Many questions come from serial communications using the Click PLC. Most of these questions deal with communication timing when using multiple send and receive instructions. We will show you how to deal with serial communication timing in the Click PLC.
Receive and Send instructions will allow you to send and receive serial data to an external device. The communication method that you set up can be ASCII or Modbus. ASCII (American Standard Communication for Information Interchange) can be used to send to devices such as a printer. Receiving ASCII can be used for connecting barcode scanners to the PLC. The barcode will be read as an ASCII string in the PLC. Modbus serial communication (Modbus RTU) is a standard protocol used in many automation devices.
We will demonstrate the Send and Receive instruction by communicating Modbus RTU to a Solo Temperature Controller. Parameters from the Solo process temperature controller will be read using multiple receive instructions. The send instruction will be used multiple times as well to set the Set Value (SV) and Limits of the SV value entered in the temperature controller. The set values will only be changed when required. Let’s get started. Keep on Reading!
Tag Archives: click plc system hardware
Click Plus PLC MQTT Communication
We will now look at the MQTT communication capability using our Click plus PLC.
MQTT stands for Message Queuing Telemetry Transport. This simple ‘publish and subscribe’ communication protocol, does not take too many resources.
Constrained devices with low bandwidth are ideal for MQTT. This protocol provides machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity which is ideal for the Internet of Things. (IoT) This protocol is not for remote IO or real-time (deterministic) applications. MQTT is a good solution for applications that move data from hundreds or thousands of machines (sensors) to clients in many networks.
We will be installing a windows based broker called Mosquitto. The Click Plus PLC will be one of the clients publishing and subscribing to the MQTT broker. Node-RED will be the other client publishing and subscribing to the MQTT broker. Each client will share information. Let’s get started. Keep on Reading!
Click Plus Establish Communication
We will now establish communication using four different methods from our computer to the new Click Plus controller. The click programming software version 3.00 will be used for the communication methods. Click Plus controllers allow you to program them through the micro USB port on every CPU. WiFi (Bluetooth Provisioning) is also available on some controllers. Ethernet and Serial ports may also be used for programming if they are present on your model of Click Plus.
We will be establishing PC to PLC communications using version 3.00 of the click programming software. Four different ways will be discussed on getting connected to the Click Plus controller to program. Let’s get started. Keep on Reading!
Click Plus Software Installation Version 3.00
The Click Plus PLC has now been released. This can only be programmed with version 3.00 or higher of the Click Programming Software. Version 3.00 will program all of the Click PLC CPU units and add additional features to the Click Ethernet CPU units.
Features of the new Click PLUS PLC (C2-0xCPU) includes the following:
• Micro USB
• DHCP support
• DNS support
• Wi-Fi (programming and Modbus TCP)
• Bluetooth (Wi-Fi) provisioning
• SD Card (Data Logging)
• Data Logger
• Network Time Service
• MQTT (Publish/Subscribe)
• Required PLC Password
• Disable Ports
• Strong Password Support
• Disable Ping Response
• Encrypted Password Transfer
We will be installing version 3.00 of the Click programming software on our windows 10 computer. After starting the software we will review some of the new features. Let’s get started. Keep on Reading!
Click PLC Modbus ASCII Protocol Communication
We will now look at the click plc modbus ascii protocol. This communication will happen in PLC ladder logic and communicate through the serial port (RS485) to a Solo process temperature controller. Modbus ASCII will be the communication protocol.
Modbus is a communication method used for transmitting information over serial lines between electronic devices. The device requesting the information is called the Modbus Master (Client) and the devices supplying information are Modbus Slaves (Servers). This protocol was originally developed by Modicon systems.
Modbus protocol comes in basically three different types. Ethernet (Modbus TCP) or Serial (Modbus RTU or Modbus ASCII). Modbus TCP and Modbus RTU come as standard protocols in the productivity series of PLCs.
We will connect the Click PLC to a Solo process temperature controller. This will be done using the Modbus ASCII protocol over serial RS485 communication wire. (Media) The present and set values (PV / SV) will be read from the Solo controller and the set value will be written when required. Let’s get started. Keep on Reading!