GeoSCADA connection to a Powerflex drive using Ethernet/IP

[Anonymous user]

Hi group, 

Has anybody tried connecting to a Powerflex VSD from GeoSCADA?  I am able to connect to a Micro800 PLC but when I try to connect the drive, I get an error: INVALID ORIGINATOR TO TARGET NETWORK CONNECTION
REDUNDANT_OWNER.

Any help on this would be appreciated. 

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

The driver only claims to support the core AB PLC ranges (ref). If you raise a case with support with the driver and comms log we can pass them to development to see if it can be made compatible, but no promises.

[BevanWeiss]

Are you able to provide a screen shot of the error message as shown? (or as formatted within the logs)

It looks like the VSD is potentially expecting (demanding) and your connection type be a specific 'redundant_owner' connection.

So.. there's a few questions

1. Are you trying to write things to the VSD, or only read?
2. Is there already another PLC that 'owns' this device (i.e. that has a connection to it)?

I very much suspect that there would be some additional challenges with writing to Ethernet/IP CIP devices, since there will be some control hoops needed for most things (like VSDs that will only respond to the device owner, and will require a constant stream of updates otherwise they will trip out with a comms timeout).

And trying to connect to a device if something else is already connected likewise is probably an issue, since the devices often treat the first connection as special, and may require second (and subsequent) connections to go through an alternative connection method (which might be where this invalid network connection 'redundant_owner' is involved... redundant_owner would definitely be a somewhat special connection type that the VSD probably wants if you're the second connection trying to write to it.. and there is likely some weird stuff around device ownership redundancy that would be needed.. and which I don't think is reasonable to expect GeoSCADA to do)

[Anonymous user]

Hi Bevan,

1. I am only trying to read. I dare not to write to VSDs when trying out new features :).

2. Yes there is a Micro800 PLC as a bridge between VSDs and the Scadapack RTU to read VSD parameters. Suspecting it being the issue, I halted the running program but that didn't help either.

There is a feature in Ethernet/IP which uses unconnected message query. I think Geo SCADA needs to support such reads.

[BevanWeiss · Accepted solution]

Do you have any wireshark captures for this?

My suspicion is that Geo SCADA Expert Ethernet/IP driver will indeed be performing 'Unconnected Message' requests.

I have been wrong before however... but it's generally easier to do unconnected messaging.. since it doesn't require keeping a bunch of state around the place.. and handling callbacks etc.

PS: You can get a ModbusTCP comms module for the PowerFlex drives.. which would have allowed the SCADAPack RTU to talk directly to the drive.

There is some discussion of an Ethernet/IP 'driver' for the SCADAPack RTU... but I'm not sure what timeline that has.

It should be able to leverage the CIP subsystem for the M580 PLCs, that wouldn't allow for the 'tag-based' stuff that people will want, but would be exactly what you'd like to do here.

It might be worth you finding that 'Idea' and giving it an upvote if you haven't already.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Bevan,

I dont have wireshark captures for that. 

I will look into the option of using Modbus TCP adapter. Thanks for that suggestion.