device items

1. Right -click anywhere in the Device Items dialog box.
2. Select the Clear All command from the shortcut menu.
o All the device items listed in the dialog box, including their corres ponding actual PLC item
names, will be delet ed.
17
Exporting and Importing Communication Driver Item Data

The Export and Import commands on the shortcut menu enable you to export and import the
Communication Driver item dat a to and from a CSV file, after the configuration of the Device Items has
been completed. These commands will allow you to perform an off-line, large-scale edit on the item data
configured for a controller, and import what has been edited back into the controller configuration.
The Export and Import features on the shortcut menu of the Device Items dialog box enable you to
export and import the Communication Driver device item dat a to and from a CSV file, after the
configuration of the Device Items has been completed. These features provide you with the following
capabilities:
 Archive lists of device items.
 Bring an archived list of device items into the Device Items dialog box when you need to utilize or
reconfigure any of the device items on the archived list.
 Perform an off-line, large-scale edit on the item data configured for a PLC.
 Import what has been edited back into the PLC configuration.
To export device items
2. Select the Export command from the shortcut menu.
o The standard Save As dialog box appears.
o The file name has defaulted into "PLC Hierarchyname.cs v," within the
current-system-configured default directory.
3. Accept the defaults to save the file.
o The file is saved as New_PLC5_TCPIP_000.csv.
o It is editable in Microsoft Excel.
However, if you prefer to save the list someplace else and rename it, perform the following steps
after step 2.
4. Select the folder int o which the list is to be saved.
5. Name the list to be archived.
6. Click the Save button.
o The whole list will be saved as a .csv file in Excel.
The file can now be edited off-line. It contains one row for each item configured wit h two columns, Name
and Item Reference, res pectively.
To import device items
1. To import the list, right-click anywhere in the Device Items dialog box.
2. Select the Import command from the shortcut menu.
3. Select the archived list (.csv file) to be imported from the folder in which it is saved.
4. Click the Open button.
o The whole list will be brought into the Device Items dialog box.
Note: When the list to be imported contains duplicate names as found in the current list but the Item
Referenc es are different, a dialog box will appear to prompt you to make a selection.
18
To import device item data that has been edited off-line

2. Clear all the item data you wish to replace with the edited .cs v file by selecting the Clear All
command.
o The data will be cleared after you click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
3. Select the Import command from the shortcut menu.
o The standard Open dialog box appears.
o It defaults to the .csv file extension within the current -system-configured default directory.
4. Browse for the specific CSV file you want to import, select it, then click on the Open button.
o The OI Server Manager will import the edited file and deposit it in the Device Items dialog box.
o During the imported file processing:
o New item references will be added bas ed on unique names.
o If t here are duplicat e names, you will be provided with t he ability to replace the existing entry with
the new entry, or ignore the new entry.
When the Communication Driver is running and an OPC client requests item information, the imported
configured items will show up under the PLC hierarchy node.
Scan-Based Message Handling

Communication Driver are bas ed on the concept of polling a hardware device for information. This
polling is driven by a need which is expressed in the form of requests from one or more clients.
For DDE/SuiteLink, once a particular piece of information has been requested by a client, the
Communication Driver formulates its own request and sends that request to the hardware device. The
Communication Driver then waits for a response to its request. Once the information has been received,
the Communication Driver passes that information back to the client, and repeats the process until all
clients have ceased requesting information.
The rate at which the Communication Driver will poll a particular device for a s pecific piece of information
is defined in the device group (topic definition) inside the Communication Driver, using a parameter
called the Update Interval. When setting this parameter, there is always a trade -off bet ween the updat e
speed of the device group and the resulting dec rease in system responsiveness.
If you use OPC interface, in addition to the capabilities described in the preceding paragraph, the OP C
Client also has additional capabilities on Update Interval control.
Since very fast response is usually desired, the temptation is to set the Update Interval to a value close to
0 seconds. However, if every point is polled at this rate, the entire system will suffer due to slow res ponse
time. Therefore, you should compromise, and set the Update Interval to a m ore reasonable value. You
could also create multiple device groups for each device, setting the Update Interval to different values,
then assigning different items to different devic e groups depending on how quickly the values change
and how quickly you want to see an update of those changes.
Some items, like alarms, change very infrequently but because of their importance require very fast
updates. For those kinds of items, you should set the Update Interval at a very small value. If you desire
an immediate response, set the Update Interval at 1 (one). See the Unsolicited Message Handling on
page 20 section.
19
Unsolicited Message Handling

In the world of PLCs and Communication Drivers, it is obvious that a PLC will know when a critical event
has occurred before the Communication Driver will have a chance to poll for that data. Therefore, it would
seem natural that if a critical event occurs, the PLC should have the capability to inform the
Communication Driver immediately, without having to wait for the Communication Driver to poll it.
This is the role of an unsolicited message. Once a PLC has determined that a critical condition exists, it
can generate a message immediately sent to the Communication Driver without a prior request from the
Communication Driver. The unsolicited message implement ation requires both the messaging
instructions properly programmed in the PLC logic and the device g roup appropriately configured in the
Communication Driver.
The Allen-Bradley processors, specifically the 1785 P LC -5 and P LC-5/250 (EI), are capable of producing
unsolicited messages that the Communication Drivers can understand.
There are two types of unsolicited messages support ed by the AB TCP Communication Driver:
 Peer-to-Peer: This method involves IP -address-to-IP-address communications.
o Configure which comput er (by its IP address) receives unsolicited messages in your client
application.
o Two instances of peer-to-peer unsolicited messages are generated by the Communication
Driver:
o If the value of "Updat e Int erval" for a topic is 0 (zero), the server will poll this topic only once at
the start. After that, only an unsolicited message will update the dat a.
o If the value of "Updat e Int erval" for a topic is >0 (zero), the server will update the data for a
particular item immediately upon receiving an unsolicited message for the item. The
Communication Driver will also update the data at every Update Int erval.
 Client Messaging (also called general broadcast): This method involves a general broadcast of the
unsolicited message ont o the Ethernet net work.
o Only the first node on the network that is capable of receiving the message gets it.
o If this option is not enabled, the Communic ation Driver will ignore all client messages sent out
from the PLC.
o If this option is enabled, the Communication Driver will attempt to respond to the PLC when it
gets the first client message from the PLC. Note that if the response is accepted by the PLC, the
PLC will send unsolicited messages exclusively to the Communication Driver thereafterwards.
o If the value of "Updat e Int erval" for a topic is 0 (zero), the server will poll this topic only once at
the start. After that, only an unsolicited message will update the data.
o If the value of "Updat e Int erval" for a topic is >0 (zero), the server will update the data for a
particular item immediately upon receiving an unsolicited message for the item. The
Communication Driver will also update the data at every Update Int erval.
Note: For a more specific Allen Bradley definition of peer-to-peer and client-messaging unsolicited
messaging, please refer to the Ethernet AB PLC-5 Family documentation.
To receive unsolicited messages

