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Tab: Communication, via CODESYS ApplicationV3

The tab includes the communication settings for a remote data source.

When initially adding  a data source, you have selected the CODESYS ApplicationV3 data source type, and depending on that the communication settings to the data source were configured. Afterwards, the communication settings are outdated on this tab. You can only initially set the Data source type and Select the project type settings.

CODESYS ApplicationV3 means that in the case of an active connection the communication is done via address monitoring. In this case, the remote PLC is configured by directly specifying the device address or automatically via network scan.

Tab: Communication, via CODESYS ApplicationV3

Select the project type

The project type indicates where the controller is configured: in the same project as the HMI application or in a separate project.

  • Current project

    The control application is part of the currently open project. The communication settings can be updated automatically or manually.

  • Other Project

    The control application is part of a separate project whose location is specified in Choose file. The communication settings are done manually.

In the initial setting of the data source object, this option is fixed and influences which settings are available for Target device.

Choose file

Name and path of the project that contains the control application (source project)

Example: D:\PLCs\PLC_A.project

Requirement: The Select the project type is Other Project.

Window area for controllers of the project

Controllers and their subordinate applications, read from the selected project

Example:

_cds_img_data_source_path.png

Settings for Select the project type == Current project

Target Device

Note: The following settings are available when Select the project type is set to Current project.

Automatic configuration

_cds_icon_radiobutton_activated.png: The configuration is read automatically from the source project. This is the recommended setting.

Example: [DEVICE_A]

Example: [undetermined]: No configuration can be read.

Note: Make sure that the application is running on the controller and the network path is active. The communication settings of the controller are applied only then. These are the communication settings that were configured in the source project in the device editor on the Communication Settings tab.

Manual configuration

_cds_icon_radiobutton_activated.png: More configuration settings are displayed.

See "Manual configuration" below.

Settings for Select the project type == Other Project

The communication setting is done only manually.

See "Manual configuration" below.

Manual configuration

Dynamic from variable

_cds_icon_radiobutton_activated.png: The communication parameters are configured at application runtime by means of an IEC variable of data type DatasourceAppV3.ConnectionSetup.

_cds_icon_three_dots.png: Opens the input for selecting the IEC variables for a dynamic configuration

The data type DatasourceAppV3.ConnectionSetup (STRUCT) is defined in the Datasource ApplicationV3 Access library. For the configuration, the structure member xDataValid first has to be set to FALSE. If the address data has been specified, then xDataValid has to be set back to TRUE.

Use case: The communication parameters are not available yet when a project is being created.

Use device address

_cds_icon_radiobutton_activated.png: The communication is done via the address specified here.

Example: 0101

Hint: Click From device for an automatic address setting.

From device

The data of the currently connected data source device is read automatically and specified in Use device address. The address corresponds to the setting of the device in the device editor in Communication Settings.

Search for the target device using the network scan

_cds_icon_radiobutton_activated.png: The data source manager starts the network scan for devices in the network. The scan is successfully when controllers are found whose communication settings match the selected search criteria. The result is displayed in the input fields.

Node name

standard icon: Search for the specified node name

Example: WST06

Target type

standard icon: Search for the specified target type

Example. 4096

Target ID

standard icon: Search for the specified target ID

Example: 0000 0001

Target version

standard icon: Search for the specified target version

Example: 1.0.0.0

Network location

  • Direct child of the data sources PLC: The scanned remote PLC has an address that is running with the address of the local controller (of the data source manager).

    Example: Data sources PLC: 0000.0001; remote source PLC: 0000.0001.0001

  • Direct child of node with address: Specify the address of the parent node

  • Direct child of the data source PLC or of the node with address: Combination of both options above.

Search type

  • First found device: The first controller in the device tree is selected that fulfills the specified criteria.

  • Exactly found device: The controller is selected that fulfills the specified criteria exactly.

    Note: The data source manager waits until the network scan is complete. This usually takes about 10 seconds.

Communication settings for controllers with visualization user management

Login Configuration

If a visualization user management is configured on the remote device, then valid credentials are required at login.

Type

Defines how the visualization user management gets credentials

  • Login using the following credentials

    The credentials are hard-coded into the User name and Password settings. They are used each time a connection is attempted.

  • Login using the credentials determined at runtime

    At runtime, a dialog opens and prompts the user to specify a user name and password. Hard-coded credentials, which have nonetheless been specified in User name and Password, are ignored.

User name

Example: max.smith

Password

Example: ···

Specific settings of the communication buffer

Advanced

standard icon: The subsequent settings are changed.

Default communication buffer size

Default setting: 50000