ABB robot as Profinet master communicating with Siemens PLC's as i-Devices

DavidR

Hi
Has anyone used the robot as a Profinet master (option 888-2) in a network with one or several Siemens PLC's? 

I know it's possible to do this with PN/PN couplers or Anybus gateways to each PLC but I figure it would be nice to setup the PLC's as i-devices instead. Then export gsdml files from Siemens TIA portal for each PLC and use these gsdml files in the robot configuration when setting up the Profinet network.

My problem is that I can't get this to work. The gsdml files from TIA portal are seen as 0 bytes both input and output size -> mapping outside area when creating signals on the device in EIO.cfg.



/David

Emil Segerblad

Hello David,

What tool are you using to create your PROFINET configuration? I know there was a bug in the Phoenix PROFINET Configurator which prevented the usage of e.g. Siemens I-Devices. This shall be fixed in later versions of the tool. (Version 1.31.38 shall work). I use a Siemens S7-1500 as an I-Device in my setup, and it works fine, so it should be possible to configure without problems!

Best regards,

Emil

DavidR

Hi Emil
I'm using the new I/O configurator in RobotStudio.
/David

Emil Segerblad

Hello David,

I have checked with the team that develops the I/O configurator and unfortunately this is a known issue.
The only workaround is to use the old Phoenix Contact PROFINET Configurator to create the PROFINET configuration. 

DavidR

Great news, I heard this issue will be solved in RS 6.08! /David

DavidR

Maybe not, seems like the problem still exists and won't be fixed in 6.08.

Terzi

I have similar. I'm trying to use Beckhoff EK9300 as a coupler in device end. I was able to configure all the digital inputs and outputs with I/O configurator but I got stuck with analog input which appears as 0bit input in configurator.  I cannot use Phoenix Contact PROFINET Configurator since it gives me error when I'm trying to upload the GSDML file of EK9300. What can I do?

DavidR

I'm not familiar with EK9300, do you have a analog module on it that won't work? What's the name of the module? 

Terzi

EK9300 is Profinet coupler. After this I have analog input card EL3152 and after this a couple of EL1008 and EL2008 DI and DO modules. See links below for details.

https://www.beckhoff.com/EK9300/

https://www.beckhoff.com/el3152/

https://www.beckhoff.com/el1008/

https://www.beckhoff.com/el2008/

So first I was going to try Profinet configurator. I tried to import GSDML-file into the configurator but I got an error that the file cannot be validated. I gave up and decided to try IO Configurator from RobotStudio. I imported the GSDML-file, set IP and scanned the network. After I found EK9300 from the network, I started inserting IO modules. I inserted everything I had in my network, wrote the configuration and rebooted the system. I was able to get ippnio.xml file and also I was able to define signals for DI and DO modules. The signals worked as expected. BUT I was not able to add any signals to Analog input card since in RS the input size is 0 and it cannot be edited. Thus, I'm not able to add a signals to this module.

I have attached the ippnio.xml file I have been able to made so far. There is also the GSDML file and error report from Profinet configurator and print screen from RS.

I also contacted Beckhoff about the issue but I have received any response yet.

At this point the easiest way would be just edit the ippnio.xml file a bit in order to change the input size of EL3152 from 0 to 1. I actually tried to modify the file but I ended up in more errors.

DavidR

Sorry, I got the same error. Unfortunately it's hard to get help in these cases, ABB will probably blame Beckhoff and vice versa.

Terzi

I was able to solve the issue. I found GSDML version 2.3 from Beckhoff's servers. I was previously using 2.33 which is the latest one. The older version worked with Profinet Configurator Express.

DavidR

Nice. Can you send the download link to the 2.3 version? Then I can test in RobotStudio. Or maybe you already tested in I/O config in RS?

Terzi

http://ftp.beckhoff.com/download/Config/ethercat/EK9300/ here you go.

DavidR

2.3 version didn't work in RobotStudio IO configurator either.

JonKamstra

Hi David,

Were you able to configure the PLC as an i-device and the IRC5 as the higher order controller and create a connection between them? 

A customer has specified we program a CPU315-2PN/DP using Step 7 5.5 which doesn't support the current IRC5 GSDML file schema. I have enabled i-device on the PLC, set the transfer areas, exported the GSDML of the i-device, and created the IPPNIO.xml file using the Profinet Configurator. I don't have any signals assigned to the device in RobotStudio (so I might still get the outside mapping area error) because I wanted to verify the devices could connect but so for it looks like that isn't working either.

My next option is to test out a PN/PN coupler but if i-device works that would be nice!

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

Jon

DavidR

JonKamstra said:

Hi David,

Were you able to configure the PLC as an i-device and the IRC5 as the higher order controller and create a connection between them? 

A customer has specified we program a CPU315-2PN/DP using Step 7 5.5 which doesn't support the current IRC5 GSDML file schema. I have enabled i-device on the PLC, set the transfer areas, exported the GSDML of the i-device, and created the IPPNIO.xml file using the Profinet Configurator. I don't have any signals assigned to the device in RobotStudio (so I might still get the outside mapping area error) because I wanted to verify the devices could connect but so for it looks like that isn't working either.

My next option is to test out a PN/PN coupler but if i-device works that would be nice!

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

Jon

Sorry for the late answer. Unfortunately we have not been able to solve this problem. We use PN/PN couplers in these cases.

Aaru1311

Hi everyone

Tying to save the PNPN Coupler, configure S7-1200 as I device import GSD file in Robotstudio. Add in the IO configurator can see 1000: input bytes and 1002: output bytes but not able edit signal. Neither see anything in device catalogue so can not add IN 8 Bytes and Out 8 Bytes
Using  Robotstudio 2021.2, IO configuration tool built in.

Hoping this should work in 2021.2