 Set a device group’s "Update Interval" to 0.
To access the settings for device groups
1. Click on the PLC’s name in the Configuration hierarchy of your Communication Driver.
2. Select the Device Groups tab of the configuration view pane at right.
20
3. Double-click the number in the Update Interval column of the desired device group and type the
number 0 (zero).
Save the configuration change by clicking the Save icon Located at the upper-right corner of the
configuration view pane.
21
C HAPTER 4
Item Names
The ABTCP Communic ation Driver currently supports item names that follow the conventions described
for PLC-5, PLC-5/250, and SLC 500. This chapter describes the item naming conventions for these
devic es.
For any file type described in this section, in which the .field defines the item as discrete, any /bit
designation is ignored.
PLC-5 Item Naming

The general format of item names for dat a from 1785 PLC-5 controllers matches the naming convention
used by the programming software. The following is the format:
[$] identifier [file #] : element [.field] [/bit]
Note: The parts of the name shown in square brackets ([]) are optional.
$ – Purely optional.
identifier – Identifies the file type. The following table summarizes the valid file types, the default file
number for each type, and the fields allowed (if any).
file # – File number (0 - 999 decimal).
File 0 must be Output.
File 1 must be Input.
File 2 must be Status.
element – Element number wit hin the file.
For Input and Output files it is also called rack-and-group number and must be 0 - 277 octal.
For all other file types, it must be 0 - 999 decimal.
.field – Valid only for Counter, Timer, Control, ASCII String, PID, SFC Status, and Block Trans fer files.
Refer to the following table.
/bit – Valid for all file types except ASCII String and Floating Point.
For Input and Output files it must be 0 - 17 octal.
For all other file types it must be 0 - 15 decimal.
Default
Identifier File Type File # .fields
O Output 0
I Input 1
S Status 2
B Binary 3
T Timer 4 .PRE .ACC .EN .TT .DN
C Counter 5 .PRE .ACC .CU .CD .DN
.OV .UN
23
AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide Item Names
Default
Identifier File Type File # .fields
R Cont rol 6 .LEN .POS .EN .EU .DN

.EM .ER .UL .IN .FD
N Integer 7
F Floating Point 8
A ASCII none
D BCD none
ST ASCII String* none .LEN
PD PID* none .ADRF .ADRE .BIAS .CA
.CL .CT .DB .DO .DV DB
.DVN .DVNA .DVP .DVPA
.EN .ERR .EWD .INI .KD
.KI .KP .MAXI .MA XO
.MA XS .MINI .MINO .MINS
.MO .OLH .OLL .OUT .PE
.PV .PVDB .PVH .PVHA
.PVL .PVLA .PVT .SO .SP
.SPOR .SWM .TIE .UPD
SC SFC Status* none .DN .ER .FS .LS .OV .PRE
.SA .TIM
BT Block none .EN .ST .DN .ER .CO .EW
Trans fer* .NR .RW .TO .RLE N
(Read-Only) .DLEN .FILE .ELEM
* Available only on certain PLC-5 models. Check the Processor Manual for the model being used.
Output File Items

O[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If
specified, it must be 0 (zero).
e indicates the element number in the file.

b specifies the bit (0 - 15 decimal). /b may be
omitted, if necessary, to treat the I/O group as a
numeric value.
Note: The elements in I/O modules are sequentially mapped into a memory table, and are different from
the item names in the PLC programming software. Refer to the Addressing SLC I/O Modules section.
Examples:
O0:0/0
$O:2/15
O:3 4BCD(for 16-bit 7-s egment display)
24
Item Names AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide
Input File Items

I[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If
specified, it must be 1.

omitted if necessary to treat the I/O group as a
numeric value.
Note: The elements in I/O modules are sequentially mapped into a memory table and are different from
the item names in the PLC programming software. See Addressing SLC I/O Modules.
Examples:
I1:0/0
I:2/15
I:3 4BCD(for 16-bit thumbwheel input)
Status File Items

S[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If
b is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15

decimal).
Note: Refer to the S LC-500 Family Processor Manual (Allen-B radley Publication) for a complete
description of the Status file information.
Examples:
S2:6(major error fault)
S2:13(math register)
S:1/5(forces enabled)
Binary File Items

B[n]:e/b or n represents the file number and is optional. If not
B[n]/m specified, it is assumed to be 3. If specified, the file
number must be 3 or 9 - 255 decimal.
e specifies the element (word) number within the

Binary file. It must be 0 - 255 decimal.
b specifies the bit number wit hin the word. In the first
form (where :e is present), the bit number must be 0
- 15 decimal.
m also represents the bit number. However, in the

second form, no word numbers are specified and
the bit number may be 0 - 4095.
25
Examples:
B:33
B:6/4(same bit as B/100)
B3/4095(same bit as B:255/15)
Timer File Items

T[n]:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be 4. If specified, the
file number must be 4 or 9 - 255 decimal.
e specifies the element number (three words per

element) within the Timer file. It must be 0 - 255
decimal.
.f identifies one of the valid Timer fields. The valid

fields for Timer Files are listed in the table. If .f is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word cont aining
the status bits.
b is optional and is normally not used. All of the

fields of a timer can be accessed by specifying
the .f fields. However, it is possible to use /b to
single out a bit in the .PRE or .ACC fields (which
are words). The bit number must be 0 - 15
decimal.
Examples:
T4:0.ACC
T4:3.DN
T4:1.PRE
Counter File Items

C[n]:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed t o be 5. If specified, the file

element) within the Count er file. It must be 0 - 255
decimal.
.f identifies one of the valid Counter fields. The

valid fields for the Count er Files are listed in the
table. If .f is omitted, it is assumed to be the word
containing the status bits.
b is optional and is normally not used. Specifying

the .f fields can access all of the fields of a counter.
However, it is possible to use /b to single out a bit
in the .PRE or .ACC fields (which are words). The
bit number must be 0 - 15 decimal.
Examples:
26
C5:0.ACC
C5:3.OV
C5:1.PRE
Control File Items

R[n]:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be 6. If specified, the file

element) within the Control file. It must be 0 - 255
decimal.
f identifies one of the valid Cont rol fields. The valid

fields for the Control files are listed in t he table. If .f is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the
status bits.

fields of a Cont rol file can be accessed by specifying
single out a bit in the .LEN or .POS fields (which are
words). The bit number must be 0 - 15 decimal.
Examples:
R6:0.LE N
R6:3.EN
R6:1.POS
Integer File Items

N[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not
e specifies the element number within the Integer

file. It must be 0 - 255 decimal.

decimal).
Examples:
N7:0
N7:0/15
N7:3
Floating Point File Items
27
F[n]:e n represents the file number and is optional. If not

number must be 8 - 255 decimal.
e specifies the element number within the Floating

Point file. It must be 0 - 255 decimal.
Examples:
F8:0
F8:3
ASCII File Items

An:e[/b] n represents the file number (NOT optional) and
must be 9 - 255 decimal.
e specifies the element number within the AS CII

file. It must be 0 - 255 decimal. Each element in an
ASCII file contains two AS CII characters.
b is optional. If specified, it indicates bit (0 - 15

decimal).
Examples:
A20:3
A10:0/0
BCD File Items

Dn:e[/b] n represents the file number (NOT optional) and
e specifies the element number within the B CD

file. It must be 0 - 999 decimal. Each element in a
BCD file contains a number between 0 - 9999.
decimal).
Examples:
D20: 3
D10: 0/3
ASCII String Section Items

