Application Note

PowerFlex 4 Class Multi-Drive control on EtherNet/IP

Overall Description
This application note details how you can implement PowerFlex 4 class multi-drive control with Premier Drive Integration and the
new Add On Profile AOP2.01. Premier Drives Integration was introduced with RSLogix5000 V16 software, but PowerFlex 4 class
multi-drive control remained as a generic module. Installing AOP2.1 with RSLogix5000 V16, or RSLogix5000 V17 provides Premier
Drives Integration for PowerFlex 4 class multi-drive control.

General Setup
This hands-on lab details the use of EtherNet multi-drive control of PowerFlex40 Class drives. However a similar mechanism exists
for multi-drive control on ControlNet. The equipment used in this application note is detailed below, but a ControlLogix processor
could be used, or a combination of PowerFlex 4, 4M, 40, 40P or 400 drives.

Tools used in this application note

RSLogix5000 v17.00 with Drives AOP2.01, or RSLogix5000 v17.01

1203-USB with DriveExplorer software > v5.01 (Optional – alternative methods of setting up an IP address in the drive
are available without the 1203-USB. Consult KnowledgeBase Doc #39161 )

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 Setup the IP address on the EtherNet/IP adapter on the PoweFlex40 drive
A PowerFlex 40, 40P or 400 type drive is required to act as the host drive, that will be used to connect the 22-COMM-E EtherNet/IP
adapter. i.e. the PowerFlex 4, 4M don’t have the ribbon cable to connect the 22-COMM-E.

Connect the 1203-USB to the PowerFlex40 drive

that will act as the host drive. Launch the
DriveExplorer software, and connect using your
serial connection .

Select Device Parameters of the 22-COMM-E,

and change the parameters to that shown in the
screenshot. i.e.
BOOTP = Disabled
IP Addr Cfg1 = 192
IP Addr Cfg1 = 168
IP Addr Cfg1 = 100
IP Addr Cfg1 = 8
Subnet Cfg 1 = 255
Subnet Cfg 1 = 255
Subnet Cfg 1 = 255
Subnet Cfg 1 = 0
DSI I/O Cfg = Drv 0-4
All other 22-COMM-E parameters are left at default. Note that Drv0 Addr to Drv4 Addr defaults to 100 to 104.
To get these parameters accepted by the adapter, we need to reset the adapter. This can be done by changing para 17 to Reset
Module and click Apply. (alternatively cycle the power to the drive.)

Setting up the drive parameters, so each drive can be controlled via the network.
In order that the drives can be controlled on a network, all the drives in the multi-drive controll, need to be
setup for network control:

Description PowerFlex 4, 40, 40P, 400 PowerFlex 4M

Control scheme for logic
Source of speed Ref
Modbus rtu comms speed
Host Modbus RTU address
Slave Modbus RTU address
Modbus rtu comms format
Para Number Value Para Number Value
P36 [Start Source] 5 = Comm Port P106 [Start Source] 5 = Comm Port
P38 [Speed Ref] 5= Comm Port P108 [Speed Ref] 5= Comm Port
A103 [Comms data rate] 4 = 19.2kb C302 [Comms data rate] 4 = 19.2kb
A104 [Comm Node Addr] Rtu add = 100 Not possible as a Host
A104 [Comm Node Addr] RTU Add = 101,2,3,4 C303 [Comm Node Addr] RTU Add = 101,2,3,4
A107 [Comm Format] 0 = RTU 8-N-1 C306 [Comm Format] 0 = RTU 8-N-1

All the above parameters can be put into each of the drives using the keypad or the DriveExplorer software
tool.
It is important to identify which PowerFlex drive is the host, and which drives are the slaves, so that the
correct Modbus RTU addresses can be put into the correct drives. Note that each drive needs a unique
Modbus RTU address. When all drives have their paras set, then turn off the power to all the drives.

IMPORTANT: The drive node addresses and Modbus RTU settings are only updated in the drive when the
drive is reset using a power cycle.

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Now you can connect the twisted pair serial cable to each drive using the AK-U0-RJ45-TB2P plugs. Make
sure that there is a terminating resistor (120Ω) at each end. i.e. the host drive, and the last slave.

