fanuc FOCAS ethernet driver User Manual
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
© 2021 PTCInc. All Rights Reserved.
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Table of Contents
2
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Table of Contents
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Overview
ExternalDependencies
Install aFocasLibrary
AdditionalSoftware Requirements
Setup
Channel Properties — General 9
Tag Counts 9
Channel Properties — Ethernet Communications 10
Channel Properties — Write Optimizations 10
Channel Properties — Advanced 11
Device Properties — General 12
Operating Mode 13
Tag Counts 13
Device Properties — Scan Mode 13
1
2
5
5
5
6
6
8
Device Properties — Timing 14
Device Properties — Auto-Demotion 15
Device Properties — Communications Parameters 16
Device Properties — Unsolicited Transfer Control 16
Device Properties — Unsolicited Data Areas 17
Device Properties — Redundancy 18
Unsolicited Messaging 19
Optimizing Communications
Data Types Description
AddressDescriptions
Series15i
Series16i
Series18i
Series21i
Power Mate i
Open
22
23
24
24
26
29
31
34
36
System Info Tags 39
Status Info Tags 39
www. ptc.com
3
Tool Offset 43
Workpiece Zero Offset 45
Parameter Read Values 46
Alarm Values 46
Diagnostic Values 47
Path Values 47
Read Axis Data Values 48
Program Values 50
Program Name 50
Read Dynamic2 Data Values 51
Read Alarm Messages 52
Read Timer Data Values 52
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Event LogMessages
AddressValidation
Address <address> is out of range for the specified device or register. 53
Array size is out of range for address <address>. 53
Array support is not available for the specified address:<address>. 53
Data Type <type> is not valid for device address <address>. 54
Device address <address> contains a syntax error. 54
Device address <address> is read only. 54
Missing address. 54
DeviceStatusMessages
Device <device name> is not responding. 55
Unable to write to <address> on device <device name>. 55
GeneralDriverMessages
Could not acquire library handle for device <channel.device>. FWLIBerror: <code>. 56
Could not read one or more vacant macros in range starting at <address> on device <device>. 56
Could not set request timeout for device <channel.device>. FWLIBerror: <code>. 57
Invalid XMLdocument. Reason: Error loading Unsolicited Data Areas for device <device-name>.
End address can not be less than start address for area <area-number>. 57
53
53
55
55
Invalid XMLdocument. Reason: Error loading Unsolicited Data Areas for device <device-name>.
Invalid area order or duplicate area number. 57
Invalid XMLdocument. Reason: Error loading Unsolicited Data Areas for device <device-name>.
Maximum size of area <area-number> is <size> bytes. 58
Read error occurred for address starting at <address> on device <channel.device>. FWLIBerror:
<code>. 58
Unable to start the Fanuc Focas Data Window Library services. 58
Write error occurred for address <address> on device <channel.device>.FWLIB error: <code>. 59
Fanuc FocasServer DeviceDriver Messages
www. ptc.com
59
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Attempt to launch unsolicited message server failed. 60
Could not access necessary system resources for Fanuc Focas server device: <channel.device>. 61
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not acquire library handle.
FWLIBerror: <code>. 61
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not determine host IP
address. 61
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set data area size. 62
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set data area start
address. 62
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set data area type. 63
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set host IP. 63
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set host port. 63
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set message alive time. 64
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set message retries. 64
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set message timeout. 65
4
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set messaging properties. FWLIBdata error <code>. 65
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set messaging properties. FWLIBerror: <code>. 66
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set number of data
areas. 66
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set request timeout.
FWLIBerror: <code>. 67
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set transmission control
PMCtype. 67
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not set transmission control
start address. 67
Failed to connect Fanuc Focas server device <channel.device>.Could not start messaging session.
FWLIBerror: <code>. 68
Installed version of Focas Data Window Library does not support unsolicited communication.
Device <device> deactivated. 68
Received CNC power down notification from unsolicited message server.Reconnecting Fanuc
Focas server devices. 69
Received CNC power up notification from unsolicited message server. 69
Received socket error notification from unsolicited message server. 69
Received unsolicited message server shutdown notification. 70
Unsolicited message server does not seem to be running. Attempting to launch. 70
Focas1 DataWindow Library Error Codes
API Calls
Index
www. ptc.com
71
73
74
5
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Help version 1.073
CONTENTS
Overview
What is the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver?
Setup
How do I configure a device for use with this driver?
Optimizing Communications
How do I get the best performance from the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver?
Data Types Description
What data types does this driver support?
Address Descriptions
How do I address a data location on a Fanuc Focas device?
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Error Descriptions
What error messages does the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver produce?
Overview
The Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver provides a reliable way to connect Fanuc Focas Ethernet controllers to OPC
Client applications,including HMI, SCADA,Historian, MES,ERP, and countless custom applications. This
driver is intended for use with Fanuc Focas Computer Numerical Control (CNC)system.