STn:e n represents the file number (NOT optional) and
e specifies the element number within the String
String file contains an ASCII string with a
maximum length of 78 characters.
Examples:
ST9: 0
28
ST9: 200
Block Transfer Section Items

BTn:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number (NOT optional) and must
be 3 - 999 decimal.

element) within the Block Trans fer file (0 - 999
decimal).
f identifies one of the valid Block Transfer fields. The

valid fields for Block Transfer items are listed in the
b is optional and is normally not used. Specifying the . f

fields can access all of the fields of a Block Transfer.
However, it is possible to use /b to single out a bit in
the .FILE or .ELEM fields (which are words). For Block
Trans fer files, the bit number must be 0 - 15 decimal.
Note: Block Transfer files are read-only.
Examples:
BT9: 0.EN
BT9: 3.RLE N
BT9: 3.FILE
PID Section Items

[m]PD[n]:e[.f][/b] m indicates the module to access. If not
specified, it is assumed to be 0 (zero), which
selects the Resourc e Manager. If specified, it
must be 0 (zero) or the thumbwheel setting for a
Logic Processor.
n represents the file number. If not specified, it is

assumed to be 0 (zero). If specified, the file
e specifies the element number within the P ID

.f identifies one of the valid PID fields. The valid

fields for P ID files are listed in the table. If P ID
field .ADDR is needed, use .ADRM for module,
.ADRE for element, or .ADRF for file.

the .f fields can access all of the fields of a PID. If
specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15 decimal).
29
WARNI NG! Access to PID files may degrade the Communication Driver's performance, due to the
extreme size of the PID element (82 words each). If accessing only a few PIDs at one time, performance
will not be affected greatly. However, if accessing a few fi elds of many PIDs at once, it may be faster to
move the needed fields to an int ermediate file (Floating Point or Binary) and let the Communication
Driver access the intermediate files.
Examples:
1PD:0.SP
1PD9:3. OLH
0PD1:0. INI
SFC Status Section Items

SCn:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number (NOT optional) and
e specifies the element number within the SFC

Status file. It must be 0 - 999 decimal.
f identifies one of the valid SFC fields. The valid

fields for SFC files are listed in the table.

the .f fields can access all of the fields of an SFC.
For SFC Status items, the bit number must be 0 -
15 decimal.
Examples:
SC9:0
SC9:0.PRE
SC9:0.SA
SLC-500 Item Naming

The general format of item names for data from SLC -500 controllers matches the naming convention
used by the programming software. The format is as follows:
[$] identifier [file #] : element [.field] [/bit]
Note: The parts of the name shown in square brackets ([]) are optional.
$ – Purely optional.
identifier – Identifies the file type. The following table summarizes the valid file types, the default file
number for each type, and the .fields allowed (if any).
file # – Identifies the file number.
File numbers 0 - 8 decimal are reserved for predefined file types as listed in the table.
All other file numbers, 9 - 255 decimal, are open to all file types.
element – Element number wit hin the file.
For Input and Output files, it must be 0 - 30 decimal.
For all other file types, it must be 0 - 255 decimal.
.field – Valid only for Counter, Timer and Control files; see the following table.
/bit – Valid for all file types except ASCII String and Floating Point.
30
Must be 0 - 15 decimal.
Identifier File Type Default File # .fields
O Output 0
I Input 1
S Status 2
B Binary 3
T Timer 4 .PRE .ACC .EN .TT .DN
C Counter 5 .PRE .ACC. CU .CD
.DN .OV .UN .UA
R Cont rol 6 .LEN .POS .EN .DN .ER
.UL .IN .FD
N Integer 7
F Floating Point* 8
A ASCII* none
ST ASCII String* none
*Available only on certain SL-500 models. Check the Processor Manual for the model being used.
Output File Items

O[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If
specified, it must be 0 (zero).

omitted, if necessary, to treat the I/O group as a
numeric value.
Note: The elements in I/O modules are sequentially mapped into a memory table, and are different from
the item names in the PLC programming software. Refer to the Addressing SLC I/O Modules section.
Examples:
O0:0/0
$O:2/15
O:3 4BCD(for 16-bit 7-s egment display)
Input File Items
31
I[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If


omitted if necessary to treat the I/O group as a
numeric value.
Note: The elements in I/O modules are sequentially mapped into a memory table and are different from
the item names in the PLC programming software. See Addressing SLC I/O Modules.
Examples:
I1:0/0
I:2/15
I:3 4BCD(for 16-bit thumbwheel input)
Addressing SLC I/O Modules

The elements (words) in I/ O modules are mapped into a memory table. If the Analog I/O modules are
being used, then the point naming will differ from the point naming in the programming soft ware. The
Communication Driver item name must be computed from the sum total of words used by the previous
input or output blocks. The operator can use the programming software Dat a Monitor to look at the
memory map of the I file or O file to verify your address. If the address is unsure, or if the PLC
configuration is likely to change, copy the points in question to the N t able or B table, and access the data
from there.
The naming conventions used in the Allen-Bradley programming software are not supported by the
Allen-Bradley Ethernet Direct Communication Driver. The addressing convention is similar to that of the
PLC-5 family proc essors. To derive the correct address for each I/O point, see Diagram System on page
32. Also see the following topics, Label I/O Modules with "Word Counts on page 33," Sequentially
Number the Input Modules on page 33, and Sequentially Number the Out put Modules on page 33, to
complete addressing the SLC I/O modules.
Diagram System
Addressing of the I/O points begins by drawing a schematic of the system. The following figure is a
diagram of the SLC-5/02 system.
The far left unit is the power supply. From left to right, the modules are:
32
1747-L524 SLC-5/02 Module Processor
1746-IA8 8-point 120VAC input module
1746-OA16 16-point 120VA C output module
1746-IA16 16-point 120VA C input module
1746-NI4 4-point 20mA analog input module
1746-NO4I 4-point 20mA analog output module
1746-0A8 8-point 120VAC input module
1746-IB32 32-point DC input module
Label I/O Modules with "Word Counts"

The address of any point within the I/O data table space, in an SLC processor, is the sum of the words
occupied by previous modules (to the left in the rack) of the same type. Therefore, to determine the
correct address for any particular point in the I/O data table, the number of words each module will
consume must be known, as listed in the table below.
Number of
Words Module
0 1747-L524 SLC-5/02 Module Processor

1 1746-IA8 8-point 120VAC input module
1 1746-OA 16 16-point 120VA C output module
1 1746-IA16 16-point 120VA C input module
4 1746-NI4 4-point 20mA analog input module
4 1746-NO4I 4-point 20mA analog output module
1 1746-0A8 8-point 120VAC input module
2 1746-IB32 32-point DC input module
Note: In the preceding table, the minimum number of words which can be consumed by a module is 1
(16-bits). This is due to the memory scheme of all Allen -Bradley processors.
Sequentially Number the Input Modules

