Tim_H (Customer) asked a question.
I'm trying to communicate with a Couth Smartbox controller for a dot-peen marking system. I've sucessfully got the RS232 comms working but i'd rather do it over ethernet.
I've set up a CPoE with the correct IP address and port with TCP PLC as master.
When i try to send anything I get a sent completed bit and the sent counter increments but the device does not recieve any data. I'm using it's DEBUG screen to confirm. I can send over RS232 no problem but the CPE doesn't apprear to be sending the device anything.
No errors in the TCPIpError String and TCPConnected bit is on.
I don't really have much experience and Couth Technical support doesn't have access to much more than I've stated. I may be missing something obvious so any help is appreaciated.
One other thing I'm watch via Wireshark and haven't seen the PLC trying to send to the unit.
PLC: 10.10.10.10
Couth: 10.10.10.08
Without having a decent manual for the Couth Smartbox it will be difficult. Do they have a computer software that works to send the commands that you could wireshark transfer on it to see exactly what it is sending back and forth?
Update:
I've downloaded an editing program for the marker that appears to send the same hex commands as I do over RS232. Now I load that same hex up into the CPE block and transmit and I see nothing coming out on wireshark. I'm starting to think It's something on the P1 side as I think I should see it sending something out. I've added a screenshot of my CPE block, CPoE device properties, and a wireshark transmission from the manufacturers software that commands the marking process to begin. Most of our equipment is rs232 or 485 based so I'm sure I'm blind on some point here.
is the correct value in the bytes to send variable. i normal send strings and use a string length instruction to calculate the bytes to send
Yes,
For testing I've been manually entering it.
Are you retriggering the CPE instruction?
What are the status tags for the Couth 'Device' showing?
Is the (PAC) 'Device' enabled, not just the instruction, but the 'Device' named Couth.
Enable bit was set to CPU in Run but I've changed it to eth_en bit so I can toggle it easier. TCP connected bit is ON with nothing in TCPIpError string.
Variable length is also why I'm wanting to send the commands over ethernet. The CPO and CPI have fixed lengths and I'm needing it to be variable for different part numbers.
CPI has a variable length option.
For CPO, what happens if you send $NUL, 0x0 or CHR(0) for the unneeded character positions?
it just sends the 0x00 and the marker doesn't process the command.