For moreinformation on the additional software that is required for usewith this driver, refer to Additional
Software Requirements.
External Dependencies
This driver has external dependencies. For this driver to communicate with the hardware, the Fanuc CNC
Focas 1 / Ethernet Library (part number A02B-0207-K732) or Fanuc Focas 2 Library (part number A02B0207-K737) must be installed on the system. For more information, refer to Additional Software Require-
ments.
Note:The Focas 2 Library combines both Ethernet and HSSB capabilities and can be obtained from the
FANUC distributor or by calling 1-888-326-8287. Choose CNC, PARTS, place the order, and request the part
number.
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Install a Focas Library
This driver requires a Focas library to communicate with the hardware, either FANUC CNCFocas 1 / Ethernet Library (part number A02B-0207-K732) or FANUCFocas 2 Library (part number A02B-0207-K737).
Only 32-bit DLLfiles are compatible with Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver. Follow these steps to install a library:
1. Obtain a library from the distributor (typically Fwlib*.zip).
2. Move or paste the Fwlib* .zip file to the appropriate Windows system folder:
On a 64-bit Windows OS, the destination folder is C:\Windows\SysWOW64
On a 32-bit Windows OS, the destination folder is C:\Windows\System32
3. Once the zip file is in the appropriate destination folder, unzip / extract the contents of the Fwlib*.zip.
4. Verify the 32-bit DLLfiles are located in the folder;in particular FWLIB32.DLLand FWLIBE1.DLL,which
are used by the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver.
5. Restart the computer.
See Also: External Dependencies
6
Additional Software Requirements
Winsock
The host computer must have Winsock version 1.1 or later installed.This is normally done by default when
Windows is installed.
Focas 1 / HSSB or Focas 2 Library
This driver requires that either the FANUC CNCFocas 1 / Ethernet Library (part number A02B-0207-K732) or
FANUC Focas 2 Library (part number A02B-0207-K737) is installed on the system. Although the library does
not need to be installed to create a server project, the project will not run without it.This software may be
obtained from the FANUCdistributor or by calling 1-888-326-8287.
Note:The Focas 2 Library combines both Ethernet and HSSB capabilities.
Unsolicited Message Server
This driver requires that the unsolicited message server application "UMsgServ.exe" (version 1.0.0.1 or
later) is installed to use unsolicited messaging. This application is available from the distributor. For more
information, refer to the instructions below.
1. To start the installation, copy the executable file to the System folder.
2. Access the command prompt to type "UMsgServ.exe –Install." This causes the message server to
automatically launch every time the computer is started.
3. Once the message server is running, its icon is visible in the System Tray.
4. Next, configure the TCPport number on which the message server listens (in addition to the message timeout and the maximum number of CNCs). To do so, right-click the icon and then select Set-
ting.The default settings are as follows:
www. ptc.com
7
l TCP Port Number:8196
l Message Timeout:30 seconds
l Maximum Number of CNCs: 32
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
5. To uninstall the message server, use the command prompt to type "UMsgServ.exe –Remove" and
then delete the executable file.
CNC Control Software
The table below displays the software that must be installed on the controller to use its unsolicited messaging capabilities.
Refer to FanucCNCdocumentation for other model compatibility.
Model Software
16i
18i
21i
B0F4/K1(M) or later
B0H1/P5(M) or later
DDF4/K1(M) or later
BDH1/P5(M) or later
BDF4/K1(M) or later
DDH1/P5(M) or later
Note:Set the CNCparameter 904, bit 4 to 1 for unsolicited messaging by using the controller’s pro-
gramming software.
Fast Ethernet Firmware
Firmware 6567/E2 or later (registered onto F-ROM of CNC) must be installed on the controller to use its unsolicited messaging capabilities.
Ladder
A ladder program must be created that constructs and controls the transmission of unsolicited messages to
use the controllers unsolicited messaging capabilities. For more information, refer to Unsolicited Mes-
saging.
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Setup
Supported Devices
The Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver can communicate to controllers that are compatible with the Focas 1 or
Focas 2 CNC / PMC data window control libraries. This includes, but is not limited to,the following:
Series 0i
Series 15
Series 15i
Series 16
Series 16i
Series 18
Series 18i
Series 21
Series 21i
Series 30i
Series 31i
Series 32i
Power Mate i
Open Addressing
8
Channel and Device Limits
The maximum number of channels supported by this driver is 256. The maximum number of devices supported by this driver is 20 per channel. Each device on the channel must be uniquely identified by its own IP
address.
Connect Timeout
Specify the amount of time that the driver waits for a connection to be made with a device. The connection
time depends on the network load and may vary with each connection attempt. The valid range is 1 to 60
seconds. The default setting is 3 seconds.