Switch the 22-COMM-E adapter into Multi-drive mode using

SW1 on the DIP switch of the adapter.

Now everything is connected and setup correctly, power all the

drives up together. This ensures that the Modbus RTU starts
correctly at the correct baud rate.
All drives should power up correctly with no faults, and the 22-
COMM-E adapter should indicate :
Port – solid green
MOD – flashing green
NET A – flashing green

Configuring RSLogix5000 to control the drives

Launch RSLogix5000 and open your project file that you intend to control the drive.
Select the EtherNet within the I/O Configuration and right click to select a New Module.

Now expand the Drives group and select PowerFlex 4 Class Multi Drive via 22-COMM-E

Type in a name for the multi-drive and the IP address as below:

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Now click the Change button and click the Match Drive button

An RSLinx Connect to Drive screen will appear, so you then need to select the multi drive hardware. Multi drive is shown as a DSI
device at address 192.168.100.8.

Select 192.168.100.8 and click the ok button

This will create any databases needed for your drive combination, and
then upload all the parameters for the drives.

When complete you should get the following:

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Click OK and then your Module Definition will be created and should look like this:

Each drive type has been identified and added into the definition. As
each drive was setup to be controlled by the network, the Network Start
and Reference control has been checked. It is possible to rename each
drive by clicking on the browse button next to each drive. Click OK to
accept the definition and then OK to accept the new module. The I/O
configuration now shows:

Now your project can be downloaded to the processor. Go online and put your processor into RUN mode.
Once connceted to your processor, double click the drive in the I/O tree, and select the Drive tab on the properties screen. Now click
the Connect to Drive button

This will correlate and verify the connection to the drive, and then bring up the following:

As the parameters have already been setup in the drive, we should select
the Upload button.
When all the parameters of all the drives have been uploaded, we get the
following screen.

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Expanding any of the drives in the tree and double clicking
on Parameter List, will open the parameter list and allow the
values of parameters to be seen or changed if shown in
white.

You can Close each Parameter List after you have viewed
them.

As all the parameters for each drive is visible within RSLogix5000, saving the RSLogix5000 project also saves all the drive
parameters. So if a drive failed and needed to be replaced the RSLogix5000 acd file can be used to download the drive parameters.
i.e. One file contains all setup parameters for all the drives.

Clear all the drive faults by pressing the red stop button on each drive.
Double click on the Controller Tags on the I/O Configuration tree of the controller, and expand Pump_GroupA:O by clicking the + .

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 PowerFlex40 Drv0

PowerFlex4 Drv1

As you scroll down through the tags, each of the drives’ tags are visible.. Double click inside the value box of the FreqCommand, and
enter a value from 0 to 600. (say 250 in the above example). Now enter a value of 1 in the Start command. The drive should now
start and goto the reference specified (25.0Hz). To stop the drive, remove the 1 in the Start command, and put a 1 in the Stop
command. Try the same for each drive.
Although we are directly acting on the tags to control the drives, normally you would write an user program that would control the
above tags.

Visibility of drives in your Web Browser and DriveExplorer

In order that your web browser can access the web pages, you need to operate DIP SW2 on the 22-COMM-E adapter to position 2
(see earlier picture), and then cycle power on the PF40 drive to make it active.
Open your web browser (turn off any proxies), and type in the IP address of the drive 192.168.100.8

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The web browser can see all the drives that form part of the multi drive, so you can see what each drive is doing. Also you can
Browse DSI Devices and look at the Fault Queue for each drive.

To access drive parameters we need to use DriveExplorer.

This can be launched from the web browser button. When
the File Download screen appears, click on the Open button :

Each of the drive parameters can be viewed and changed from DriveExplorer:

Notes
Please note the following:

PowerFlex 4, 4M can be used as the host drive, if housed in the 22-XCOMM-DC-BASE option.

The full version of DriveExplorer is required to access drive parameters across EtherNet/IP. Only DE Lite is supplied with
the 1203-USB

Although we are controlling drives across EtherNet/IP, all the slave drives are connected via a twisted pair cable on
Modbus RTU. This cable is more susceptible to noise pickup, so when using this multi-drive connection, good
installation practices are required. i.e.
Keep the twisted pair cable short and well away from motor cables.

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