In the following I/O diagram, the first input module's addressing should start with "I:0." As previously
noted, this module consumes one datatable word. Therefore, the addressing of the next INPUT module
encounter, moving from left to right, will begin with "I:1," regardless of the module's physical location.
Sequentially Number the Output Modules

In the following I/O diagram, the first output card encountered is the OA16. Although it is not in the first
slot, its address will be "O:0" ("O HH, colon, ZERO" ). This module consumes one datatable word.
Therefore, the addressing of the next OUTPUT module, moving from left to right, will begin with "O:1,"
regardless of the module's physical location.
33
I/O Diagram
Status File Items

S[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If

decimal).
Note: Refer to the S LC-500 Family Processor Manual (Allen-B radley Publication) for a complete
description of the Status file information.
Examples:
S2:6(major error fault)
S2:13(math register)
S:1/5(forces enabled)
Binary File Items

B[n]:e/b or n represents the file number and is optional. If not
B[n]/m specified, it is assumed to be 3. If specified, the file
e specifies the element (word) number within the

Binary file. It must be 0 - 255 decimal.
34
b specifies the bit number wit hin the word. In the first
form (where :e is present), the bit number must be 0
- 15 decimal.
m also represents the bit number. However, in the

second form, no word numbers are specified and
the bit number may be 0 - 4095.
Examples:
B:33
B:6/4(same bit as B/100)
B3/4095(same bit as B:255/15)
Timer File Items

T[n]:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed to be 4. If specified, the
file number must be 4 or 9 - 255 decimal.

element) within the Timer file. It must be 0 - 255
decimal.
.f identifies one of the valid Timer fields. The valid

fields for Timer Files are listed in the table. If .f is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word cont aining
the status bits.

fields of a timer can be accessed by specifying
single out a bit in the .PRE or .ACC fields (which
are words). The bit number must be 0 - 15
decimal.
Examples:
T4:0.ACC
T4:3.DN
T4:1.PRE
Counter File Items

C[n]:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not
specified, it is assumed t o be 5. If specified, the file

element) within the Count er file. It must be 0 - 255
decimal.
.f identifies one of the valid Counter fields. The

valid fields for the Count er Files are listed in the
35

the .f fields can access all of the fields of a counter.
However, it is possible to use /b to single out a bit
in the .PRE or .ACC fields (which are words). The
bit number must be 0 - 15 decimal.
Examples:
C5:0.ACC
C5:3.OV
C5:1.PRE
Control File Items

R[n]:e[.f][/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not

element) within the Control file. It must be 0 - 255
decimal.
f identifies one of the valid Cont rol fields. The valid

fields for the Control files are listed in t he table. If .f is
omitted, it is assumed to be the word containing the
status bits.

fields of a Cont rol file can be accessed by specifying
single out a bit in the .LEN or .POS fields (which are
words). The bit number must be 0 - 15 decimal.
Examples:
R6:0.LE N
R6:3.EN
R6:1.POS
Integer File Items

N[n]:e[/b] n represents the file number and is optional. If not
e specifies the element number within the Integer


decimal).
Examples:
N7:0
N7:0/15
N7:3
36
Floating Point File Items

F[n]:e n represents the file number and is optional. If not
e specifies the element number within the Floating

Point file. It must be 0 - 255 decimal.
Examples:
F8:0
F8:3
ASCII File Items

An:e[/b] n represents the file number (NOT optional) and
e specifies the element number within the AS CII

file. It must be 0 - 255 decimal. Each element in an
ASCII file contains two AS CII characters.
b is optional. If specified, it indicates bit (0 - 15

decimal).
Examples:
A20:3
A10:0/0
ASCII String Section Items

STn:e n represents the file number (NOT optional) and
e specifies the element number within the String
String file contains an ASCII string with a
maximum length of 78 characters.
Examples:
ST9: 0
ST9: 200
37
C HAPTER 5
Troubleshooting
This chapter describes troubleshooting tools you can use to deal with the ABTCP Communication Driver
problems you may encount er.
The OI Server Manager provides access to diagnostics and other statistical data, and the Log Viewer
provides access to event messages logged during the operation of a Comm unication Driver. Also, your
client (for example, InTouch) can monitor connectivity with the PLC through the $SYS$Status item. Use
these tools together with the information in this section to troubleshoot your ABTCP Communication
Driver.
Note: In order to determine the version of your Communication Driver, the following steps need to be
performed. Search for DASAB TCP.dll, right-click on the File Name, select Properties on the shortcut
menu, and select the Version tab on the Properties dialog box. The versi on of your Communication
Driver is listed under File Version.
Monitoring Connectivity Status with the PLC

The built-in discrete item, $SYS$Status, can be used to monitor the status of communications with the
PLC. This item is set to:
 0 (zero) when communications with the PLC fails.
 1 (one) when communications is successful.
Note: For DDE/SuiteLink clients, $SYS$Status always comes from the leaf level of a Communication
Driver hierarchy branch, which is the destination PLC node. For OPC clients, $SYS$Status can be
accessed at all hierarchy levels. $SYS$Status at the root level of the whole hierarchy tree is always
good, as it represents the quality status of t he local computer itself. Hence, for practical application, OPC
clients should reference $SYS$Status at any hierarchy levels other than the root.
Enter the following DDE reference formula in the appropriate place in your client:
=DASABTCP|ABPLC!$SYS$Status
where:
DASABTCP is the name of the Communication Driver application.
ABPLC is the exact device group defined in the Communication Driver for the PLC.
$SYS$Status is the discrete item used to monitor the status of connect ivity with the PLC.
Enter the following OPC item reference syntax when adding the item in your OPC client:
YourOPCAccessPath.$SYS$Status
where:
YourOPCAccessPath is the assembly of hierarchy node names leading to a specific controller device.
$SYS$Status is the discrete item used to monitor the status of connectivity with the controller device.
Note: In the case of a PLC disconnect, the Communication Driver will retry three times before entering
into slow poll mode. In the case of reply time-out, the Communication Driver will go into slow poll mode
immediat ely.
39
AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide Troubleshooting
Monitoring the Status of Communication Driver

Conversations
The InTouch WindowViewer supports built-in topic names, called DDEStatus and IOStatus, that can be
used to monitor the status of specific Communication Driver conversations. For example, let us assume
that WindowViewer (V IEW) is communicating with the AB TCP Communication Driver to a PLC that has
been defined in the Communication Driver wit h the topic name ABPLC.
The discrete items, DDEStatus and IOStatus, are set to 0 (zero) when this Communication Driver
conversation failed, and to 1 (one) when this Communication Driver conversation is successful.
Using DDEStatus and IOStatus in Excel

The status of communications between the PLC and InTouch can be read into Excel by entering the
following DDE reference formula in a cell on a spreadsheet:
=view|DDEStatus !ABPLC
or
=view|IOStatus !ABPLC
where:
viewis the name of the InTouch application.
[DDE][IO] Status is the built-in t opic name us ed to monitor the status of communications bet ween the
Communication Driver and InTouch.
ABPLC is the exact topic name defined in the Communication Driver for the PLC.
Reading Values from the Communication Driver into Excel