Request Timeout
Specify the amount of time that the driver waits on a response from the device before giving up and going
on to the next request. Longer timeouts only affect performance when a device is not responding.The valid
range is 100 to 9999 milliseconds.The default setting is 1000 milliseconds.
Retry Attempts
Specify the number of times that the driver retries a message before giving up and going on to the next message.The valid range is 1 to 10. The default setting is 3.
www. ptc.com
9
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Channel Properties — General
This server supports the use of multiple simultaneous communications drivers. Each protocol or driver used
in a server project is called a channel. A server project may consist of many channels with the same communications driver or with unique communications drivers. A channel acts as the basic building block of an
OPClink. This group is used to specify general channel properties, such as the identification attributes and
operating mode.
Identification
Name: Specify the user-defined identity of this channel. In each server project,each channel name must be
unique. Although names can be up to 256 characters, some client applications have a limited display window
when browsing the OPC server's tag space. The channel name is part of the OPCbrowser information. The
property is required for creating a channel.
For information on reserved characters,refer to "How To... Properly Name a Channel, Device, Tag,and Tag
Group" in the server help.
Description: Specify user-defined information about this channel.
Many of these properties, including Description, have an associated system tag.
Driver: Specify the protocol / driver for this channel.This property specifies the device driver that was selected during channel creation. It is a disabled setting in the channel properties. The property is required for creating a channel.
Note:With the server's online full-time operation, these properties can be changed at any time. This
includes changing the channel name to prevent clients from registering data with the server. If a client has
already acquired an item from the server before the channel name is changed, the items are unaffected. If,
after the channel name has been changed, the client application releases the item and attempts to reacquire using the old channel name,the item is not accepted. Changes to the properties should not be made
once a large client application has been developed.Utilize proper user role and privilege management to
prevent operators from changing properties or accessing server features.
Diagnostics
Diagnostics Capture: When enabled, this option makes the channel's diagnostic information available to
OPCapplications. Because the server's diagnostic features require a minimal amount of overhead processing, it is recommended that they be utilized when needed and disabled when not. The default is disabled.
Note: This property is not available if the driver does not support diagnostics.
For moreinformation, refer to "Communication Diagnostics" and "StatisticsTags" in theserver help.
Tag Counts
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Static Tags: Provides the total number of defined static tags at this level (device or channel). This information can be helpful in troubleshooting and load balancing.
Channel Properties — Ethernet Communications
Ethernet Communication can be used to communicate with devices.
Ethernet Settings
Network Adapter: Specify the network adapter to bind.When left blank or Default is selected,the oper-
ating system selects the default adapter.
Channel Properties — Write Optimizations
10
The server must ensure that the data written from the client application gets to the device on time. Given
this goal, the server provides optimization properties to meet specific needs or improve application responsiveness.
Write Optimizations
Optimization Method: Controls how write data is passed to the underlying communications driver. The
options are:
l Write All Values for All Tags: This option forces the server to attempt to write every value to the
controller. In this mode,the server continues to gather write requests and add them to the server's
internal write queue. The server processes the write queue and attempts to empty it by writing data
to the device as quickly as possible. This mode ensures that everything written from the client applications is sent to the target device. This mode should be selected if the write operation order or the
write item's content must uniquely be seen at the target device.
l Write Only Latest Value for Non-Boolean Tags:Many consecutive writes to the same value can
accumulate in the write queue due to the time required to actually send the data to the device. If the
server updates a write value that has already been placed in the write queue, far fewer writes are
needed to reach the same final output value. In this way, no extra writes accumulate in the server's
queue. When the user stops moving the slide switch, the value in the device is at the correct value at
virtually the same time. As the mode states, any value that is not a Boolean value is updated in the
server's internal write queue and sent to the device at the next possible opportunity. This can greatly
improve the application performance.
Note:This option does not attempt to optimize writes to Boolean values.It allows users to optimize
www. ptc.com
11
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
the operation of HMIdata without causing problems with Boolean operations, such as a momentary
push button.
l Write Only Latest Value for All Tags: This option takes the theory behind the second optimization
mode and applies it to all tags. It is especially useful if the application only needs to send the latest
value to the device. This mode optimizes all writes by updating the tags currently in the write queue
before they are sent. This is the default mode.
Duty Cycle: is used to control the ratio of write to read operations. The ratio is always based on one read for
every one to ten writes. The duty cycle is set to ten by default,meaning that ten writes occur for each read
operation. Although the application is performing a large number of continuous writes, it must be ensured
that read data is still given time to process. A setting of one results in one read operation for every write
operation. If there are no write operations to perform, reads are processed continuously. This allows optimization for applications with continuous writes versus a more balanced back and forth data flow.
Note:It is recommended that the application be characterized for compatibility with the write optimization
enhancements before being used in a production environment.
