Introduction
There are three (3) main ways to connect to ARsim, including two (2) allow ARsim to connect through other Ethernet interface(s) on your Windows laptop. This guide will provide information on these methods, as well as discuss some of the benefits and drawbacks to each. Follow this guide if you want to:
- Understand ARsim connection methods.
- Configuration ARsim to communicate to a device/service outside of your PC.
Configuration Settings
This is configured by the assigned IP address used for ARsim. For Hardware simulation, this is located in the CPU Configuration under the Simulation section, IP address parameter. For a full ARsim configuration (Standard PC - ARsim), this is located under the configuration of the IF3 Ethernet interface under the Device parameters section, IP address parameter.
This post references AS v4.12.7. The location of settings may be different in other versions.
Hardware Simulation IP Address:
“Full Simulation” ARsim Configuration IP Address:
The value of the IP address field will determine how ARsim makes itself available for connection.
Possible Configuration Settings
1. Loopback IP Address
Automation Studio connects to ARsim via the loopback IP address at 127.0.0.1.
This is the default setting and allows the easiest setup with fewest complications.
In this configuration, ARsim is only accessible by the local Windows PC.
To implement, leave the configuration at defaults as shown below.
2. Bind to Ethernet Interface
Automation Studio connects to ARsim via the IP address of the local Ethernet port (ex. 192.168.1.100).
This requires that the Ethernet interface IP address is known. (See option 3 if the IP address is dynamic)
In this configuration, ARsim can access the network connected to the specified Ethernet interface.
To implement, change the simulation IP address to match the Ethernet interface IP address. Your online connection will change to connect to that address in simulation.
3. Bind to All Interfaces
Automation Studio connects to ARsim via the loopback IP (127.0.0.1) or Ethernet interface IP address.
This method does not require that the Ethernet interface IP address is known but binding to all can interfere with other services (such as other ARsim instances) since it is available on every Ethernet interface.
In this configuration, ARsim can access all Ethernet interfaces on the Windows PC.
To implement, change the simulation IP address to “0.0.0.0” (without quotes). Your online connection can target 127.0.0.1, or the IP address of an Ethernet interface on the PC.
Installation
After changing the simulation IP address, it is often best to perform an offline installation for ARsim. This causes a proper shutdown and restart of ARsim with the correct IP address settings. An offline installation is initiated by the top menu item Project > Project Installation > Offline Installation.
Credits and References
Shoutout to Nicola Banfi, who created a post about this topic in 2023. I wanted to add other options and additional explanation.
ARsim - reachable from network with dynamic IP address - Share Info & Ideas - B&R Community
Images created for this post are facsimiles of those in the Automation Studio Help.
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-Austin