To communicate with Fernhill SCADA, the FX PLC Device will require a communication module. The communication module needs to support the Computer Link protocol.
These communication modules are known to support the Computer Link protocol, and will work with Fernhill SCADA:
| PLC Range | RS-232 Module(s) | RS-422/485 Module(s) |
|---|---|---|
| FX | FX-232ADP | FX-485ADP |
| FX0N | FX0N-232ADP | FX0N-485ADP |
| FX1N | FX1N-232-BD | FX1N-485-BD |
| FX1S | FX1N-232-BD | FX1N-485-BD |
| FX2N | FX2N-232-BD, FX2NC-232ADP | FX2N-485-BD, FX2NC-485ADP |
| FX3G | FX3G-232-BD, FX3U-232ADP | FX3G-485-BD, FX3U-485ADP |
| FX3S | FX3G-232-BD, FX3U-232ADP | FX3G-485-BD, FX3U-485ADP |
| FX3U | FX3U-232-BD, FX3U-232ADP | FX3U-485-BD, FX3U-485ADP |
The rest of this article uses the name FX Serial Module to refer to any of the above modules.
These modules support RS-232 communications:
The serial port on a PC is usually a 9 pin D-subminiature connector. To connect one of these modules to a PC, a connection cable with this wiring is required:
|
FX RS-232 |
PC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| RXD | 2 | 3 | TXD |
| TXD | 3 | 2 | RXD |
| DTR | 4 | 6 | DSR |
| GND | 5 | 5 | GND |
| DSR + DCD | 6 + 1 | 4 | DTR |
Note: All other pins not shown in the above diagram have no connection.
These modules support RS-422 communications:
Use this table to select the appropriate wiring between the screw terminals on the module and common RS-422 adapters:
|
Mitsubishi Melsec | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDA | RDB | SDA | SDB | |
|
Advantech ADAM-4520 | TX+ | TX- | RX+ | RX- |
|
StarTech IC485S IC485SGB IC485SEU | 1 (TX-) | 2 (TX+) | 4 (RX-) | 3 (RX+) |
For more information about connecting a PLC Device to a computer using an RS-422 link, see RS-422 Communication with PLC Devices.
Setting up a serial communication link can be difficult because of the wide variety of communication options. For example:
For Fernhill SCADA to communicate with an FX Serial Module, both need to use the same communication options. There are two main ways to achieve this:
The FX Serial Module can be configured using one of two methods:
Note: Not all PLC ranges support configuration through parameters
Fernhill SCADA is configured using properties of the Channel and PLC tags:
A PLC program to set up an FX serial module is:
| | | M8002 *<Setup CH1 | +--| |------+--------------------[MOV H6882 D8120]--+ | | | | | *<Station Address | | +-----------------------[MOV H0 D8121]--+ | |
Note: The above program configures channel 1 to use the Computer Link protocol. The serial format is 9600 Baud, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit and Odd parity. The station address is 0 (zero).
These registers store the configuration parameters for the FX Serial Modules:
| Parameter | Channel 1 | Channel 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol and format | D8120 | D8420 |
| Station address | D8121 | D8421 |
| Timeout | D8129 | D8429 |
Some FX PLC types only support one serial port (Channel 1).
Example values for register D8120 or D8420 and the corresponding configuration in Fernhill SCADA:
| Fernhill SCADA Mode String | D8120 or D8420 |
|---|---|
| Baud=9600 Parity=O Stop=1 Data=7 | H6882 |
| Baud=9600 Parity=E Stop=1 Data=7 | H6886 |
| Baud=9600 Parity=E Stop=1 Data=8 | H6887 |
| Baud=9600 Parity=E Stop=2 Data=8 | H688F |
| Baud=19200 Parity=O Stop=1 Data=7 | H6892 |
| Baud=2400 Parity=O Stop=1 Data=7 | H6862 |
Mitsubishi Melsec Serial Autodetect Wizard
For how to automatically configure Fernhill SCADA to communicate with a Mitsubishi serial communication module.
Mitsubishi Melsec serial channel
For information about Mitsubishi Melsec serial channel configuration.
For information about Mitsubishi Melsec device configuration.
For background information on serial communications.
For information about the Mitsubishi Melsec Driver.
For the meaning of terms used in Fernhill SCADA.