Channel Properties — Advanced
This group is used to specify advanced channel properties.Not all drivers support all properties; so the
Advanced group does not appear for those devices.
Non-Normalized Float Handling:A non-normalized value is defined as Infinity, Not-a-Number (NaN), or as
a Denormalized Number. The default is Replace with Zero. Drivers that have native float handling may
default to Unmodified. Non-normalized float handling allows users to specify how a driver handles non-normalized IEEE-754 floating point data.Descriptions of the options are as follows:
l Replace with Zero: This option allows a driver to replace non-normalized IEEE-754 floating point val-
ues with zero before being transferred to clients.
l Unmodified: This option allows a driver to transfer IEEE-754 denormalized, normalized, non-num-
ber, and infinity values to clients without any conversion or changes.
Note: This property is disabled if the driver does not support floating-point values or if it only supports the
option that is displayed. According to the channel's float normalization setting, only real-time driver tags
(such as values and arrays) are subject to float normalization. For example,EFM data is not affected by this
setting.
For moreinformation on the floating-point values, refer to "How To ... Work with Non-Normalized FloatingPoint Values" in theserver help.
Inter-Device Delay: Specify the amount of time the communications channel waits to send new requests to
the next device after data is received from the current device on the same channel.Zero (0) disables the
delay.
Note: This property is not available for all drivers, models, and dependent settings.
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Device Properties — General
A device represents a single target on a communications channel.If the driver supports multiple controllers,
users must enter a device ID for each controller.
Identification
Name: Specify the name of the device. It is a logical user-defined name that can be up to 256 characters
long and may be used on multiple channels.
Note:Although descriptive names are generally a good idea, some OPCclient applications may have a
limited display window when browsing the OPCserver's tag space. The device name and channel name
become part of the browse tree information as well. Within an OPCclient, the combination of channel name
and device name would appear as "ChannelName.DeviceName".
For moreinformation, refer to "How To... Properly Namea Channel, Device,Tag,and TagGroup" in server
help.
12
Description: Specify the user-defined information about this device.
Many of these properties,including Description, have an associated system tag.
Channel Assignment: Specify the user-defined name of the channel to which this device currently belongs.
Driver: Selected protocol driver for this device.
Model: Specify the type of device that is associated with this ID. The contents of the drop-down menu
depend on the type of communications driver being used. Models that are not supported by a driver are disabled. If the communications driver supports multiple device models, the model selection can only be
changed when there are no client applications connected to the device.
Note: If the communication driver supports multiple models,users should try to match the model selection to the physical device. If the device is not represented in the drop-down menu, select a model that conforms closest to the target device.Some drivers support a model selection called "Open," which allows users
to communicate without knowing the specific details of the target device.For more information, refer to the
driver help documentation.
ID: Specify the device's driver-specific station or node. The type of ID entered depends on the communications driver being used. For many communication drivers, the ID is a numeric value. Drivers that support a Numeric ID provide users with the option to enter a numeric value whose format can be changed to
suit the needs of the application or the characteristics of the selected communications driver. The format is
set by the driver by default. Options include Decimal, Octal, and Hexadecimal.
Note:If the driver is Ethernet-based or supports an unconventional station or node name,the device's
TCP/IPaddress may be used as the device ID. TCP/IPaddresses consist of four values that are separated by
periods, with each value in the range of 0 to 255. Some device IDs are string based. There may be additional
www. ptc.com
13
properties to configure within the ID field, depending on the driver. For moreinformation, refer to the driver's
help documentation.
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Operating Mode
Data Collection: This property controls the device's active state. Although device communications are
enabled by default, this property can be used to disable a physical device. Communications are not attempted when a device is disabled. From a client standpoint, the data is marked as invalid and write operations
are not accepted. This property can be changed at any time through this property or the device system tags.
Simulated: Place the device into or out of Simulation Mode. In this mode, the driver does not attempt to
communicate with the physical device, but the server continues to return valid OPCdata.Simulated stops
physical communications with the device, but allows OPCdata to be returned to the OPCclient as valid data.
While in Simulation Mode, the server treats all device data as reflective:whatever is written to the simulated
device is read back and each OPCitem is treated individually. The item's memory map is based on the group
Update Rate. The data is not saved if the server removes the item (such as when the server is reinitialized).
The default is No.
Notes:
1. This System tag (_Simulated) is read only and cannot be written to for runtime protection. The System
tag allows this property to be monitored from the client.
2. In Simulation mode, the item's memory map is based on client update rate(s) (Group Update Rate for
OPCclients or Scan Rate for native and DDEinterfaces). This means that two clients that reference
the same item with different update rates return different data.
Simulation Mode is for test and simulation purposes only. It should never be used in a production envir-
onment.
Tag Counts
Static Tags: Provides the total number of defined static tags at this level (device or channel). This inform-
ation can be helpful in troubleshooting and load balancing.
