Page1of6

ApplicationNote004
Version003
10July2009

ConfiguringEtherMeterMicroLogixCommunications
UsingThe1761NETENIModule.

(Note:ThisdocumentalsoappliestoEtherMeterSLC/5xxCommunications.)

ThepurposeofthisdocumentistoprovideassistancetotheAllenBradleyPLCuserwhowishestoconnectto
anEtherMeterusingthe1761NETENImoduleandtheEtherNet/IPprotocol.Thisdocumentassumesthat
the user is wellversed in Rockwell Automation PLCs, the RsLogix Programming Environment, the
EtherNet/IPprotocol,andthe1761NETENImodule.

When creating an EtherNet/IP client/server connection between an Allen Bradley MicroLogix (client) and
an EtherMeter (server), no special setup is generally required within the EtherMeters Setup Menu. The
EtherMeter features an alwayson EtherNet/IP server on TCP logical port 44818; and it is configured to
autodetect and service incoming client requests from MicroLogix 1100/1400 PLCs, CompactLogix PLCs,
and1761NETENImodules.TosimplifyintegrationintoanEtherNet/IPnetwork,theEtherMeteremulatesa
SLC/500seriesPLC.

1. WiringConfiguration.

In this example, the Ethernet ports of the 1761NETENI and EtherMeter are wired directly to each
other, without an Ethernet switch, using a single Ethernet crossover cable. Alternatively, the
Ethernetportsofboththe1761NETENIandEtherMetercouldbeconnectedtoacommonEthernet
switch if expanded network connectivity is desired. Additionally, Port 2 (Serial) of the MicroLogix
1400isconnectedtothe1761NETENImoduleusinga1761CBLPM02serialcable.Forreference,
thewiringandhardwareconfigurationisillustratedinFigure1.
Page2of6

Figure1.EtherNet/IPCommunicationDemonstrationPanel.
MicroLogix1400/EtherMeterHardwareandWiringConfiguration.

*EtherNet/IPisatrademarkofControlNetInternational.
Page3of6

2. 1761NETENIConfiguration.

First,theENI/ENIWUtilityshouldbedownloadedfromtheab.comandexecuted:

http://www.ab.com/programmablecontrol/plc/micrologix1000/networkinterfaces.html

First, at the Utility Settings tab, the baud rate and COM port of the PC should be selected. In this
example,theCOMportwasselectedasCOM7,althoughthissettingisspecifictothetargetcomputer.
Thebaudratewasselectedas38400(theENIdefault).SeeFigure2.

Figure2.ENI/ENIWUtility:UtilitySettings

Next, the current ENI settings should be loaded into the ENI Utility by pressing the Load From
ENIbutton.

Once the settings are displayed within the utility, the ENIs 232 baud rate should be set. In this
example, 19200 was entered (and also used consistently as the PLCs 232 baud rate). Additionally,
theIPaddressinformationshouldbeentered.TheIPaddresssettingsarenetworkspecificandmay
differfromthesettingsshown.SeeFigure3.

Figure3.ENI/ENIWUtility:ENIIPAddressSettings

Next, the message routing information should be entered. The virtual DF1 station address of the
EtherMeter is selected to be 4, and the actual IP address of the EtherMeter is entered as
192.168.001.140. The result of these settings is that all PLC DF1 requests to station 4 will be
convertedbytheNETENItoEtherNet/IPandreroutedtotheEtherMeterat192.168.001.140.See
Figure4.
Page4of6

Figure4.ENI/ENIWUtility:MessageRoutingSettings

3. MicroLogixSerialPort(Port2)Configuration.

Within a MicroLogix (or other Allen Bradley) PLC, communication setup is performed within the
RsLogix Programming Environment. Figure 5 displays a screen snapshot of a simple ladder logic
program that is designed to poll the two (2) totalization and two (2) flowrate registers of an
EtherMeter,depositthedataintotheN7:xxinteger(16bit)registers,andthencopythedataintothe
L12:xxlonginteger(32bit)registers:

Figure5.RsLogixProgrammingEnvironment.
Page5of6

To begin the setup, a new programming project should be initialized In RsLogix using the
appropriate selections for processor type, version, serial port setup, etc.. For brevity, the details of
thesestepshavebeenomitted.

In order to configure the MicroLogixs Ethernet port, doubleleftclick the Channel Configuration
icon in the Project (leftmost) Frame. The Channel Configuration window will appear. Select the
Channel2tab,andenterthesetupparametersasshowninFigure6.

Figure6.Channel2(SerialPort)ConfigurationWindow.

4. LadderLogic.

In Rung 0, a selfresetting, onesecond timer is created to set up the polling interval, although a
shorterorlongerpollingintervalcouldbeselected,dependingupontheapplication.

In Rung 1, the onesecond timer is used to trigger the message instruction to the EtherMeter. A
doubleleftclickontheSetupScreenbuttonoftheMSGBlockcausesapopupwindowtoappear,as
showninFigure7.Thesetupparametersshouldbeenteredasshowninthefigure.

Withinthepopupwindow,firsttheGeneraltabshouldbeselected,andtheparametersonitspage
shouldbeenteredasinstructedbelow.TheGeneraltabisshowninFigure7.

Figure7.MessageConfigurationWindow(GeneralTab).

Page6of6

Under the This Controller heading, note that the selected Channel is Channel 2 (Integral), which
corresponds to the DB9M serial port of the MicroLogix 1400. The selected Communication
Commandis500CPURead,astheEtherMeteremulatesaSLC/500.Theselectedtargetdatatable
address within the MicroLogix is N7:0, although a different memory location could be chosen. The
SizeinElementsisenteredas8(8x16bitwords),becauseinthisexamplefour32bitwordsare
requestedfromtheEtherMeter(Total1,Total2,Flow1,Flow2).

Under the Target Device heading, note that the Data Table Address is entered as N7:0, as this is
thedesiredbeginningmemorylocationwithintheEtherMeter.Forthecompletememorymapofthe
EtherMeter, please refer to the User Manual or Setup Menu. For Local/Remote, Local should be
selected.

In Rung 2, the eight 16bit words contained in the N7 registers are copied into the L12 registers,
whichareusedforholdinglong(32bit)integers.

5. Results.

After the Ethernet port is configured and the ladder logic is written, the program should be
downloadedintotheMicroLogix;andthePLCshouldbeplacedintoRunMode.

In this example, the EtherMeter is reading two encoded meter registers. As documented in the
EtherMeter User Manual, the totalization register contents are never scaled by the EXPn multiplier,
so as to eliminate the possibility of 32bit overflow conditions. The following meter data is
applicabletothisexample:

Meter1Total: 1.9GAL (RegisterContents:19)

Meter2Total: 9999999.2GAL (RegisterContents:99999992)
Meter1FlowRate: 0GPM (RegisterContents:0)
Meter2FlowRate: 0GPM (RegisterContents:0)

Figure8displaysscreensnapshotsoftheN7andL12registercontents.Notethatthelargevaluefor
Meter 2 (99999992) spans two 16bit registers (N7:23), so this value is only rendered correctly in
thecontextofasingle,32bitregisterinL12:1.

Figure8.RegisterDisplayWindows(Realtime).