Values may be read directly into Excel spreads heets from the Communication Driver by ent ering a DDE
formula into a cell using the following format:
=applicationname|t opicname!itemname
Example formula:
=DASABTCP|ABPLC!'N7:0'
where:
DASABTCP is the name of the Communic ation Driver application.
ABPLCis the exact topic name defined in the Communication Driver for the PLC.
N7:0Is the actual location in the PLC that contains the data value. This is the item name.
In this example, each time the value of N7: 0 changes in the PLC, the Communication Driver will
automatically send the new value to the cell containing the formula in Excel.
Note: Refer to the Microsoft Excel manual for complet e details on entering Remote Reference formulas
for cells.
Writing Values to the Communication Driver from Excel

Values may be written to t he Communication Driver from Microsoft Excel by creating an Excel macro that
uses the POKE command. The proper command is entered in Excel as follows:
channel=INITIATE("applicationname","topicname")
=POKE(channel,"itemname", Data_Reference)
40
Troubleshooting AVEVA™ Communication Drivers Pack – Allen Bradley - ABTCP Dri ver User Guide
=TERMINATE (channel)
=RETURN()
The following describes each of the above POKE macro statements:
channel=INITIATE("applicationname","topicname")
o Opens a channel to a specific topic name (defined in the Communication Driver) in a particular
application name (the executable name less the .exe).
o Assigns the number of that opened channel to channel.
Note: By using the channel=INITIATE statement, the word channel must be used in the =POKE
statement instead of the actual cell reference. The "application name" and "topic name" portions of
the formula must be enclos ed in quotation marks.
=POKE(channel,"itemname", Data_Reference)
o POKEs the value contained in the Data_Reference to the specified item name (actual location
in the PLC), via the channel number returned by the previously executed INITIATE function.
o Data_Reference is the row/column ID of the cell cont aining the data value.
=TERMINATE(channel)
o Closes the channel at the end of the macro.
o Some applications have a limited number of channels; therefore, they should be closed when
finished.
o Channel is the channel number returned by the previously executed INITIATE function.
=RETURN()
o Marks the end of the macro.
Note: Refer to the .XLM sample Excel poke macro provided on the Communication Driver installation
media. Also refer to the Microsoft Excel manual for complet e details on entering Remote Reference
formulas for cells.
Error Messages
Generic Communication Driver error messages, ABTCP-Communication Driver-s pecific error
messages, and cont roller-specific error messages are supported. These error messages are sent to the
Log Viewer. Us e the Log Flag dat a to customize the type of messages logged to the Log Viewer, and see
the Log Viewer documentation for more information about using log flags.
To troubleshoot Communication Driver problems, use the following error messages toget her with the OI
Server Manager Diagnostics root data.
ABTCP Communication Driver Error Messages