Device Properties — Scan Mode
The Scan Mode specifies the subscribed-client requested scan rate for tags that require device communications. Synchronous and asynchronous device reads and writes are processed as soon as possible;
unaffected by the Scan Mode properties.
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Scan Mode: Specify how tags in the device are scanned for updates sent to subscribing clients.Descriptions
of the options are:
l Respect Client-Specified Scan Rate: This mode uses the scan rate requested by the client.
l Request Data No Faster than Scan Rate: This mode specifies the value set as the maximum scan
rate.The valid range is 10 to 99999990 milliseconds.The default is 1000 milliseconds.
Note: When the server has an active client and items for the device and the scan rate value is
increased, the changes take effect immediately. When the scan rate value is decreased, the changes
do not take effect until all client applications have been disconnected.
l Request All Data at Scan Rate: This mode forces tags to be scanned at the specified rate for sub-
scribed clients. The valid range is 10 to 99999990 milliseconds. The default is 1000 milliseconds.
l Do Not Scan, Demand Poll Only: This mode does not periodically poll tags that belong to the
device nor perform a read to get an item's initial value once it becomes active. It is the OPCclient's
responsibility to poll for updates, either by writing to the _DemandPoll tag or by issuing explicit device
reads for individual items. For more information, refer to "Device Demand Poll" in server help.
l Respect Tag-Specified Scan Rate: This mode forces static tags to be scanned at the rate specified
in their static configuration tag properties. Dynamic tags are scanned at the client-specified scan
rate.
14
Initial Updates from Cache: When enabled,this option allows the server to provide the first updates for
newly activated tag references from stored (cached) data. Cache updates can only be provided when the
new item reference shares the same address, scan rate,data type,client access,and scaling properties. A
device read is used for the initial update for the first client reference only. The default is disabled; any time a
client activates a tag reference the server attempts to read the initial value from the device.
Device Properties — Timing
The device Timing properties allow the driver's response to error conditions to be tailored to fit the application's needs. In many cases, the environment requires changes to these properties for optimum performance. Factors such as electrically generated noise, modem delays, and poor physical connections can
influence how many errors or timeouts a communications driver encounters. Timing properties are specific
to each configured device.
Communications Timeouts
Connect Timeout: This property (which is used primarily by Ethernet based drivers) controls the amount of
time required to establish a socket connection to a remote device. The device's connection time often takes
longer than normal communications requests to that same device.The valid range is 1 to 30 seconds. The
default is typically 3 seconds, but can vary depending on the driver's specific nature. If this setting is not supported by the driver,it is disabled.
www. ptc.com
15
Note:Due to the nature of UDP connections, the connection timeout setting is not applicable when com-
municating via UDP.
Request Timeout: Specify an interval used by all drivers to determine how long the driver waits for a
response from the target device to complete. The valid range is 50 to 9,999,999 milliseconds (167.6667
minutes). The default is usually 1000 milliseconds,but can vary depending on the driver. The default timeout
for most serial drivers is based on a baud rate of 9600 baud or better. When using a driver at lower baud
rates,increase the timeout to compensate for the increased time required to acquire data.
Attempts Before Timeout: Specify how many times the driver issues a communications request before considering the request to have failed and the device to be in error. The valid range is 1 to 10.The default is typically 3, but can vary depending on the driver's specific nature. The number of attempts configured for an
application depends largely on the communications environment. This property applies to both connection
attempts and request attempts.
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Timing
Inter-Request Delay: Specify how long the driver waits before sending the next request to the target
device. It overrides the normal polling frequency of tags associated with the device, as well as one-time
reads and writes. This delay can be useful when dealing with devices with slow turnaround times and in
cases where network load is a concern.Configuring a delay for a device affects communications with all
other devices on the channel. It is recommended that users separate any device that requires an interrequest delay to a separate channel if possible.Other communications properties (such as communication
serialization) can extend this delay. The valid range is 0 to 300,000 milliseconds;however, some drivers may
limit the maximum value due to a function of their particular design. The default is 0, which indicates no
delay between requests with the target device.
Note:Not all drivers support Inter-Request Delay. This setting does not appear if it is not available.
Device Properties — Auto-Demotion
The Auto-Demotion properties can temporarily place a device off-scan in the event that a device is not
responding.Byplacing a non-responsive device offline for a specific time period, the driver can continue to
optimize its communications with other devices on the same channel.After the time period has been
reached, the driver re-attempts to communicate with the non-responsive device. If the device is responsive,
the device is placed on-scan; otherwise, it restarts its off-scan time period.
Demote on Failure: When enabled, the device is automatically taken off-scan until it is responding again.
Tip:Determine when a device is off-scan by monitoring its demoted state using the _AutoDemoted sys-
tem tag.
