For creating a new device, go to [Tools] → [I/O Devices] or the 
icon in the main toolbar.
I/O Device Name: Give a device name.
I/O Device Type: Select ‘Serial Device’. The device name will be used in the ‘Station Name’ and tag configuration of the database.
Select [Ok] for the ‘Serial Communication Configuration’ dialog box to appear.
Select ‘Allen Bradley DF1’ from the ‘Device Type’ dropdown menu, and choose the appropriate parameters. These parameters should be matched with the PLC.
Communication parameters should be configured as shown in the following table:
Baud Rate | Must be matched with the one of PLC. |
|---|---|
Parity | None |
Data Bits | 8 Bits |
Stop Bits | 1 Bit |
Comm. Type | RS232 |
Move to the [Station] tab of the ‘Serial Communication Configuration’ dialog box. All the connected PLC stations can be configured and registered to the Xpanel.
Each field can be configured as followed:
Station Name | Give a name to the PLC. This name will be used in the database window accompanied by the ‘Device Name’. |
Station Type | Choose the ‘SLC500/MicroLogix’ (no other type can be selected). |
Network ID | This field has no meaning in this driver (ignored in runtime). |
Station No. | This number must be matched with the one of PLC. |
16Bit Data Swap | This field has no meaning in this driver. |
32Bit Data Swap | This field has no meaning in this driver. |
String Data Swap | This field has no meaning in this driver. |
Using Checksum | This field has no meaning in this driver. |
Comm. Error Message Pop Up | When this item is checked, Xpanel displays a communication error message box for every Rx and Tx error. Otherwise (unchecked), Xpanel does not display a message for communication errors. This message box will close automatically after a few seconds. |
See the Communication Configuration section for more information about the remaining parameters.
Communication Setup: RSLogix
The following picture shows a screenshot of the RSLogix channel configuration. The network address and communication speed (Baud Rate) of the PLC are configured in this dialog box. ‘BCC' must be selected for the ‘Error Detection’ and ‘DF1 Full Duplex’ must be selected for the 'Driver’.
Please note that the data should be matched with the device configuration of Xpanel.
Address Notation
The following table shows the list of devices that can be referenced in the Xpanel database.
Symbol | Description | Word Notation | Bit Notation | Access |
I | Input File | I:00.000 – I:08.255 | I:00.000/00 – I:08.255/15 | R/W |
O | Output File | O:00.000 – O:08.255 |
| R/W |
S | Status File | S:0 – S163 | M31.7 | R/W |
B | Bit File | B3:0 – B3:255 | SM85.7 | R/W |
T | Timer File | T4:0 – T4:255 | T127 | R/W |
C | Counter File | C5:0 – C5:255 | C127 | R/W |
N | Integer File | N7:0 – N7:255 | - | R/W |
F | Float File | F8:0 – F8:255 | - | R/W |
Communication Cable Wiring
