IBOX NET Instructions

[ATU]

First time I used these IBOX instructions for Peer to Peer communications.
No brainer, it took me less than 5 minutes to get it to work.  What a time saver over doing it the old way.
2 thumbs up on that one!

 

[franji1]

Thanks!  The NETRX/NETWX IBoxes can work with local serial ports (e.g. Port 2 on a 250-1, 06, etc.), DCM modules, or original ECOM modules.  The ECRX/ECWX IBoxes can work with the ECOM100 module.

Their real power is the built-in interlocking between them if you have multiple Reads/Writes going out the same port/module.  If you wanted to read and write a bunch of data as fast as you can, all ya gotta do is...

STR ST1 (always ON)
NETRX (read some bits)
NETRX (read some words)
NETWX (write some bits)
NETWX (write some words)
...

and they automagically share the port!

[EMPadvocate]

I also like the new I Box instructions; however they do use a lot of program space on the DLO5s; Could I use 1 NETRX for instance on the first rung on a stage and then use success and error status to enable consecutive RX or WX instructions checking comm status; My issue is making sure the device (usually a drive) is online or in case of no power or comm issues I have an alarm active and that the next stage is jumped to. Again if program space was not an issue I would use consecutive NETRX/NETWX instructions on that device. Thanks

[franji1]

Yeah, we developed IBoxes for the 05, 06, 250-1, 260, and 450.  The 05 is the smallest program memory-wise of all those, so percentage-wise, you will burn more ladder memory.

Actually, what you are doing is a great implementation.  Use the Success and Error bits from the IBox within a Stage program, and move to the next "normal" stage on success, or to an "error" stage on error.

However, make sure you get DONE before jumping out of the stage that has a Network IBox, otherwise you can leave the IBox in a strange state if you jump out of its stage before the IBox detects completion.

[EMPadvocate]

Thanks for the tip, but does the success bit change state at the following RX instruction within the stage (same device)  or do I need to set a CR# with the success bit and then reset that CR on stage exit; should I then execute the RX transaction(s) on NOT SP116 AND CR#?

[franji1]

The Success (or Error) bit remains on until THAT SPECIFIC NETRX/ECRX IBox has POWER FLOW again.  Here's a state transition diagram that kind of shows the behavior of the NETRX/NETWX/ECRX/ECWX instruction: