Tech Tip
Using RMC Controllers With Allen-Bradley PLCs
The Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLC platforms are a very popular automation systems used in a broad spectrum of industries and applications. Delta Motion's RMC controllers enhance and extend these PLC's capabilities by using common EtherNet communication protocols, particularly EtherNET/IP. Setting up an Allen-Bradley PLC to communicate with and control is relatively straightforward, and Delta offers a number of resources to help configure the PLC-RMC connection.
The basic steps for using an RMC with an Allen-Bradley PLC are as follows:
1. Set up the axes in the RMC
- Wire the transducers and valve or drive output to the RMC and create an RMCTools project to configure the axes
- Confirm the transducer input and control output
- Tune each axis using RMCTools wizards or manually
2. Configure the communications in the RMC
- Set the controller's IP address using RMCTools
- Configure the EtherNet/IP properties
3. Configure the communications in the PLC
- Register the RMC EDS file in the Studio5000 project
- Add the RMC to the project, and configure the communications options
- Download configuration to the PLC and go online
- Verify communications between the PLC and the RMC
4. Import tags from RMCTools for Cyclic I/O data
- Use the Export to Logix Designer tool in RMCTools to create an .l5x file with the RMC data tags
- Import the file into the Studio5000 project
- Confirm that the tags and communications ladder logic have been added to the project
There are several resources available from Delta that go into great detail on Allen-Bradley PLC - RMC communications. The following video goes through the communication setup step by step:
Delta has also created a .pdf that goes into detail on using RMC controllers with control systems that have been using Allen-Bradley HYD02 or M02AS modules.
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