The following table lists all the generic-Communication Driver and AB TCP -Communication
Driver-specific error messages.
41
Error Message Explanation Possible Cause Solution
PLC connection The TCP IP socket was 1. The net work has not 1. Make sure the
attempt timed out, closed due to time-out been set up correctly network is set up and
closing socket at when attempt ed to or is having a problem. running correctly.
<Time unit in Msec> connect to the PLC.
2. The PLC is not set 2. Make sure the PLC
up or is having a is set up and running
problem. correctly.
PLC message timed The message was 1. The net work 1. Make sure the
out, revoking message revoked due to communications is network is functioning.
<Message ID> at time-out while waiting having a problem.
2. Make sure the PLC
<Time unit in Msec> for a response from the
2. The PLC is having a is functioning.
PLC.
problem
communicating.
runt Unsolicited msg Invalid unsolicited The PLC is not set up Set up the PLC for
packet received on message packet was correctly. unsolicited message
<Host IP Address> received. communications.
Maximum number of Exceeded the The maximum number Free socket usage.
socket <MAX> maximum number of of sockets allowed is
exceeded TCPIP sockets exceeded.
allowed.
Error encountered Failed to create a 1. The net work 1. Make sure the
initializing Unsolicited TCPIP socket for the communications is network is functioning.
Data Port. No direct "peer-to-peer" having a problem.
2. Make sure the PLC
(i.e.: peer-to-peer) unsolicited data used.
2. The PLC is having a is functioning.
unsolicited data will be Result: no unsolicited
problem
accepted. data can be accepted.
communicating.
WSAStartup() returned Error code returned by Failed to initialize a Check the returned
<Error Code> the failing WinSocket Window Socket in the error code against the
Initialization routine. system, due to an Microsoft error code
internal system error. list to fix the WinSock
initialization problem.
Winsock description: When the verbose flag More description for Check the description
<Description string> is on, this message is the preceding failing and fix the problem
displayed after the WinSocket initialization according to
preceding WinSocket routine. Microsoft’s error list.
initialization failing
message.
This message contains
a brief description for
the error code
returned.
42
Winsock sys status: When the verbose flag More description for Check the description
<Status string> is on, this message is the preceding failing and fix the problem
displayed after the WinSocket initialization according to
preceding WinSocket routine. Microsoft’s error list.
initialization failing
message.
This message contains
a brief status string for
the error code
returned.
Rejected <PLC Type> The item requested by 1. The requested item 1. Correct the syntax of
ITEM = <Item Name> the client was rejected. syntax was incorrect. the item.
on plc <PLC Name
2. The hierarchy PLC 2. Correct the
with hierarchy path>
name was incorrect. hierarchy pat h for the
PLC name.
A floating point value A bad negative floating Bad data was read. None.
read for It em: [ITEM] value was read from
on Topic: [TOPIC] was the PLC.
NOT A VALID
The value was
NUMBE R (Negative
changed by the
Infinity), therefore, it
Communication Driver
was convert ed to
to a known good value
-3.4e38
before sending it to the
client.
A floating point value A bad positive floating Bad data was read. None.
on Topic: [TOPIC] was the PLC.
NOT A VALID
The Communication
NUMBE R (Positive
Driver changed the
Infinity), therefore, it
value to a known good
was convert ed to
value before sending it
+3.4e38
to the client.
A floating point value A bad positive floating Bad data was read. None.
on Topic: [TOPIC] was the PLC. The
NOT A VALID Communication Driver
NUMBE R (!NaN!), changed the value to a
therefore, it was known good value
converted to +3.4e38 before sending it to the
client.
Could not find PLC Failed to find the PLC When creating the Check and correct the
node when creating node from the message for the item, CFG file.
message hierarchy from the the Communication
message. Driver cannot locate
the PLC node.
Possible corrupted or
bad CFG file.
43
Response code The respons e This error indicates Make sure the
[CmdNum# from reply] message’s command something is very Communication Driver
different from code does not match wrong. Either the PLC is running correctly.
command code the original command is bad or the Make sure the PLC is
[CmdNum# from code. communications running correctly.
original request] between the PLC and Restart both the PLC
the computer is bad – and the
in such a way that Communication Driver
wrong data is passing if needed.
between the
Communication Driver
and the PLC.
ERROR - When topic: When doing this read Bad request message Make sure the request
[TopicName] tried to or write operation to was constructed and message was correctly
Read/Write [DESC of the item, the operation sent. formatted and sent.
the item] encountered failed due to an Make sure the PLC is
the following error: An incorrect format in the configured correctly.
address field has an message. The reason
illegal value - c heck the for failure is included in
Topic Configuration the message.
dialog, the block sizes
may be too large or the
PLC type may be
incorrect.
[TopicName] tried to or write operation to was constructed and message is correctly
the item] encountered failed bec ause an Make sure the PLC is
the following error: Not incorrect format in the configured correctly.
enough address fields message was found.
specified - check the The reason for failure
Topic Configuration is included in the
dialog, the block sizes message.
PLC type may be
incorrect.
the item] encountered failed bec ause of an Make sure the PLC is
the following error: Too incorrect format in the configured correctly.
many address fields message. The reason
specified - check the for failure is included in
Topic Configuration the message.
PLC type may be
incorrect
44
Read/Write [DESC of the item, the operation sent. constructed and sent.
the following error: incorrect format in the configured correctly.
Addressed symbol not message. The reason
found - check the Topic for failure is included in
Configuration dialog, the message.
the block sizes may be
too large or the PLC
type may be incorrect.
Addressed symbol is > message was found.
8 or <= 0 lengt h - check The reason for failure
the Topic is included in the
Configuration dialog, message.
This address does not message. The reason
exist in PLC - check for failure is included in
Data Table definition the message.
inside PLC and make
sure ALL requested
points are defined.
One or more points message was found.
specified within this The reason for failure
message do not exist is included in the
in the PLC's Data message.
Table - Please define,
inside the PLC, the
missing point(s).
45
Cannot complete message. The reason
request; the situation for failure is included in
inside the PLC and/or the message.
bridge devices has
changed since the
command started.
Data or File is too large message. The reason
- the packet the PLC is for failure is included in
trying to send back is the message.
too large - check the
Topic Configuration
dialog.
Trans action size too message. The reason
large for protocol - for failure is included in
check the Topic the message.
Configuration dialog,
Access Denied; message. The reason
improper privilege - the for failure is included in
PLC has refused us the message.
access to one or more
of the data points in
this message - check
PRIV ILE GE settings
inside PLC.
46
ERROR - When topic: When doing this read Write to read/ write to a Disconnect the
[TopicName] tried to or write operation to PLC that is already programming terminal
Read/Write [DESC of the item, the operation connected to a to the PLC and repeat
the item] encountered failed bec ause of an programming terminal. the read/write
the following error: A incorrect format in the operation.
resource is not message. The reason
available - A for failure is included in
programming terminal the message.
may be connected to
(communicating wit h)
this PLC - pleas e
disconnect the
programming terminal.
the item] encountered failed bec ause of an If error continues,
the following error: incorrect format in the restart the
Condition already message. The reason Communication Driver
exists; resource is for failure is included in and repeat the
already available - a the message. read/writ e operation.
loss of
communications
synchronization has
occurred - if it
continues, restart the
Communication Driver.
Command cannot be message. The reason
executed - the PLC for failure is included in
has refused to execute the message.
the command we have
sent to it - check the
PLC type in the Topic
Configuration dialog.
ERROR - When topic: When doing this read Cannot access the Make sure the PLC is
[TopicName] tried to or write operation to PLC. configured correctly.
Read/Write [DESC of the item, the operation Repeat the read/writ e
the item] encountered failed bec ause an operation aft er
the following error: No incorrect format in the correcting the
Access - the PLC has message was found. configuration.
refused us access to The reason for failure
one or more of the data is included in the
points in this message message.
- check PRIV ILEGE
settings inside the
PLC.
47
the following error: The incorrect format in the configured correctly.
data type requested message. The reason
(see FileType for failure is included in
parameter) may not the message.
match the data type for
the specified file
number inside the
PLC.
the following error: The incorrect format in configured correctly.
PLC has rejected the message. The reason
format of our command for failure is included in
- check the Topic the message.
Configuration dialog,
the following error: At incorrect format in the configured correctly.
least one word of the message. The reason
PLC's Data Table we for failure is included in
are requesting with this the message.
message has been
marked for deletion by
a programming
terminal - this is illegal.
Data conversion error - message. The reason
check PLC for failure is included in
configuration and PLC the message.
type selection inside
the Topic
Configuration dialog.
48
Remove I/O Scanner message was found.
not able to The reason for failure
communicate with is included in the
1771 rack adapter - message.
check PLC for
problems.
Remove I/O Adapter message. The reason
cannot communicate for failure is included in
with module - check the message.
PLC for problems.
PLC's remote I/O message. The reason
scanner is unable to for failure is included in
update the requested the message.
data because of a
communications
problem - check PLC
for problems.
Duplicat ed Label in message. The reason
Message and/or PLC - for failure is included in
you should check PLC the message.
setup and Topic
Configuration for
errors.
49
the item] encountered failed due to an programming terminal. the read/write
the following error: File incorrect format in the operation.
is open; another node message. The reason
owns it - a for failure is included in
programming terminal the message.
may connected to
this PLC - pleas e
disconnect the
the item] encountered failed bec ause an programming terminal. the read/write
the following error: incorrect format in the operation.
Another node is the message was found.
PLC program owner - a The reason for failure
programming terminal is included in the
may connected to message.
this PLC - pleas e
disconnect the
Read/Write [DESC of the item, the operation sent. This is a formatted and sent.
the item] encountered failed bec ause of an "catch-all" error Make sure the PLC is
the following error: incorrect format in the message. configured correctly.
Unknown message. The reason
Communication Error for failure is included in
the message.
Error - When topic When doing this read Cannot communicate Make sure the PLC is
[TopicName] tried to or write operation to with the PLC correctly. configured and running
Read/Write [DESC of the item, the operation correctly and
the item] it failed due to an successfully.
encountered the incorrect format in the
Make sure the PLC is
following message. The reason
on line and is
error:S TS=[sts error for failure is included in
communicating with
code]: Destination the message.
the Communication
node (PLC) is out of
Driver.
buffer space -
Therefore, the PLC is
refusing to accept our
messages
50
on line and is
communicating with
code]: Remote node is the message.
the Communication
not acknowledging
Driver.
(ACK) our requests for
data - Is the PLC
on-line? Is the bridge
devic e on-line?
the item] it failed bec ause an successfully.
following message was found.
on line and is
error:S TS=[sts error The reason for failure
communicating with
code]: Duplicate token is included in the
the Communication
holder detected - two message.
Driver.
stations on the
highway have the
same address (this is
illegal)
the item] it failed bec ause of an successfully.
on line and is
communicating with
code]: Local port is the message.
the Communication
disconnected - we may
Driver.
not be connected
(physically) to the Make sure cabling is
highway - check the correctly connected.
cabling (wired
incorrectly?) and
_ALL_ connectors
(loose?)
on line and is
communicating with
code]: Application the message.
51

