LOL... got distracted and forgot the attachment.

Still this one has the addresses spread on a wider range than I could do with the non-plugin Modbus. Or, I hope, I am wrong.

Dan

I am not sure Dan, never looked at the plugin interface any more than I am doing now by looking at your screenshot, it just confuses me

As for inputs, the first start register allows 64 inputs (0-63) and also 64 on the second (64 to 127) Same for outputs. Not sure if that was what you were meaning?
On the first one I have 4 registers enabled so that allows me the full 64 , on the second I also have 4 but as it is not bitmapped then that is just 4, that is my analogue inputs on the lathe.


Hood

You can only access consecutive addresses in the PLC from what I see. In the above screenshot (taken from Scott's manual, by the way) you can see that different addresses in the slave are being accessed: 2000, 1000, 5000, etc.

Also can have several slaves at the same time (PLC, two servo drives and a VFD).

Please correct me if I am wrong with any of the above

Dan

FWIW I delved into the non-plugin vs plugin thing here www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,20234.0.html

I came away with the view that as written, the plugin version has the ability to address more than one RS232 slave without needing an RS485 interface (Port/Address on the setup screen you've just posted) whereas the non-plugin version is limited to just ONE RS232 and so you'd absolutely need RS485 to address more than one slave (ignoring the creative use of diodes for short distances).

I wanted to do this because my THC uses modbus and I wanted it to be able to sit along side any other modbus devices the user might already have (a pendant for example) without needing RS485.

All sounds great but there's just one problem... Mach doesn't have the ability to use that multiple RS232 functionality provided by the plugin..... or at least that's how I understood it

That said - I may be barking up the wrong tree - but the problem here seems to spring from the use of USER LEDs that are used by another process (i.e. the wizards in this case). Couldn't you just stick with the system you have but use the standard system homed LEDs instead of USER LEDs?

Ian

Hi Ian,

We are talking to 2 slaves with the plugin Modbus at the moment with no issues, Using a RS232 to RS485 interface.

I am using User LEDs only to command the start of homing to the drives. You are not allowed to change standard LED's state at will so User LEDs were the way to go.

Dan

Hi Dan

We are talking to 2 slaves with the plugin Modbus at the moment with no issues, Using a RS232 to RS485 interface.

Err yes - that's what I said.

I am using User LEDs only to command the start of homing to the drives. You are not allowed to change standard LED's state at will so User LEDs were the way to go.

Err - yes again - I understand that.

But consider this: What happens on a STANDARD Mach setup that DOESN'T have home switches when you hit the STANDARD Ref All Home Button?

Because you home in the driver doesn't that mean that as far as Mach is concerned it DOESN'T have home switches?

And therefore....?

Ian

Ah... yes, Mach thinks there are no home switches. But I can't use this as I am doing Button(22) or Button(24), for X and Z respectively, AFTER I get a confirmation signal from the drives. So the buttons above set the Machine DROs to zero and the standard Mach3 LEDs for homing are lit.

Dan

Ah I see what you are saying now Dan.
Hood

Hood,

Are you not doing it the same way? Thought we had been on the same page.

Dan

Ah... yes, Mach thinks there are no home switches. But I can't use this as I am doing Button(22) or Button(24), for X and Z respectively, AFTER I get a confirmation signal from the drives. So the buttons above set the Machine DROs to zero and the standard Mach3 LEDs for homing are lit.

Dan

I'll go a bit slower.... 

OK so you don't use the STANDARD ref all home button - it doesn't matter - just go with me on this for a second...

At the moment - you tell the drives to home an axis (pick an axis - any axis) and as you say, AFTER they're homed you then you do a doButton(22) or (24) which puts Mach in the "home" state. yes?

What does it matter whether you tell Mach AFTER or BEFORE? All you're doing is getting the physical hardware and Mach to be singing off the same hymn sheet. i.e. when your machine's homed Mach is "homed" - who cares which one did it first as long as they both are "homed"?

Sorry if I'm missing something but it all seems dead simple to me 

Ian