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I am trying to connect my NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX device to Allen Bradley PLC. The Jetson device is basically a Linux ARM PC, with a regular Ethernet port.

While creating a "Module" with the Allen Bradley LogixDesigner, it is asking me for different connection parameters:

                 | Assembly Instance  | Size
Input            | ???                | ???
Output           | ???                | ???
Configuration    | ???                | ???

Since my Jetson PC connects to the PLC using Ethernet/IP cables, I am confused what parameters these could be. I went through Rockwell automation literature, but unable to find out clear answers about this. I am adding this as a Generic Ethernet/IP module in LogixDesigner, but still being asked for this information.

I have also asked my PC manufacturer (AdlinkTech), and they don't seem to have any answers as well. Any help in this regard would be highly appreciated!!

Harsh Murari
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Ethernet/IP is a specific protocol that some industrial devices, such as Allen-Bradley PLCs, use to communicate over Ethernet. Messaging in Ethernet/IP can be split into two types: Implicit Messaging and Explicit Messaging.

Implicit Messaging is when you set up a predefined structure of data that communicates at regular intervals between the two devices. This is most commonly used when you are dealing with an I/O device that needs to continually send or receive data from the PLC. On your Allen-Bradley PLC, when you create a Generic Ethernet/IP device in LogixDesigner, you are attempting to set up implicit messaging, and the 6 numbers that it asks for define the data structure that gets passed in that message.

Explicit Messaging, on the other hand, is a message that gets communicated on-demand in the program. On an Allen-Bradley PLC, this is done via the MSG instruction. There are different types of messages that can be set up this way, which you will see when you configure your MSG instruction.

In order to get your device to talk to the Allen-Bradley PLC, your device needs to act as an Ethernet/IP server. You'll probably either need to install Ethernet/IP server software on your PC to do this or write your own. More details on the Ethernet/IP protocol can be found on the Ethernet/IP Developers Guide from ODVA, the standards organization in charge of Ethernet/IP.

Ben Miller - Remember Monica
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