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Allen Bradley Flux Asset

The Allen Bradley Connector is a flux asset provided by Coreflux that enables seamless communication between Allen Bradley PLCs and your data hub. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of the Allen Bradley Connector, including its features, benefits, installation, configuration, and usage.

Introduction

What is Allen Bradley?

Allen Bradley is a brand name of factory automation equipment manufactured by Rockwell Automation. The line includes a range of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that are widely used in the industry.

Features and Benefits

  • Seamless Communication: Enables seamless communication between Allen Bradley PLCs and your data hub.
  • Real-time Monitoring: Allows real-time monitoring of Allen Bradley PLCs.
  • Easy Integration: Easily integrate Allen Bradley PLCs with your IIoT projects.

Prerequisites

Before you install and configure the Allen Bradley Connector, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

  • Basic understanding of the MQTT protocol.
  • Coreflux account.
  • Coreflux v1.2.
  • Coreflux MQTT Broker asset.
  • MQTT Client (such as MQTT Explorer).
  • A Allen Bradley PLC with ethernet port.

Installation

Method 1: GUI

// Instructions for GUI installation

Method 2: Command-line

// Instructions for command-line installation

Configuration

As all assets to configure the Allen Bradley Connector, you need to run only one command:

-assetConfigSave <guid> <configuration>

The <guid> is a unique asset id that is generated during the installation. To get the asset guid, consult the $SYS/Coreflux/Assets topic.

The <configuration> parameter is where you are able to set the asset settings. Here is an example configuration:

{
  "MQTTParameters": {
    "Port": 1883,
    "Address": "127.0.0.1",
    "IsAnonymous": true,
    "Username": "",
    "Password": "",
    "EnableTLS": true,
    "EnableDebugTopic": true,
    "DebugTopic": "test/debugtopic"
  },
  "AllenBradleyParameters": {
    "IP": "192.168.90.1",
    "DeviceFamily": 0
  },
  "Tags": [
    {
      "Name": "MainCounter",
      "WriteDirection": 1,
      "MQTTTopic": "example/counter",
      "MQTTQoS": 0,
      "Path": "1,0",
      "MQTTRetain": false,
      "Variable": "IO_EM_DI_13",
      "VariableType": 2,
      "TimeoutMs": 500
    },
    {
      "Name": "MachineState",
      "WriteDirection": 1,
      "MQTTTopic": "example/state",
      "MQTTQoS": 0,
      "Path": "1,0",
      "MQTTRetain": false,
      "Variable": "IO_EM_DI_13",
      "VariableType": 0,
      "TimeoutMs": 500
    },
    {
      "Name": "Temperature",
      "WriteDirection": 1,
      "MQTTTopic": "example/temperature",
      "MQTTQoS": 0,
      "Path": "1,0",
      "MQTTRetain": false,
      "Variable": "Temp_Sensor",
      "VariableType": 3,
      "TimeoutMs": 500
    },
    {
      "Name": "Pressure",
      "WriteDirection": 1,
      "MQTTTopic": "example/pressure",
      "MQTTQoS": 0,
      "Path": "1,0",
      "MQTTRetain": false,
      "Variable": "Pressure_Sensor",
      "VariableType": 3,
      "TimeoutMs": 500
    }
  ]
}

Usage

Using the MQTT client, it is now possible to visualize the data from the Allen Bradley PLCs.

Next Steps

Now that the asset is configured, and data is flowing, you can store the data in the cloud using the Firebase asset, or create a trigger when a certain value is reached using the Flux Documentation.

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FAQ

What is the purpose of the DeviceFamily parameter in the AllenBradleyParameters?

The DeviceFamily parameter is used to set the device family of the Allen Bradley PLC. The options are: 0 - ControlLogix, 1 - PLC5, 2 - SLC500, 3 - ControlLogix (PLC5), 4 - Micro800, 5 - MicroLogix, 6 - Omron.

What is the purpose of the VariableType parameter in the Tags?

The VariableType parameter is used to set the variable type defined in the Variable parameter. The options are: 0 - BOOL, 1 - SINT, 2 - INT, 3 - DINT, 4 - LINT, 5 - USINT, 6 - UINT, 7 - UDINT, 8 - ULINT, 9 - REAL, 9 - LREAL, 9 - STRING, 9 - DATE, 9 - TIME.

What is the purpose of the WriteDirection parameter in the Tags?

The WriteDirection parameter is used to choose the origin and destination of data. The options are: 0 - ToAll, 1 - ToMQTT, 2 - ToDevice.

Can I use the Allen Bradley Connector to write data to the PLC?

Yes, you can use the Allen Bradley Connector to write data to the PLC by setting the WriteDirection parameter to ToDevice or ToAll in the Tags configuration.