GE 90-30 PLC - Manual (Page 10)

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1-2 TCP/IP Ethernet Communications User’s Manual – August 1997 GFK-1084B
Capabilities of the Ethernet Interface
The Ethernet Interface brings to your PLC a great deal of capability. It will allow you to:
H Become operational quickly. The Ethernet Interface is made operational with very
little effort. You need only install the Interface in the baseplate and, use the
Logicmaster configuration package or CIMPLICITY Control to store basic
configuration information to the module to make the basic server capability
functional. Client capability, that is, the capability to initiate communications, can be
added using the COMMREQ function in the ladder program.
H Directly attach your PLC to an Ethernet network. The Ethernet Interface allows you
to directly attach the Series 90-30 PLC to an Ethernet LAN via a user-supplied
transceiver and AAUI cable, and to communicate with host computers and other
Series 90 PLCs on the local network. All Series 90-30 models and all rack styles are
supported.
H Transfer data between PLCs. The Ethernet Interface provides client capability, the
capability to initiate communications to other Series 90 Ethernet Interfaces, using
COMMREQ functions in the ladder program.
H Access data using a Host computer. Computer applications which use the GE Fanuc
Host Communications Toolkit can access data within the Series 90-30 PLC through
the server capability of the Ethernet Interface. Supported computer operating
systems include Windows
r, Windows NTr, HP-UX 9000, DEC VAX/VMSt, and DEC
Alpha AXP/VMS t.
H Communicate simultaneously to multiple devices. The multiplexing capabilities of
the Ethernet Interface, along with Ethernet network’s high capacity, allow the PLC
to communicate with several other devices at the same time.
H Maintain compatibility with other GE Fanuc devices, as well as with devices from
other vendors.
The GE Fanuc Series 90-30 PLC with TCP/IP Ethernet Interface is
compatible with the Series 90-70 PLC with TCP/IP Ethernet Interface.
It is also compatible with GE Fanuc Logicmaster 90-30 TCP/IP Ethernet,
CIMPLICITY Control and GE Fanuc HCT Ethernet products available on DEC, HP,
IBM, and other computer platforms running TCP/IP.
H Diagnose and maintain your system, using diagnostic and station management tools.
You can find problems before they become serious. In the event that
communications software upgrades are needed, you can use a built-in serial port to
download the software to the Interface.
H Indirectly attach to other Local Area Networks and/or wide area networks via third
party IP routers.
When configured to use an IP gateway (router), the Ethernet
Interface can communicate with remote PLCs and other nodes reachable through
the router.
H Communicate with remote computers via Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) using
modems and/or serial lines.
Using third party SLIP software, a remote host
computer can be attanched to a TCP/IP network.
t
DEC, VAX, Alpha AXP, and VMS are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.
r
Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.