Using Rockwell Software's RSView32 with the RMC Ethernet Module

RSView32 is a PC-based Human-Machine Interface (HMI) software package published by Rockwell Software. Because of the RMC's support for Allen-Bradley PLC Ethernet protocols, the RMC can be used directly from RSView32 to provide information such as axis positions to the user directly instead of directing all the information through the PLC.

Note: For RSView32 Direct Driver support for the RMC, you will need RMC Ethernet firmware dated 20000501 or later.

RSView32 communicates through RSLinx, also from Rockwell Software, to the devices. Therefore, to set up a communication path from RSView32 to the RMC, you must first set up a driver between RSLinx and the RMC. Once the driver is configured, RSView32 can be configured to use it to connect to one or more RMCs. Each step will be described below. These steps were documented with RSLinx 2.10.166.0 and RSView32 6.20.49.

Step 1: Configure a Driver for the RMC in RSLinx

Start RSLinx.
On the Communications menu, click Configure Drivers.
Under Configured Drivers, check to see if there is an AB_ETH driver already installed. If there is an AB_ETH driver already installed, do the following:
1. Under Configured Drivers, click on the driver to which you wish to add the RMC. Each driver can hold many devices.
2. Click Configure.

If there is no AB_ETH driver, do the following:

1. Under Available Driver Types, select Ethernet to PLC-5/SLC-5/5820-El.
2. Click Add New.
3. In the Add New RSLinx Driver dialog box, choose whatever name you want. This example will assume you enter ABETH-RMC. Click OK.

Either of the above procedures will bring up a Configure driver for Ethernet to PLC-5/SLC-5/5820-El dialog box.

In the Current Mapping list, click a line without an address associated to it.
In the IP Address or hostname text box, enter the RMC TCP/IP address. For example, 192.168.0.23.
Click Accept.
Click OK.

Step 2: Test the RSLinx Driver

Start RSLinx.
On the Communications menu, click RSWho.
Click on the plus (+) sign to the left of the driver configured in the steps above (e.g. AB_ETH-RMC).
If the driver is working correctly, you should see a node under the driver with the RMC IP address, a device type of SLC-5/05, and a processor name of RMC100. If this does not work, then ensure you have the IP addresses set up correctly on the PC and RMC, and that you have RMC Ethernet firmware dated 20000501 or later. You can test the basic Ethernet communication by going to a DOS prompt and typing ping 192.168.0.23, but using the IP address of your RMC.
Close the RSWho window. Leaving RSWho open will consume network bandwidth.

Step 3: Configure the TCP/IP Channel in RSView32

This step is not required if you already have an RSView32 channel set up for the RSLinx driver configured in step 1.

Start RSView32 and open your project.
Open the RSView32 Channel configuration window. To do this, from the Project Manager window, select the Edit Mode tab, and double-click the Channel item from under the System node.
In the Channel list, click an unused channel.
In the Network Type list, click TCP/IP.
Under Primary Communication Driver, click the RSLinx driver configured in the steps above (e.g. AB_ETH-RMC).
Click OK.
Close the Project window.

Step 4: Add the RMC Node to RSView32

Start RSView32 and open your project.
Open the RSView32 Node configuration window. To do this, from the Project Manager window, select the Edit Mode tab, and double-click the Node item from under the System node.
In the Node window, ensure that you can see both the edit form at the top and the spreadsheet at the bottom. Use the View menu's Form and Spreadsheet commands to display both.
In the spreadsheet at the bottom of the Node window, click an empty line. This ensures that you add a new node rather than edit an existing node.
Under Data Source, click the Direct Driver option.
In the Name text box, type the name you want to use for this node (for example, RMC100).
In the Channel drop-down list, click the TCP/IP channel created above.
For the Station text box, type the IP address of the RMC. Alternatively, you can click the ellipse (¼) button to start RSWho and select the RMC100 node graphically.
In the Type drop-down list, click SLC 5 (Enhanced). Using RSWho in the above step will set this field automatically.
Click Accept.
Close the Node window.

Step 5: Adding an Example Tag for the RMC Node

At this point, RSView32 recognizes the RMC as a SLC-5/05. You can add tags that use this device in the same way you add tags to any other Allen-Bradley PLC or SLC. This final step shows how to add a tag to the actual position of axis 0.

Start RSView32 and open your project.
Open the RSView32 Tag Database configuration window. To do this, from the Project Manager window, select the Edit Mode tab, and double-click the Tag Database item from under the System node.
In the Node window, ensure that you can see both the edit form at the top and the spreadsheet at the bottom. Use the View menu's Form and Spreadsheet commands to display both.
Click New.
Under Tag, in the Name text box, type the name you wish to use. For example, RMCAxis0ActPos.
In the Type drop-down list, click Analog.
Under Data Source, select the Device option for the Type.
For the Node Name text box, click the ellipse (¼) button to bring up the Node Browser window.
In the Node Browser window, click the RMC node added in the steps above and click OK.
In the Address text box, type the address of the register in the RMC. This will always be in the form N[file]:[element]. The first axis's actual position is at address N7:2. For a complete list of registers and their addresses, see the RMC Register Map (Allen-Bradley).
All other features on the edit form, such as scan classes and security, are outside the scope of RMC documentation. Refer to RSView32 documentation for details on using these features.
Click Accept.
Click Close.