INGEARDRIVERS

When using a Windows 7 machine to communicate to a GE 9070 or 9030 results in the PLC immediately resetting the socket connect.  This is because Windows 7 may assign the local endpoint IP Port number larger than 32767.   The firmware on the GE Ethernet module will immediately reset the connection if the source IP port is larger than 32767.

The behavior is limited to 9030/9070 and Windows 7.  The PAC Rx3i and Rx7i can receive source IP ports larger than 32767. Windows versions before Windows 7 typically assign port numbers less than 32767.

As a work around for the 9030/9070 firmware bug, INGEAR.NET.GELINK 3.0.2010.1222 Controller.IPAddress has the option to allow users to bind a specific port number to the local endpoint.  Users are responsible for port assignment and port management.

Syntax:

Controller.IPAddress = ipaddress<:portnum>

Example:

Controller.IPAddress = “192.168.1.45:2445″

This will connect to the PLC at 192.168.1.45 and use IP Port 2455 in the local end point.

> Download NET.GELINK

INGEAR.NET.GELINK is a Visual Studio .NET class library for communicating to GE-Fanuc PAC Rx3i/Rx7i, Series 9030/9070 and VersaMax programmable logic controllers using the SRTP Ethernet protocol.

Several customer have contacted us expressing concern:  

“I heard from our local Rockwell rep that the new tag memory structure in Logix firmware v18 and v19 affects INGEAR software“ is this true?

FALSE … firmware changes have no impact INGEAR software’s ability to read/write tags.

Although firmware release v18 &19 changed the internal memory utilization for Tags, it does not affect tag communication.

INGEAR.NET.LOGIX continues to be the leading choice for programmers developing Visual Studio .NET applications to Allen-Bradley Control Logix / Compact Logix programmable automation controllers.

> Download INGEAR.NET.LOGIX

INGEAR.NET PLC class libraries for Visual Studio .NET are now available with an optional USB License Key (”Dongle”).  The USB license is offered on Developer Editions of:

• INGEAR.NET.LOGIX for Allen-Bradley ControlLogix/CompactLogix
• INGEAR.NET.ABLINK for Allen-Bradley MicroLogix, SLC and PLC-5
• INGEAR.NET.MBLINK for MODBUS Devices and Controllers
• INGEAR.NET.GELINK for GE Fanuc SRTP Ethernet Controllers

A USB License Key provides developers the utmost in flexibility when moving a INGEAR.NET license between computers.

For complete details about the USB Key, included purchasing and upgrades see this link

www.ingeardrivers.com/usbkey

or contact the INGEAR sales desk
1.866.935.7979 (Toll Free US/Canada)
1.610.935.8282 (All other locations)

CimQuest INGEAR is the developer and publisher of all INGEAR software titles including INGEAR.NET PLC communication class libraries.  As the authors of INGEAR  we provide our customers with direct sales and product support.  We also service the market and customers through strong relationships with our resellers and partners.  One such resell partner is Software Toolbox of Charlotte, NC.

A long term, and successful relationship began in 1996 when Software Toolbox was selected by CimQuest INGEAR to become a resell partner.  In 1996, the technology of the period was DDE and 16-bit VBX custom controls.  Over the years we’ve shared our knowledge, expertise and experience with Software Toolbox to benefit all of our users.  Today’s INGEAR products include PLC ActiveX controls, OPC and .NET technologies that run as ASP.NET web Services, Windows 32/64 bit programs and mobile applications for Windows CE devices.

With our long history and successful track record with Software Toolbox, we have a large customer base developing highly customizable HMI applications in Visual Studio .NET that is saving those companies untold thousands of dollars in software fee’s because of INGEAR’s run-time free redistribution and deployment license.

The number of third party tools offered by Software Toolbox such as Symbol Factory .NET and Industrial Gadgets combined with a single point of purchase makes INGEAR.NET a complete and cost-effective solution.

Software Toolbox provides their customers with outstanding high-level sales and support for INGEAR software.  And, their users can be rest assured that when they purchase an INGEAR software title, they can rely on CimQuest INGEAR working closely with the application experts at Software Toolbox to resolve all their support incidents.

John Weber, president of Software Toolbox, says “The CimQuest INGEAR was one of the first developer partners we connected with when we started Software Toolbox in late 1996.   The creative development expertise of the INGEAR team has delivered unique and powerful software products. CimQuest INGEAR continues to innovate and bring us new products that we look forward to introducing to our clients.”

Congratulations to Dennis Tindall of www.machineworker.com for being selected as our winner to receive an Acer Aspire One netbook computer for our October drawing.

If you have not entered the INGEAR Netbook give-away, please do you now, you still have 2 more chances to win.

About Dennis Tindall:

Dennis is an independent BSEE contractor that provides system integration, controls and software development services for global customers.

