IC695CMM002 Serial Communications Module

[KP_EENG]

I have a project planned this year where I will need to interface several Wago Modbus programmable fieldbus controllers with an RX3i and I thought that the IC695CMM002 Serial Communications Module may work well. Has anyone used the IC695CMM002 Serial Communications Module for the RX3i? I am looking for opinions or glitches that I may encounter with the module. Thanks

[RussB]

I have one, and have 'played' with in the lab, it appears to be quite straight forward and easy to use, I can not vouch for the 'ruggedness' of the connection but, I believe that GE Fanuc has enough experience with this type of interface that it is unlikly that any major problems will show up. There has already been at least one frimware update, so it appears that someone is using it, however it has not been around very long yet. The software interface to the 'modbus master' needs a little 'tweaking' in my opinion, but it works.

[KP_EENG]

Thanks for the information. I appreciate your input.

[rajsiyer]

Hi KP & Russ, and other friends who hang out here.... Once again, I think you could help me. I've to read in Data from a Flowmeter which is configured as a Modbus RTU Slave. The PLC needing this data is a Versamax IC200-CPU001. From first appearance, it seems to have a RS-485 port which can only be configured as a Modbus slave and not master! Please tell me how to go about it with best wishes Raj s. Iyer

[Steve Bailey]

For RTU master you have to configure the port for Serial I/O and then use COMMREQ instructions to set up the RTU parameters and commands. It's covered in the Serial Communications manual, GFK-0582D.

[KP_EENG]

Hi Raj, Steve is correct, as usual. Please let me know if you need the manual, I believe that I have it in a PDF. Russ, Thanks again for your input on the IC695CMM002 module last year. I did incorporate it into my project and, to date, the module is performing better than expected. The only thing that I did not really care for is that I had to manually code all of the error checking, comms retries and other comms tasks. I think that the module would be even better if some of these routine tasks were automated. Thanks again

[Steve Bailey]

The manual is available on GE Fanuc support website. http://support.gefanuc.com/support/search/ui.jsp Type the manual number in the search field. You will need the addendum document. Edited March 10, 2009 by Steve Bailey

[rajsiyer]

Thanks a million pals, Actually, I was on the verge of buying up a MOXA/ICP DAS Ethernet to RS-485 convertor and then reading in the data as Ethernet global data but still I defer that decision, as you say this comms module works better than expected. Cheers to that. Wishing all of you a happy day. Today we are enjoying HOLI our festival of colors. Raj S. Iyer