# Setting up a PLC For Industrial Communications

You should keep the following important concepts in mind when configuring your vision system for PLC communications:

- The industrial communications protocol software runs on two types of Cognex hardware:

  - The Vision Controller system, which includes an embedded Cognex Communication Card.
  - The Cognex Communications Card, installed in a PC that you supply.

- The Cognex Communication Card includes a dedicated processor that:

  - Manages the factory floor communications system.
  - Implements the NDM.
  - Manages the low-latency precision discrete I/O subsystem.

Note:

- For more information on the card, refer to the Cognex Communication Card Installation Manual. For more information on the Vision Controller, refer to the Vision Controller Installation Manual. Both of these manuals are available from the Cognex Designer Help menu.
- Only one protocol, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET or SLMP may be active.

There are four steps to configuring communications between your Designer application and a compatible networked PLC:

1. Install and connect the required Cognex hardware, either a Cognex Communication Card or a Vision Controller
2. Configure the hardware network settings to be compatible with your network.
3. Install Cognex-supplied configuration files on your PLC.
4. Start the NDM on your Cognex hardware and verify that the Cognex NDM is visible from your PLC.