layer timed out waiting the Communication
for a response Driver.
on line and is
communicating with
code]: Duplicate node the message.
the Communication
detected - two stations
Driver.
on the highway have
the same address (this
is illegal)
Error - When topic When doing this read Cannot communicate Make sure all PLCs are
the item] it failed bec ause of an successfully.
on line and is
communicating with
code]: Station is the message.
the Communication
off-line - the PLC we
Driver.
are attempting to
contact is not on-line
the item] it failed bec ause the successfully.
encountered the message was
following incorrectly formatted.
on line and is
communicating with
code]: Hardware fault - is included in the
the Communication
a hardware problem message.
Driver.
has prevented
messages from being Make sure all the
sent hardware is running
and functioning
correctly.
52
on line and is
communicating with
code]: Unknown the message.
the Communication
Communication Error
Driver.
Make sure all the
hardware is running
and functioning
correctly.
Error - When topic When doing this read Bad request message Make sure the request
the item] it failed bec ause the Make sure the PLC is
encountered the message was configured correctly.
code]: Illegal command is included in the
or format - check the message.
Topic Configuration
may be too large, or
the wrong PLC type
may be selected
Error - When topic When doing this read Cannot communicate Make sure all PLCs
[TopicName] tried to or write operation to with the remote PLC and all remot e devices
Read/Write [DESC of the item, the operation correctly. are configured and
the item] it failed due to an running correctly and
encountered the incorrect format in the successfully.
code]: Remote host will the message.
not communicat e -
PLC may not be
on-line
the item] it failed bec ause of an running correctly and
code]: Remote host the message.
missing or down - PLC
may not be on-line
53
the item] it failed bec ause an running correctly and
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Remote host is included in the
correctly.
hardware fault - PLC message.
has experienced a
hardware fault
the item] it failed bec ause the running correctly and
encountered the message was successfully.
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Addressing is included in the
correctly.
problem or memory message.
protection rungs
(inside the PLC) have
prevented us from
retrieving the
requested information
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Function the message.
correctly.
disallowed due to
command protection
inside the PLC, or the
position of a hardware
key on the PLC
Error - When topic When doing this read Cannot communicate Make sure all t he PLCs
[TopicName] tried to or write operation to with the remote PLC and remote devices
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: PLC processor the message.
correctly.
is in PROGRAM mode
- it must be in RUN Make sure the PLC is
mode for us to be able not in the program
to gather data mode, but rather is in
the RUN mode.
54
the item] it failed bec ause an running correctly and
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Compatibility is included in the
correctly.
mode file missing or message.
communication zone
problem inside the
PLC
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Remote node the message.
correctly.
(PLC or Bridge Device)
cannot buffer the Make sure the correct
command we are message to send to the
trying to send it remot e PLC has been
constructed.
the item] it failed bec ause the running correctly and
encountered the message was successfully.
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Remote node is included in the
correctly.
(PLC or Bride Device) message.
problem due to Repeat the read/writ e
download - a download operation aft er the
is most likely in download operation is
progress, please wait completed.
until it is complete
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Cannot the message.
correctly.
execute command due
to active IPBs inside
the PLC
55
the item] it failed bec ause of an running correctly and
Make sure all the
hardware is working
code]: Cannot execute the message.
correctly.
command due to active
IPBs inside the PLC
rec v() for [HostName] Failed to read from the Failed to read from the Repeat the operation
on port [PortNumber] Window Socket Winsock. by restarting the
failed specified. Communication Driver.
recd packet from The received packet Incorrect data packet Repeat the operation
[HostName] too big on from the PLC exceeds was read from the by restarting the
port [PortNumber] ([#of the maximum packet Socket. Communication Driver.
bytes received] bytes) size allowed for this
type of protocol.
connect() for PLC has refused to Failed to make the Reset the PLC and/or
[HostName] on port make the connection connection with the the Communication
[PortNumber] refused via the WinSock. PLC. Driver and try again.
connect() for Failed to make the Failed to make the Reset the PLC and/or
[HostName] on port connection with the connection with the the Communication
[PortNumber] failed PLC. PLC. Driver and try again.
attempt to resolve Failed to resolve the The HostName cannot Use a correct
remot e hostname HostName. be translated to a valid HostName.
[HostName] failed IP address internally.
A PLC (IP: The maximum number The maximum number Decrease the number
[IPAddress]) attempted of sockets used for of sockets used for of unsolicited dat a to
to send us an unsolicited data unsolicited data communicate to the
unsolicited data communications was communications was socket.
packet. But the reached. No more reached. No more
maximum number of unsolicited data unsolicited data
simultaneous package will be package will be
unsolicited data accepted. accepted.
connections [MA X
socket] has already
been reached. Data
packet ignored.
ABTCPAcceptedSock Unable to associate Software internal error. Restart the

et::Initialize unable to the event with a valid Communication Driver
associate an event handle within the and try again.
with a handle internal state
computer.
56
Timeout waiting for Time-out occurred Failed to receive Make sure the PLC is
initialization packet while waiting for unsolicited data from a configured to send out
from PLC on an unsolicited data PLC. unsolicited data
unsolicited data port header from a PLC. correctly. Make sure
connected to the Communication
[HostName] Driver is functioning
correctly.
Timeout waiting for Time-out occurred Failed to receive Make sure the PLC is
data packet from PLC while waiting for unsolicited data from a configured to send out
on an unsolicited data unsolicited data packet PLC. unsolicited data
port connected to from a PLC. correctly. Make sure
[HostName] the Communication
Driver iscorrectly
functional.
Timeout waiting for an Time-out occurred Failed to receive Make sure the PLC is
unknown event from while waiting for unsolicited data from a configured to send out
PLC on an unsolicited unsolicited data packet PLC. unsolicited data
data port connected to from a PLC. correctly. Make sure
[HostName] the Communication
Driver is functioning
correctly.
An error occurred When the initialization Failed to receive the Make sure the PLC is
attempting to complete portion of the initialization portion of configured to send out
the initialization of an unsolicited data was the unsolicited data unsolicited data
unsolicited connection. received, a Winsock packet from the PLC. correctly. Make sure
error occurred. the Communication
correctly.
An error occurred When the data portion Failed to receive the Make sure the PLC is
attempting to receive of the unsolicited data data portion of the configured to send out
the data portion of an was received, a unsolicited data packet unsolicited data
unsolicited connection. Winsock error from the PLC. correctly. Make sure
occurred. the Communication
correctly.
Minor Error: Winsock Winsock error Winsock error Ignore the event and
told us data was occurred; ignore the occurred; ignore the the message.
waiting for us, but event. event.
when we checked it,
the whole message
wasn't there. Ignoring
Winsock Message.
State engine error. Winsock error Winsock error Ignore the event and
Received Unsol DA TA occurred; ignore the occurred; ignore the the message.
packet, but socket was event. event.
not waiting for one.
Ignoring packet
57
PLC-5 Error Messages

