Setting up a PLC for Factory Floor CommunicationsCognex VisionPro

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

  1. Install and connect the Cognex Communication Card.
  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.
Hardware Installation

Install a Cognex Communication Card and connect it to your PLC as described in the Communication Card Installation Manual.

Network Configuration

You use the Cognex Comm Card Configurator utility to set the following network parameters:

  • TCP/IP addressing mode (DHCP or Static).
  • Network address and subnet (Static mode only).
  • Host name and (optionally) station name for PROFINET.
  • Settings, Remote Station and Device Addressing for SLMP.

Note: Only a single application can communicate with the Cognex Communication Card at a time. Make sure that your vision application is not running before you launch the Configurator.

See the topic Configuring Ethernet Settings for more information on the utility.

PLC Configuration

The configuration steps for your PLC are specific to the type of PLC that you are using. The following topics describe how to configure each type of supported PLC:

Troubleshooting

Cognex recommends the following troubleshooting techniques:

  1. Verify the interface and link status.

    • Launch the Comm Card Configurator and verify that both the interface Status and Link Status indicate Up.
    • Open a command window from a PC that is on the same network as your vision system and issue a ping command with the network address specified in the IP Address field.

    If the ping command does not receive a reply, verify the physical network connection and verify that the network settings are correct for your network.

  2. Verify the NDM is configured for the correct protocol. When you connect to the Comm Card in Designer, verify that you have selected the correct protocol.
  3. When you connect to the Cognex Communication Card through your vision application, verify that you have selected the correct protocol.