Using the existing Ethernet communication ports and the Doubles BX-601-PB gateway on the PLCs of the Siemens series, customers are able to create a transparent bridge between the PLC and any common industrial network via PROFIBUS. Thanks to this open and cost-effective solution, there is no need to add anything else to the system.
In applications that require simple information transmission between two different industrial networks, the X-Cell BX-601-PB gateway solution is an option worth considering.
Using the existing Ethernet communication port on the PLC series and the Flex BX-601-PB, the device is able to create a transparent bridge between the PLC and any common industrial network via Modbus TCP. Thanks to this open and cost-effective solution, there is no need to add cards or racks to the system. Moreover, the communication is transparent, and up to 4,000 PROFIBUS slave devices can be interfaced.
Headquartered in Beijing, the customer is well-known in the industry as an integrator of industrial process control systems, providing complete control solutions for many enterprises. From electrical and control panel design and construction to software engineering. They provide turnkey solutions, including implementation, installation, and start-up. Customers integrate hardware and software, as well as vision and data acquisition systems, to achieve manufacturing excellence through the use of state-of-the-art equipment, technologies and methods, whether in a modern steel production plant or an automotive smart production line.
"We work with major PLC brands, but creating a bridge between two networks to send and receive data is often problematic and time-consuming," said the customer's field engineer. "For the customer's customer, the problem with establishing an interface between the PLC and the Siemens SIMOCODE motor management system running on a Modbus-TCP network was that it was not possible to add a rack extension or a Profibus communication card to the system. "That's why we chose to use the BX-601-PB. It allows us to build a bridge between the inherent or existing Ethernet of the PLC family and virtually any other industrial network. Just as with our customers' application Ethernet to Modbus-TCP network devices, customers can create a communication path to meet the required specifications.
There are 2 main advantages to the solution of adding PROFIBUS and MODBUS-TCP gateways:
The remotely installed and independently powered Flex BX-601-PB uses existing Ethernet communication to exchange data with the PLC via Modbus TCP. In addition to the gateway and 24VDC power supply, there is no need for other devices to bridge between the PLC and another network.
The implementation is simple.
Taking our customer's application as an example, the Xx-601-PB must first be configured with an IP address as the Ethernet master. It is then configured as a modbus server. Next, the Xxun BX-601-PB must be configured with an image of the Profibus network it serves. Once configured, the device is installed as a "bridge" between the two networks and acknowledges communication between the device's Ethernet slave and the PROFIBUS master.
Finally, the GSD is added to the PLC application to read, write, and implement data from the "external" network. Block, command block, and Modbus TCP channel commands direct communication between the PLC and the gateway and provide status data to monitor the health of the interface.
The Flex BX series is a product line designed to connect almost all possible combinations of two industrial networks. The product family supports 17 different fieldbus networks, such as Profibus, DeviceNet, CANopen, and CCLink, allowing the PLC series to easily transmit data via MOD bus TCP, and gateways designed for use in industrial automation factories where the number of different networks used is constantly increasing.
The gateway conversion module enables system integrators to connect any PLC and device to enable a consistent flow of information throughout the plant. The main concern is the transfer of data between two networks, which can be a slave-slave combination or a master-slave combination. System integrators working on industrial network design solve important industrial communication problems and provide a quick and easy way to connect two incompatible networks.