Setting Up Network - IRC5

Robot Controller
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1

Hello,

I am trying to setup the factory network for ABB IRC5 controller. I am following the method suggested in the getting started manual (see image below)

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  1. To make the connection between a wall LAN port (factory LAN network) and the WAN port of the controller, Our IT admin wants to know the MAC address of the WAN port. The MAC has to be white-listed before any connection can be realized. Can anyone direct me to where I can find the MAC address for the WAN port?

I know that WAN port has DHCP enabled by default and we can also manually set the IP address for the WAN port using X-start procedure.

  1. Can I use the following method of connection and still achieve the same functionality as above?
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    The switch in the above figure is an additional Ethernet Switch inside the IRC5 cabinet (Not the Multi-move switch). The idea behind this configuration is to have both IRC5 and PLC to have access to internet. The PLC has ability to publish IoT messages through MQTT protocol.

Thanks
Rock

2

Hello,
Does your PLC have two networks?
It’s better to dissociate your Profinet network and Internet.
You can get robot WAN MAC by using WireShark on a computer connected to it.

3

Yes, my PLC will have two networks. I plan to use Ethernet/IP to send messages to robot and the connection to factory network (internet) to publish and receive IoT data. Could you suggest me a way to make these connections without any conflicts?

What is the better way to disassociate two networks? PLC can only have one IP address. Maybe use LAN 1 or LAN 2 for Ethernet/IP.

Factory network (wall ethernet port) → switch
Switch → PLC
Switch → WAN port
Switch → LAN2

Could this configuration work?

4

@DenisFR I tried using Wireshark to find out MAC for WAN and LAN2 ports in IRC5. I was only able to get MAC for LAN2 port. Is it the same for WAN? Also, do you think the network setup described above will work for PLC with two networks?

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5

I have the same question. Also wanting to use an EtherNet/IP connection to a PLC separate from the external programming (front-panel service) port, also known as LAN, ie LAN1.

My IRC5 LAN3 is connected to the external field-bus EtherNet/IP port at the bottom cable connection plate for external access. I also have LAN2 connected internally to the included internal Ethernet switch on the door. It has three other connections that go down to the cable connection plate to provide three additional external EtherNet/IP connections. Finally, my IRC5 WAN port is internally connected to a port on the cable connection plate called “Ext. LAN Conn.”

My PLC is installed inside the IRC5 cabinet, and I want to internally connect it’s EtherNet/IP Master via a patch cable to either LAN2 (via an open port on the ethernet switch on the door) or LAN3 directly on the IRC5 controller.

In RS, I see that by default, that there is an “Internal” EIP Device set up as an adapter (slave):

However, it is connected to the Industrial Network “EtherNetIP”
This network is configured by default to connect the “Private Network” as shown below…

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…and the Private Network is the Service Port network, as shown below? It seems that it is configured to use LAN (LAN1?), ie the front panel service port.)

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There are no other EIP devices set up in the system using either LAN2 or LAN3, or the WAN, nor is there a communication setting using those ports, by default.

So then, it is possible to set up a new “IP Setting” in Communication Configuration for using one of the other ports for EIP, BUT there is no option to use LAN2. Only LAN, LAN3 or WAN:

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As it is, I see no way to use the internal switch at all, since it is connected to LAN2. What is it’s IP number? How would those 3 external EIP ports connected to this switch be utilized?
(Let’s say I don’t need it and use LAN3 instead.)

I can create a new “EIP_Network” as shown above that uses “192.168.33.3,” for example, on LAN3.

Q: Do I then try to reconfigure the Internal EtherNet/IP Adapter (shown in the first screen shot) to use my new “EIP_Network” on LAN3? Or make a new EIP Device and leave the EIP_Internal Device alone?

Will this default static VLAN setting mess with me in this case? What does this do?

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Thanks for any help on this.

6

I had edited the previous comment extensively, but I had posted it and can’t edit it or deleted it.

In the interim from initially posting the above comment, I discovered that my Beckhoff EtherNet/IP Master has a problem with connecting to the ABB internal pre-set EIP Adapter (slave) using the manual’s information.

From the manual:

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But the EDS file referred to in the manual defines two Assemblies (Input & Output), and has the following line under “Connection1”:

"20 04 24 80 2C 70 2C 64";    $ exclusive output

The fourth byte, ‘80,’ is 128 decimal, and is the value expected for the Configuration Assembly, per this Beckhoff documentation:

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Configuring my Beckhoff master with this (128, not 0) finally allowed the connection to work. My attempts to use LAN3 were failing because of this issue:
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7

This picture (taken from the manual) should be able to answer your questions. By default LAN1, LAN2 and service port belong to same private network and they share the same IP address:

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8

To find the MAC address just do this on a windows PC
Ping
arp -a
Now you can see the MAC address

9

@Knud_E_Lindberg thank you for the arp - a method. That works in general, but I think the current problem might be different. I still haven’t found a way to obtain MAC address of the WAN port. The WAN port on the IRC5 main computer is by default set to DHCP. Although this can changed by performing a X-start and manually updating specific IP address.

As @DenisFR suggested previously, I can’t see any data in wireshark when I connect to WAN port to a PC running wireshark.

The IT staff at our facility need the MAC address of the WAN port so that controller can be allowed on the public factory network (internet). When I connect a LAN cable directly between WAN port and a personal computer, wireshark doesn’t recognize any network activity. Wieshark recognises activity when there is a connection between LAN2 port and personal computer. I think this is because the LAN2 port has a DHCP server (just like the service port) and is tryin* to assign an IP address to the PC. am I right? Is there a way to obtain MAC addresss of the WAN port?

Also, how can I ensure that controller is successfully connected to public factory network? One way might be to search for the controller from a PC on the same factory network (NOT directly connected to service port) containing robot studio and check if controller is visible. Is there any other way to check this?

10

@rakshithb174 : If you have switch between your PC and WAN port, your PC don’t receive WAN streams. You have to connect it directly.

11

I was able to find out MAC address of the WAN port. Looks like I had a defective cable :smile: that’s why couldn’t get any data on Wireshark. Everything is working as expected.

12

Sorry slightly off topic, but relevant question:

Is configuring LAN3 as a EIP slave a paid feature? I can’t get it show valid settings as per the manual.

I read the manual as you get it by default, the EIP master card however is mega dollars…
(ALso read it as thou, LAN is only ABB Robot equipment)

What I have

  1. Anybus EIP connector for most IO (~3.5 kb data group @ 40 RPI)
  2. WAN setup to service network
  3. I’d like to use LAN3 as high speed EIP Slave (~1 RPI) connection for 3-4 bits total.
13

EthernetIP slave (or master) via the built in LAN ports requires the option master/salve (scanner/adapter),

The anybus adapter option does not allow any of the built in LAN ports to be used - only the adapter itself.