08 1 Comm Device PDF
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Gelu Bonea08 1 Comm Device PDF
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Gelu BoneaNetwork Communications
Session 8
Objectives
• Describe different forms of communication:
• PLC protocols
• FTP
• TCP/IP
• Understand basic Client / Server communication
Lab: Communicate between In-Sight and a PC
(HyperTerminal) using:
• TCP/IP (device functions)
8-2
For What is Networking Used?
• Data
• Transfer cell values between In-Sight sensors, PCs, or factory floor
devices
• Control
• Control of Events, Triggers, Jobs, Online/Offline Status from a third
party source
• Image
• For display purposes in third party applications
• For image archival
8-3
Who can Communicate?
• In-Sight <-> In-Sight
• In-Sight <-> Computer
• In-Sight <-> PLC/Controller
8-4
Supported Communication
8-5
Supported Communication (cont.)
8-6
Protocols for PLC
• EtherNet/IP *
• Rockwell such as the ControlLogix
• Can do Implicit and Explicit messaging
• ProfiNET *
• Siemens such as the S7-300 and S7-400
• Through Buffer commands and the variable table
• MC Protocol (MELSEC)
• Mitsubishi such as Q- and L- series PLCs
• CC link is the hardware implementation (remote registry)
• CIPSync
• Isochronous communication with embedded time stamps
* Interactive Tutorials available in Support section of the web (www.cognex.com)
8-7
TCP/IP: Client / Server
Between In-Sight & any other TCP/IP device, such as:
• Ethernet I/O module
• PLC
• PC running Visual Basic
• Another In-Sight
8-8
Terminology: TCP/IP and IP address
TCP/IP – Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol, a
widely used protocol for communication on networks,
including the Internet
IP address - At any point in time, each host on a given network
must have a unique address of form xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx where
the xxx would be a number from 0 to 255
Microsoft’s default TCP/IP network is 192.168.0.xxx
8-9
Terminology: IP address
Two types of networks
• Static IP address – always same for a given host, usually
assigned by Network Administrator
• Dynamic IP address – assigned each time host joins network,
may be different each time. A network on which this occurs
uses a Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) server.
In-Sight can be configured for either
8-10
Terminology: Subnet
Subnet = networked In-Sights with similar IP addresses
• Allowable IP addresses on a subnet are defined by its subnet mask, which
is stored on every host
• Example: 255.255.255.0
255 means all IP addresses on this subnet are identical in this position
0 means each host IP address is different in this position
Addresses on this subnet could be
192.168.0.1
192.168.0.4
192.168.0.126
192.168.0.203
8-11
Hosts Not on the Same Subnet
To log onto a host not on the subnet, you need to specify the
host’s IP address
8-12
Device Functions
• WriteDevice – Sends one or more cell values to another device
over the network using TCP/IP
• If value is a number, sent as a string
• If value #ERR, nothing is sent
• ReadDevice – Receives data from another device on the network
• If running a job, waits to complete - otherwise, async
• TCPDevice
- Used with both WriteDevice and ReadDevice
- Establishes TCP/IP connection (Client/Server)
8-13
TCP
Client Server
(sender) (receiver)
Event
TCPDevice TCPDevice
WriteDevice ReadDevice
Data
8-14
TCP
Client Server
(sender) (receiver)
Event
TCPDevice TCPDevice
WriteDevice ReadDevice
Data
TCPDevice TCPDevice
Timeout ignored in server mode
8-15
TCPDevice: Auto-Inserted Functions
Inserts WriteDevice & “Test Inserts ReadDevice on
String” on Client Server
Change C2 reference to
cell containing number or string
such as FormatString
8-16
TCP/IP
• For In-Sight to In-Sight, both sender and receiver must go
Online before doing a WriteDevice or ReadDevice
• Can have multiple connections between 2 devices, so long
as each connection uses a different port number
• Jobs can have up to 12 connections (TCPDevices)
8-17
WriteImageFTP Parameters
• Event to initiate image write
• Name or IP address of FTP server
• Username for FTP server
• Password for FTP server
• Image to be saved
• Path where image is being saved
• Maximum image count
• Reset image count to 0
• BMP or JPG
• Saves with overlay (only with 3400 system)
• Resolution of saved image
• Drops subsequent images in FTP queue if
one is waiting
8-18
WriteImageFTP
• Spread Sheet cell contains a Structure
• The target device can be an In-Sight
emulator, or any other host acting as
an FTP server on the network.
• If a file path is not specified, the
image file will be written to the default
directory of the FTP server on the
target host.
Windows 7 Default Path:
C:\ProgramData\Cognex\In-Sight\In-Sight Explorer 4.7.3\Emulator 8-19
WriteFTP
Spread Sheet cell contains a Structure(s) and auto
Inserted cell(s) depending on Data Format selected
* Must leave String empty for auto-inserted functions
• Data Formats
0 = TEXT
Standard ASCII Text file format (.TXT)
1 = HTML (default)
Standard HTML file format (.HTM)
4 = XML
Standard XML file format (.XML)
8-20
WriteFTP – Neat Trick
• HTML format
Text to be written (replace
• Reference an auto inserted string (K13) with FormatString)
containing the formatted “HTML code”
• Auto Inserts a cell with a Write Image FTP
function
8-21
WriteFTP
• HTML format
• Web Page generated from Write FTP with HTML
selected
With Visual Web Developer
• Change the look per your HTML code
• Free from Microsoft
8-22
Common Issues
• Make sure that system is online
• Username and password is case sensitive
• If path is stated, make sure that folder exists. In-Sight does
not create folders.
• To control which images are written, develop logic to control
the cell state of the WriteImageFTP function
• Numbering will wrap around when max is reached
8-23
Summary
• Many ways to Communicate with In-Sight
• Realtime communication protocols with PLC
• Simple way to add OPC data to another application
• Device Functions allow for asynchronous communication
• TCPDevice defines client and server as well as the channel
• Data is sent / received as strings - #ERR will not be sent
• FTP functions allow images (or data) to be written directly from
the sensor
8-24
