Read variable value from old B&R PLC

[alin.oltean (Alin Sebastian Oltean)]

Hello community!

I have an old dosing machine at a customer, automated with B&R (PP420) that is counting the cycles done every day in a global variable.

On the same line I have a B&R PLC CP0483 that is controlling another process.

The customer is asking me to get the number of cycles from the old B&R machine.

I don’t have the source code, but I was able to browse the PP420 for the global variables and find the one that interests me.

What could I use on the new PLC in order to read this variable from the old PLC ?

Both PLCs are in the same network and have known IPs.

PS: The only thing I was able to find by myself was the NET2000 library, but this won’t work on ethernet from what I tested.

Is there another solution ? If I link the 2 PLCs via serial for example, would this work ?

Looking forward for some help!

Thank you!

[alexander.hefner]

Hi,

It depends on the runtime of the PP420.
If this runtime already uses ANSL protocol for online connection, you could use the library AsANSL on the CP0483 to read the variable from the PP420.

If the PP420 AR is too old for ANSL and your CP0483 is using still an AR 4 version, you could use the library AsIMA to read the variable from the PP420.
This library uses the INA2000 protocol, which was discontinued with AR6.

With both variants, on the server side (= the PP420) the code don’t needs to be changed.

Best regards!

[alin.oltean (Alin Sebastian Oltean)]

Works like a charm!

Thank you for your guiding light!

Later Edit: The AR on the PP420 was 2.xx, and on the new PLC its 4.xx. So I used AsIMA to read the variable.

[sbo (Seb B)]

Hello,
I have a similar issue.
i have three old PLC ( PP200 F293).
I can’t change the configuration (just IP Adress with the HMI)
My client will be a X20
with PVI,the connection is “/IF=tcpip /SA=2 /DAIP=10.245.21.250 /RT=350 /REPO=11159” and it’s OK.
but i dont know what values in the parameters:
“/CN=IF2.4” ;Routing path to the server (IF2 on CP1486 via Ethernet to Node Number 4 → Server) Warning:
;Node numbers must be specified in HEXADECIMAL!

i have to write the IpAdress? How?

Thanks by advance

[valerio.manenti]

Hi @sbo ,
you don’t need to specify IP Address, you have already identified the destination station via node number.
For example in AS on online Settings you see you have few options to configure the destination:

Ciao
Valerio

[sbo (Seb B)]

I can’t distinguish my controllers by their IP address, only by their node number?

[valerio.manenti]

Hi @sbo ,

With AsIMA:

>I can’t distinguish my controllers by their IP address, only by their node number?

We don’t have too many information in the Help regarding the INTERFACE section:

only one example with node number

so based on that I don’t see a way to identify the destination by IP Address.
For more details you need to call our local Support in your area so they can create a CASE

========================================================
With AsANSL:

I have three old PLC ( PP200 F293)

Unfortunately your AR F2.93 doesn’t support AsANSL

I see we can configure the IP address of remote station too:

Ciao
Valerio

[alexander.hefner]

Hi,

I can’t distinguish my controllers by their IP address, only by their node number?

as I know: yes, you have to use the INA node number.

The direct addressing by IP address was introduced much later then INA itself, and as I remember it was just implemented into PVI, but not into the Automation Runtime native INA services.
When using the node number as identifier, the identification of an INA2000 remote communication partner (the INA server) is based on an UDP broadcast packet discover mechanism:

• a special UDP broadcast packet including the INA node number is sent by the INA client to the network
• the PLC who has this node number (the INA server) answers this packet
• the INA client PLC now knows the IP address of the remote server and can start communicating

It’s a very long time ago since I used AsIMA the last time, but I can’t remember that there was a possibility to use the IP address with an INA service triggered directly from the PLC.

Best regards!

[sbo (Seb B)]

thank you,guys.
it works.
I did not see the rotary switchs to choose the node number.
No modification on the old controllers

best regards