According to Dennis “one of the major opportunities with today’s machine data collection systems are polling or ‘Pull’ strategies.  Generally, software providers develop systems that utilize a plant server and/or local PC to continuously poll machines at a periodic frequency and ‘Pull’ data from a PLC.  This approach limits the amount of data that can be collected,  as well as  placing a premium on network bandwidth . When process cycle times approach one second intervals, this  architecture begins to fail.

One solution to this problem implements an embedded system that buffers data at the machine or PLC level.   The embedded system connects directly to the PLC, using INGEAR.NET class libraries where  PLC  data is analyzed then stored to a database.  This  architecture can  ‘Push’ groups of data to a plant sever at maintainable and consistent frequency, permitting collection, analysis, and storage of detailed machines data approaching 30 millisecond  update rates. Additionally, this system architecture can buffer data in the event that the plant server becomes unavailable”.

Dennis is currently developing a Silverlight database application front end, with a Visual Studio 2008 embedded back end.

Dennis Tindall can be reached at dennistindall@machineworker.com

See a live demonstration  www.plcdotnet.com

A Windows 2003 server is located in southeastern Florida.  Over 1000 miles away in eastern Pennsylvania sits an Allen-Bradley PLC-5/40E.   An ASP.NET web service uses INGEAR.NET.ABLINK to connect the PLC-5 over the internet  to deliver a web page with real-time PLC  data to whereever you’re setting.

All without the need for RSLinx, OPC Servers, or 3rd party software of any kind.

Using Visual Studio .NET, a few lines of code, and INGEAR.NET, you can have web-based access PLC data anywhere, and on virtually any browser, including PDA devices such as Blackberry and IPhone.

We had a question come to us asking if there INGEAR.NET.LOGIX had connection limitations for Allen-Bradley ControlLogix processors.

Basically, the INGEAR.NET.LOGIX  for Allen-Bradley ControlLogix / CompactLogix (or any of the INGEAR.NET class libraries), do not restrict or limit in any way, the number of simultaneous connections to multiple PLC’s.    In addition, there is no limit on the number of tags or data points that can be accessed in the PLC.

Limitations are  related to available system, network  and PLC resources such as:

• Memory
• Disk Space
• Operating System
• CPU Speed and Utilization
• Network Speed and Utilization
• PLC scan times

For more information on INGEAR.NET PLC class libraries for Visual Studio .NET see:

• INGEAR.NET.LOGIX – For Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and  CompactLogix
• INGEAR.NET.ABLINK – For Allen-Bradley MicroLogix,  SLC and PLC-5
• INGEAR.NET.MBLINK – For Modbus TCP/IP, Serial (RTU and ASCII)
• INGEAR.NET.GELINK – For GE-Fanuc SRTP Ethernet PACSystems, Series 90 and VersaMax

From now until Dec 15, INGEARDRIVERS.com will be giving away  3 – Acer Aspire One netbook computers.  One lucky winner will be chosen in Oct, Nov and Dec.

How do you enter to win?

Simply complete our short survey and you’re automatically entered to win.

http://www.ingeardrivers.com/survey

You’re limited to one entry per month.

For complete contest rules see ( http://www.ingeardrivers.com/survey/rules.htm )

As the world anticipates the release of Windows 7 this fall (October 2009), followed by  Visual Studio 2010 (sometime in 2010),  the question begs to be asked is “Will myVisual Basic .NET and C# run? ”.  The answer is a great big YES.

Windows 7 (x86 and 64-bit)

We’ve tested the following INGEAR.NET PLC class libraries on Windows 7 RC.  We do not anticipate any issues when Windows 7 is offically released.

• INGEAR.NET.LOGIX 2.0 for Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix
• INGEAR.NET.ABLINK 2.1 for Allen-Bradley MicroLogix, SLC and PLC-5
• INGEAR.NET.MBLINK 2.1 for MODBUS Devices and Controllers
• INGEAR.NET.GELINK 2.0 for GE-Fanuc SRTP Ethernet

Visual Studio 2010 (x86)

There were no problems migrating existing our Visual Studio 2005 / 2008 existing projects to Visual Studio 2010.  When we created a new Visual Studio 2010 project, the INGEAR class libraries did not appear in the list of available assemblies in the Add Reference… dialog.  We needed to Browse… the \Program Files\INGEAR.NET\ folders to add them to the project.   This is a minor problem related to the install sets and will be corrected by the time Visual Studio 2010 is officially released.  As this time VS2010 64 bit is untested.

INGEAR.NET PLC communication class libraries are compatible with 64-Bit Windows operating systems such as Windows XP 64 and Windows Vista 64 (as well as the highly anticipated release of Windows 7) .    However, there had been some manual file copying performed because the install program did not recognize the 64-bit platform.  As of the posting of this blog, INGEAR.NET.LOGIX install set has been updated for 64-bit Windows, with the other INGEAR.NET software titles following suite.

Our testing on 64-bit Windows showed a permission alert the first time the License Manager applet was run, leading to license error.  Once the 64-bit OS was re-booted there were no additional errors and License Manager behaved as expected.

For more information see:

http://www.ingeardrivers.com/dot_net_software/dotnet_software.htm