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Operating Instructions
Chapter
5
Flexi Soft Gateways
8012664/XB29/2013-06-11
© SICK AG • Industrial Safety Systems • Germany • All rights reserved
55
Subject to change without notice
Ethernet gateways
5.2.3
EtherNet/IP Class 1 communication — Implicit messaging
Only Flexi Soft EtherNet/IP gateways with firmware
O
V2.00.0 support both EtherNet/IP
implicit messaging and explicit messaging (Class 1 and Class 3). If your gateway has an
older firmware version, please refer to section 5.2.6 “Ethernet/IP Class 3 communica-
tion — Explicit messaging” on page 60. Please use the EDS file
SICK_FX0_GENT_1.00.eds
for these older gateways.
General overview
Implicit messaging is a method of communication between EtherNet/IP PLCs and devices.
Implicit messaging uses Ethernet UDP messages.
Implicit messaging is cyclic in nature. Input and output data is exchanged between the
controllers and devices at regular time intervals.
Message delivery is not guaranteed.
Multicast addressing is possible.
Class 1 functionality
To establish Class 1 communication, a connection between the PLC and the EtherNet/IP
gateway must be created. To this end, the PLC must send a Forward Open message to the
gateway. The gateway then checks the received parameters, responds with a success or
fail status message (Forward Open response) and, if successful, includes a set of connec-
tion parameters.
The Forward Open message from the PLC to the EtherNet/IP gateway includes the
following parameters:
input connection type (gateway to PLC: either point-to-point or multicast)
input assembly object instance number
input data length
output connection type (PLC to gateway: only point-to-point is accepted)
output assembly object instance number (unused if input data only)
output data length (unused if input data only)
requested packet interval
The EtherNet/IP gateway then returns the following parameters in the Forward Open
response:
status of connection attempt
– SUCCESS: If the received parameters are acceptable and the gateway has sufficient
bandwidth and memory resources, the connection will be accepted. The STATUS LED
is Green.
– FAILURE: If either the received parameters are incorrect or the gateway does not
have sufficient bandwidth and memory resources, the connection will be rejected.
The STATUS LED blinks
Red/green.
The IP address and UDP socket port number on which the PLC must listen for input
messages:
– If the input connection is point-to-point, this is the PLC’s IP address.
– If the input connection is multicast, the gateway sends the multicast address on
which the PLC must listen for input messages.
The packet interval that will be allowed by the gateway. This may be the same as or
greater than the interval requested by the PLC.
Note