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Timeouts to Demote: Specify how many successive cycles of request timeouts and retries occur before the
device is placed off-scan. The valid range is 1 to 30 successive failures. The default is 3.
Demotion Period:Indicate how long the device should be placed off-scan when the timeouts value is
reached. During this period,no read requests are sent to the device and all data associated with the read
requests are set to bad quality. When this period expires,the driver places the device on-scan and allows for
another attempt at communications. The valid range is 100 to 3600000 milliseconds. The default is 10000
milliseconds.
Discard Requests when Demoted: Select whether or not write requests should be attempted during the
off-scan period.Disable to always send write requests regardless of the demotion period. Enable to discard
writes; the server automatically fails any write request received from a client and does not post a message
to the Event Log.
Device Properties — Communications Parameters
16
TCP/IP Port: Specify the TCP/IPport number that the remote device is configured to use. The default setting
is 8193.
Maximum Request Size: Specify the number of bytes that may be requested from a device at one time.To
refine the driver's performance, configure the request size to one of the following settings:8,16, 32, 64, 128,
256,or 512 bytes. The default setting is 256 bytes.
Device Properties — Unsolicited Transfer Control
Fanuc Focas Server Device: This option should be enabled if the device receives unsolicited data from the
CNC. All tags belonging to a Fanuc Focus Server device read data cached in the driver,not directly from the
CNC. The Fanuc Focus Server device's tags displays a value of zero until it receives its first unsolicited data
update.When disabled, all tags belonging to the device read and write directly to the CNC.The default setting is disabled.
www. ptc.com
17
Unsolicited Message Server Port: Specify the port that the unsolicited message server application has
been configured to use. The default setting is 8196.
Transfer Control Memory Type:Specify the registers' PMC memory type for unsolicited message transfer
control. Options include R(internal relay) and E(extended relay). The default setting is R.
Transfer Control Start Address:Specify the start address of the registers used for unsolicited message
transfer control. The valid range is 0 to 7999,although the actual range of valid addresses depends on the
hardware. The default setting is 0.
Message Retries: Specify the number of times that the CNCshould retry sending unsolicited messages. The
valid range is 0 to 10.The default setting is 3.
Message Timeout: Specify the unsolicited message timeout,which is the amount of time that the CNC waits
for the driver to respond to an unsolicited message. The valid range is 0 to 30.The default setting is 10
seconds.
Message Alive Time: Specify the unsolicited message alive time,which is the amount of time that the CNC
retains an unsolicited message for the driver to read. This setting must be less than the message timeout.
The valid range is 0 to 30.The default setting is 5 seconds.
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
See Also:Unsolicited Messaging
Device Properties — Unsolicited Data Areas
Users can configure up to three areas in PMCmemory for unsolicited messaging. These areas' data content
is sent to the driver in each unsolicited message. As such, these areas should be made as small as possible.
Data Area n
Note:All tags that are created for a Fanuc Focus server device are validated according to the configured
data areas.For example, if a Fanuc Focus Server device is configured with a single area with D1000 to
D1100, then a tag with address D1000 would be valid,but tags with addresses D1101 or C0001 would be
invalid. All tags belonging to a Fanuc Focus Server device are Read Only.
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
l Data Area n:When enabled,this data area is in use.
l PMC Address Type:Specify the area's PMCaddress type. The default setting is D. Supported types
include the following:
l G:Signal to PMC->CNC
l F:Signal to CNC->PMC
l Y:Signal to PMC->machine
l X: Signal to machine->PMC
l A:Message demand
l R:Internal relay
l T:Changeable timer
l K:Keep relay
l C:Counter
l D:Data table
l Start Address:Specify an area's start address.The valid range is 0 and 7999,although the actual
range of valid addresses depends on the hardware. The default setting is 0.
l End Address:Specify an area's end address. The valid range is 0 and 7999,although the actual
range of valid addresses depends on the hardware. The total number of bytes must not exceed 1430,
1414, or 1398 for areas 1, 2, or 3 respectively. The default value is 0.
18
See Also: Unsolicited Messaging
Device Properties — Redundancy
Redundancy is available with the Media-Level Redundancy Plug-In.
Consult thewebsite,a salesrepresentative,or the user manual for more information.
www. ptc.com
19
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Unsolicited Messaging
Before configuring a system for unsolicited messaging, it is important that users understand how the various hardware and software components work together to transfer data. These components include one or
more CNCcontrollers equipped with Fast Ethernet communications boards, firmware that supports unsolicited messaging, and a ladder program. To receive unsolicited data,a host computer must be equipped
with the OPCserver, its Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver, the Focas 1 Data Window Library software, and the
Unsolicited Message Server. Data can be read from the OPCserver with OPCor DDEclient applications running on the host or remote computer. For more information, refer to Additional Software Requirements.