The error messages generated specifically for the PLC-5 family controllers are listed in the following
table.
item <ItemName> not PID feat ure is not The PLC-5 Select the "Support
valid, PLC does not have supported for this configuration indicates PID" feature option for
PID feat ure PLC-5 configuration. that the PID feature is PLC-5, if the PLC
not supported. supports the feature.
BINA RY file number Incorrect format for The Binary Item’s File Only access the Binary
must be greater than 2 this item. The Binary Number must be 3 or Item with File Number
Item’s File Number larger. equal to 3 or larger.
was smaller than 3
for PLC-5.
TIMER file number must Incorrect format for The Timer Item’s File Only access the Timer
be greater than 2 the item. The Timer Number must be 3 or Item with File Number
was smaller than 3
for PLC-5.
CONTROL file number Incorrect format for The Control Item’s File Only access the
must be greater than 2 the item. The Control Number must be 3 or Cont rol It em with File
Item’s File Number larger. Number equal to 3 or
was smaller than 3 larger.
for PLC-5.
INTE GER file number Incorrect format for The Integer Item’s File Only access the
must be greater than 2 the item. The Integer Number must be 3 or Integer Item with File
Item’s File Number larger. Number equal to 3 or
was smaller than 3 larger.
for PLC-5.
BCD file number must be Incorrect format for The BCD Item’s File Only access the BCD
greater than 2 the item. The BCD Number must be 3 or Item with File Number
was smaller than 3
for PLC-5.
PD file number must be > Incorrect format for The PID Item’s File Only access the PID
8 the item. The PID Number must be 9 or Item with File Number
was 8 or smaller for
PLC-5.
ST file number must be > Incorrect format for The S T Item’s File Only access the ST
8 the Item. The ST Number must be 9 or Item with File Number
item’s File Number larger. equal to 9 or larger.
PLC-5.
BT file number must be > Incorrect format for The B T Item’s File Only access the BT
8 the Item. The BT Number must be 9 or Item with File Number
PLC-5.
58
SC file number must be > Incorrect format for The S T Item’s File Only access the ST
4 the Item. The SC Number must be 5 or Item with File Number
PLC-5.
Cannot write to file Failed to write to a For PLC-5, write Do not attempt to write
BT[FileNumber] BT item for PLC-5. operation to a BT item to a BT item for PLC-5.
is not permitted.
SLC 500 Error Messages

The following table lists all the SLC-500-controller-specific error messages.
BINA RY file number Incorrect format for this Binary Item’s File Only access Binary
must be 3 or 9-255 item. The Binary Item’s Number must be 3 or Item with valid File
File Number was not 3 9-255. Number.
or 9-255 for SLC 500.
TIMER file number Incorrect format for the Timer It em’s File Only access Timer
must be 4 or 9-255 item. The Timer Item’s Number must be 4 or Item with valid File
or 9-255 for SLC 500.
COUNTE R file number Incorrect format for the Counter Item’s File Only access Counter
must be greater than 5 item. The Counter Number must be 5 or Item with valid File
or 9-255 Item’s File Number 9-255. Number.
was not 5 or 9-255 for
SLC 500.
CONTROL file number Incorrect format for the The Control Item’s File Only access the
must be greater than 6 item. The Control Number must be 6 or Cont rol It em with the
or 9-255 Item’s File Number 9-255. valid File Number.
SLC 500.
INTE GER file number Incorrect format for the The Integer Item’s File Only access the
must be 7 or 9-255 item. The Int eger Number must be 7 or Integer Item with the
Item’s File Number 9-255. valid File Number.
SLC 500.
FLOA T file number Incorrect format for the The Float Item’s File Only access the Float
must be 8 or 8-255 item. The Float It em’s Number must be 8 or Item with the valid File
or 8-255 for SLC 500.
PLC-5 and SLC 500 Error Messages

The error messages listed in the following table pertain to both the PLC-5 and SLC 500 cont rollers.
59
File numbers must be For PLC-5 and S LC A bad item File Use a valid range for
between 0 and 999 500: Incorrect format Number was used. the Item’s File Number.
for the Item. The Item’s
File Number was out of
range.
OUTP UT file number For PLC-5 and S LC The Out put Item’s File Only access the
must be 0 500: Incorrect format Number must be 0. Output It em with a File
for the item. The Number equaling to 0.
Output It em’s File
Number was not 0.
INP UT file number For PLC-5 and S LC The Input Item’s File Only access the Input
must be 1 500: Incorrect format Number must be 1. Item with a File
for the item. The Input Number that equals to
Item’s File Number 1.
was not 1.
STA TUS file number For PLC-5 and S LC The Status Item’s File Only access the Status
must be 2 500: Incorrect format Number must be 2. Item with a File
for the item. The Status Number equaling to 2.
Item’s File Number
was not 2.
FLOA TING POINT file For PLC-5 and S LC The Floating Point Only access the
number must be 500: Incorrect format Item’s File Number Floating Point Item
greater than 2 for the item. The must be 3 or larger. with a File Number that
Floating Point Item’s equals to 3 or larger.
File Number was
smaller than 3.
FLOA TING POINT file For PLC-5 and S LC The Floating P oint Item Only access the
cannot have bit 500: Incorrect format must not contain a bit Floating Point Item
number for the item. The number field. without a bit number
Floating Point Item field.
contained a bit number
field.
ASCII file number must For PLC-5 and S LC The ASCII Item’s File Only access the ASCII
be greater than 2 500: Incorrect format Number must be 3 or Item with a File
for the item. The ASCII larger. Number equaling to 3
Item’s File Number or larger.
was smaller than 3.
60

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AVEVA™

Communication Drivers Pack – Allen

Chapter 3 Device Groups and Device Items ................................................................... 15

Chapter 4 Item Names ........................................................................................................ 23

ASCII File It ems ................................................................................................................ 28

Supported Client Protocols

Supported Device Protocols

Finding Your Communication Driver in the SMC

Setting Up Your Communication Driver

Before You Begin

Configuring the Communication Driver

To install the Ethernet adapter

3. Restart the computer.

The Communication Driver will be ready to use after it is activated.

Configuring PORT_TCPIP Connection

Configuring Port Objects

4. The PLC5_TCP IP parameters view is displayed.

Configuring Device Redundancy

5. Select Add REDUNDANT_DEVICE Connection. An object called

Multi-Instance and Cloning

Note: Creating multiple instances requires a Professional level license.

Device Group Definitions

 Configuring default update intervals.

To create or add device groups

To configure default update intervals

To edit update intervals

Device Item Definitions

Name Item Reference

To create or add device items

To rename a device item from the list

To clear all device items

Exporting and Importing Communication Driver Item Data

To import device item data that has been edited off-line

Scan-Based Message Handling

Unsolicited Message Handling

To receive unsolicited messages

PLC-5 Item Naming

R Cont rol 6 .LEN .POS .EN .EU .DN

Output File Items

e indicates the element number in the file.

Input File Items

e indicates the element number in the file.

b specifies the bit (0 - 15 decimal). /b may be

Status File Items

e indicates the element number in the file.

b is optional. If specified, it indicates the bit (0 - 15

Binary File Items

e specifies the element (word) number within the

m also represents the bit number. However, in the

Timer File Items

e specifies the element number (three words per

.f identifies one of the valid Timer fields. The valid

b is optional and is normally not used. All of the

Counter File Items

e specifies the element number (three words per

.f identifies one of the valid Counter fields. The

b is optional and is normally not used. Specifying

Control File Items

e specifies the element number (three words per