Hi,

I have been using DF1 driver for Allen Bradley MicroLogix series. Now I have been given a new Job where in I have to use Omron PLC. The doubt i have is -> Omron uses something called Device net driver & even heard that Allen Bradley has the same driver for some of its series.

1) Are these drivers universal?? Where in every PLC manufacturer has to develop these under some set of rules?
2) Can a PLC manufacturer have his own driver regardless of universal drivers?
3) Is DF1 an universal protocol or its just an own driver of Allen Bradley?

 

Dont't be shy, join the forum. There is no such thing as a "driver" for a PLC for Device Net. I believe you mean configurator.

Each PLC manufacturer has their own configurator software. If you are using the Omron CS1 or CJ1, the configurator operates through the serial or programming port on the CPU and searches the Device Net loop via the Device Net scanner.

 

Most every manufacturer has his own protocol. There are few protocols that many vendors use (Modbus being the main one), but these are rare. Now, there are OPC servers, which create a bridge between any protocol to OPC client software (like SCADA applications), but these for the most part only run on a Windows platform for large applications.

DF1 is and Allen Bradley protocol. I've seen a few other devices use it, but Omron PLCs aren't in that list. Omron PLCs use "Hostlink" when talking over a serial line. It's a pretty simple protocol, and is much simpler than DF1, but is completely different.

What are you trying to do?

Alex Pavloff - [email protected]
ESA Technology ---- www.esatechnology.com
------- Linux-based industrial HMI ------
-------- www.esatechnology.com/5k -------

 

You've got two entirely different entities confused there. DeviceNet is a universal network at the device level; a way to distribute I/O throughout your plant and use any manufacturer's I/O with any manufacturer's PLC. More information on DeviceNet is available at www.odva.org .

DF1 is Allen Bradley's proprietary protocol for programming and communicating with its PLCs. Omron has two protocols that are similar to DF1 in function: Host Link (which is used over a serial port), and FINS (used over a network or series of networks). Both protocols are published and a manual describing both can be downloaded in pdf format at:

http://oeiwcsnts1.omron.com/pdfcata...0056A020/$File/M11W342E160603.pdf?OpenElement

Best of luck,

David Wooden Senior Software Engineer Omron Electronics LLC
E-mail: [email protected]