During an unsolicited messaging session, the controller is only in direct communication with the Unsolicited
Message Server.The message server notifies the driver when the controller makes a request to send unsolicited data. The Focas 1 Data Window Library allows the driver to receive the unsolicited data via the message server,and also enables direct communications with the controllers for starting and ending unsolicited
messaging sessions.
Note:If unsolicited messaging is not used, the driver uses the library to issue read and write requests directly to the controller. It is possible to simultaneously use both types of communication with a controller by
creating a Fanuc Focus Server and a non-server device in the OPCserver project.
Unsolicited Data Transmission
Ladder programs coordinate the transfer of unsolicited data from their respective controllers and must be
tailored to each application. For more information on unsolicited data transmission, refer to theinstructions
below.
1. To start, the ladder program places the message contents in a designated area of the PMCmemory.
Once the message is prepared, the ladder controls the data transmission by setting and monitoring
bits in the Unsolicited Transfer Control area of PMC memory.
2. To trigger the unsolicited message transmission,the ladder sets the "REQ" (request to send) transfer
control bit. The controller sends an "Unsolicited data ready" notification to the message server immediately after.
3. The message server relays the notification to the driver, which then responds by issuing a "Read
unsolicited message" command to the message server.
4. The driver receives the unsolicited message data in response to this command,and then replies to
the data ready notification with a response code indicating success or failure. The message server
then passes this response code to the controller.
5. When the controller receives the response code,it copies it to the "RES_CODE" memory area. The
controller sets the "RES" (response ready) bit to indicate that the transaction completed immediately
after.
Note:The ladder program must be designed to detect when the RESbit has been set.Once it
detects that the RESbit has been set, it can read the response code and react as needed. If the data
fails to reach the driver,the controller will place its own response code that describes the problem in
RES_CODEand set the RESbit.
6. Once the ladder has read the response code, it must clear the REQbit to ready the system for the
next message.
PMCMemory
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
The PMC memory area included in unsolicited messages is defined with the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver.
The driver transfers these area properties to the controller at the start of an unsolicited messaging session.
Data from the range of all areas is included each time an unsolicited message is sent. As such, these areas
should be made as small as possible.The ladder program must be written to use the exact address ranges
specified in the driver configuration.
Unsolicited data transmission is coordinated between the ladder program and communications board via 2
bytes of PMC Ror Ememory. This transfer control area is defined with the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver . The
transfer control area properties are then sent to the controller along with the data area properties when an
unsolicited messaging session starts. The ladder program must be written to use the specific addresses specified in the driver configuration. The various bits in the transfer control area,with starting address xxxx,
have the following locations and meanings:
20
REQ
Rxxxx.7 (or Exxxx.7)
After the ladder program constructs a message, it must set this bit to 1. This signals the communications
board to issue a notification that a new message is ready to be read.
COM
Rxxxx+1.6 (or Exxxx+1.6)
The communications board sets this bit to 1 when message transmission begins. The communications board
sets this bit back to 0 immediately before it sets RESto 1, and places the response code in RES_CODE.
RES
Rxxxx+1.7 (or Exxxx+1.7)
The communications board sets this bit to 1 immediately after message transmission completes. When the
ladder program detects that this bit is set to 1, it can read the response code from RES_CODE.The ladder
then acts depending on the value of RES_CODE.Once this is done, the ladder must set REQback to 0. This
causes the communications board to clear RES_CODE and set the bit back to 0. Then the communications
board is ready to perform the next unsolicited transaction.
RES_CODE
Rxxxx+1.0 to Rxxxx+1.5 (or Exxxx+1.0 to Exxxx+1.5)
The result of the unsolicited transaction is placed here. It can be a code passed down from the driver,or a
code set by the communications board if there was a communications failure.The possible values are displayed in the table below.
RES_CODE Meaning
0x00
0x01
0x02 The unsolicited message server is not running.
Success. The communications board did not detect any failures in communication, and
the driver reported that it processed the received data successfully.
The transmission control properties are invalid or the unsolicited messaging session
was not started.
www. ptc.com
21
RES_CODE Meaning
0x03 The CNCfailed to transmit message.
0x04 The CNCfailed to receive response.
0x05 The transmission retry count was exceeded.
0x06 The CNCfailed to construct the message data.
0x07 The CNCreceived an invalid packet.
0x08 The CNCaccepted termination of unsolicited messaging session.
0x10 The driver experienced a Focas 1 Library error while reading message.
0x11
0x21
0x22
0x23 The CNCfailed in writing the received message to the PC.
0x24 The timeout period and retry count have expired.
0x25 Illegal data was included in the received message.
The driver found the message data to be invalid or experienced other problems while
processing message data.
The PCapplication to receive the message does not exist, though the message was
received by the PC.Either the OPCserver or this driver is not running.
