Automation Direct D-More Tags

Our PLC guy decided to try out an Automation Direct Do-More. We have device successfully connected using Modbus TCP driver. Does anyone have an example on how to map out the tags so we can work with them in designer? Everything else we have is Allen Bradley, so we have yet to do one of these.

I am probably way too late to help you, but I am doing my first project with Automation DIrect PLC communication. I downloaded a csv file “template” found at the very bottom of this page:

https://inductiveautomation.com/downloads/extra-material

I followed the guidance in the Ignition Help for Modbus Mapping to add that mapping template to my Device configuration. There was an error when I tried to save it. My version of Ignition didn’t like the “C” prefix in the template for coils, so I changed it to “CR” and it took it.

Next, I have User Data Types with parameters that I needed to use with the addressing scheme made possible with the device mapping. So I made a new tag and browsed the OPC server to pick an address so that I could view how it ended up looking:
ns=1;s=[MAIN]1.Vbcd1400
(my device is named “MAIN”).

So I took that format and pasted part of it into my UDT tag using my parameter {Base} where Base is an integer representing the “Base” address of each UDT structure in use.

To expand further on this example, I have 7 wells each with 8 integers holding bits and integers from each well. The flow rate is the 4th item. My UDT is set up with FlowRate as a tag within it addressed to ns=1;s=[MAIN]1.Vbcd{Base+4}

A tag of Type “Well” named Well_1 has its parameter “Base” set to 6100, so when i drill into it and find FlowRate, its OPC item path is ns=1;s=[MAIN]1.Vbcd6104

I can’t test all of this until I can install the application on site and connect to their PLC, but if something is not right, by using the addressing template and UDT structures, I should only have to make adjustments in a very few places to correct the addressing of the whole application.

Okie,
Those templates are for the DL240 and DL250 processors. He was talking about a Do-More processor.

For the Do-More processors (and the BRX line), the native registers will need to be specifically mapped to Modbus registers inside the ladder program. This was a specific design decision by Host to limit access to the memory registers in this way.

Just thought I’d point that out for others finding this post.

Brian

We are actually doing a DL250 now as well. Your post was very helpful, Thanks!

Hey there Brian, not sure if you or anyone will reply but eitherway. I'm trying to do something similar here and have 3 numbers I copied over to the Modbus Holding Registers inside of the Do-More rung program. Is there anything else that I have to do in order to have these 3 numbers visible in Ignition?

Hi Marcos, welcome!
Sorry, I don't check the forums as much as I used to..

On a high level, assuming you are connected over ethernet to the BRX, you will need to have the appropriate IP addressing between the BRX and Ignition server (verify with ping), activate the Modbus server in the BRX software (link to manual below), create a device in Ignition to connect to the BRX (pretty simple, there's probably instructions somewhere on the forum), and then create a tag that is pointing at that Ignition device, with one of the addresses you want to see. I don't remember if you need to mess with the Ignition device settings. I seem to remember changing the word order from the default for floats and long ints, but it's been a bit and I don't have a setup handy that I can check.

I'm guessing you figured all this out already, but I figured I'd reply anyway. Better late than never, I guess :slight_smile:

Good luck with Ignition!