Ethernet communication to the S7-200, S7-300, or S7-400 PLC is typically accomplished by adding a Siemens CP, communications processor to the PLC rack. Another option is to utilize a serial to Ethernet converter, such as the IBH Link S7++. There are a couple of key steps to configuring this adapter to enable it to work with the Siemens PLC.
This section is not meant to be the authoritative source for configuring the IBH Link S7++ adapter, refer to the adapter manufacturer's documentation for full details on configuring and using this adapter.
Configuring the IBH Link S7++
The IBH Link S7++ contains a web application that can be accessed to modify its network and communications parameters.
- Open a web browser and enter the IP Address of the
IBH Link S7++ adapter.
In this example the adapter has the IP Address of 192.168.2.148
- Select the British flag in the right hand corner to
change the text to English.
- Login to the unit. Consult the IBH Link S7++
documentation for the default user ID and password if
configuring it for the first time. For security reasons
these values should be changed after the first time it
is used.
- Modify the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default
Gateway network settings to values that are appropriate
for your network.
- Select the value in the Baudrate
field to match the baud rate setting of the S7 PLC that
the IBH Link S7++ is attached.
The S7-200 PLC defaults to a baud rate of 9600, while the S7-300 and S7-400 default to 187.5.
- The value entered in the Own station
address field will contain the address that
will be used to identify the IBH Link S7++ on the PLC
bus. This value must be unique among the other devices
connected on the bus. It must be less than the
Highest station address defined on the
bus. The Siemens Step 7 software will provide the
address values for all devices connected to the bus, as
well as the Highest station address
value.
- Select the MPI and
PROFIBUS buttons to modify the values
in the Tslot_Init, Max.Tsdr, Min. Tsdr, Tset, Tqui, Gap
factor, Retry Limit, and Ttr fields.
- Select the Save Configuration
button at the bottom of the page. This will save the
changes and restart the IBH Link S7++ adapter.
- If the configuration steps were done using an
Ethernet cable connected directly to your PC, it is now
time to connect the Ethernet port of the IBH Link S7++
adapter to your network.
- Use the Workbench to create a device definition to
connect to the S7 PLC, via the IBH Link S7++ adapter's
IP address.