The PCapplication to receive the message was not recognized by the unsolicited message server,though the message was received by the PC.The unsolicited message
server may need be restarted, or there may have been a problem when the driver was
starting the unsolicited messaging session.
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
The Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver stores unsolicited data in a memory cache. The OPCserver makes this
data visible to client applications via tags, whose addresses must be the same as the controller's data
source. For example, if an unsolicited data area is configured to include the byte at D1000, then a tag with an
address of D1000 must be used to view the data. These tags show the last values sent to the driver, which
may not necessarily be the current values in the controller.Topoll current values directly from the controller, users would need additional tags belonging to a non-server device. Fanuc Focus Server device tags
display a value of zero until the driver receives its first unsolicited data update from the controller.
Notes:
1. In addition to data ready notifications, the Unsolicited Message Server also apprises the driver of
other important events. These include CNCpower up,CNCpower down, Unsolicited Message Server
shutdown, and communications error notifications.The driver responds to each of these events in
such a way that communication with the hardware is maintained,if possible.
2. The device's _System._Error Tag is set if the driver fails to start an unsolicited messaging session,or
restarts the session after detecting a communications problem. Tags that belong to a Fanuc Focus
Server device in an error state will continue to display the last value received from the device or the
initial value of zero.
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Optimizing Communications
The Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver has been designed to provide the best performance with the least amount
of impact on the system's overall performance.While the driver is fast, there are a couple of guidelines that
can be used to control and optimize the application and gain maximum performance.
This server refers to communications protocols like Fanuc Focas Ethernet as a channel.Each channel
defined in the application represents a separate path of execution in the server. Once a channel has been
defined, a series of devices must then be defined under that channel.Each of these devices represents a
single Fanuc Focas controller from which data is collected. While this approach to defining the application
provides a high level of performance, it won't take full advantage of the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver or the
network. An example of how the application may appear when configured using a single channel is shown
below.
Each device appears under a single channel. In this configuration, the driver must
move from one device to the next as quickly as possible to gather information at an
effective rate. As more devices are added or more information is requested from a
single device, the overall update rate begins to suffer.
22
If the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver could only define one single channel, then the example shown above
would be the only option available; however, the driver can define up to 256 channels. Using multiple channels distributes the data collection workload by simultaneously issuing multiple requests to the network. An
example of how the same application may appear when configured using multiple channels to improve performance is shown below.
Each device can be defined under its own channel. In this configuration, a single
path of execution is dedicated to the task of gathering data from each device. If the
application has fewer devices, it can be optimized exactly how it is shown here.
There is performance improvement even if the application has more devices.
While fewer devices may be ideal,the application still benefits from additional channels.Although spreading the device load across all channels causes the server to
move from device to device again, it can now do so with far less devices to process
on a single channel.
Request Size can also affect the Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver performance.The request size refers to the
number of bytes that may be requested from a device at one time and is available on every defined device.
To refine the driver's performance, configure the request size to one of the following settings:8,16, 32, 64,
128,256, or 512 bytes. Depending on the model of the device being used, the setting chosen for request size
can dramatically affect the application. The default value of 256 bytes is recommended. If the application
consists of large requests for consecutively ordered data, try increasing the request size setting for the
device. For more information, refer to Setup.
www. ptc.com
23
Data Types Description
Data Type Description
Boolean Single bit
Unsigned 8-bit value
Byte
bit 0 is the low bit
bit 7 is the high bit
Unsigned 16-bit value
Fanuc FocasEthernet Driver
Word
Short
DWord
Long
Float 32-bit floating point value
String Null terminated ASCII string
bit 0 is the low bit
bit 15 is the high bit
Signed 16-bit value
bit 0 is the low bit
bit 14 is the high bit
bit 15 is the sign bit
Unsigned 32-bit value
bit 0 is the low bit
bit 31 is the high bit
Signed 32-bit value
bit 0 is the low bit
bit 30 is the high bit
bit 31 is the sign bit
www. ptc.com
Fanuc Focas Ethernet Driver
Address Descriptions
Address specifications may vary depending on the model in use. Select a link from the following list to obtain
specific address information for the model of interest.
Note: If the model of interest is listed as supported but is not selectable, use the Open model.
Series 15i
Series 16i
Series 18i
Series 21i
Power Mate i
Open
Series 15i
The following addresses are supported for this model. Not all address ranges may be valid for the particular
device being used. For more information,refer to the specific device's documentation. To jump to a specific
section, select a link from the list below.
24
CNC Data
Arrays
Strings
PMCData
The default data types for dynamically defined DDE tags are shown in bold.
Address Type Range Data Type Access
A (Message demand)
C(Counter)
D (Data table)
F(Signal to CNC->PMC)
G (Signal to PMC->CNC)
A00000-A00124
A00000-A00123
A00000-A00121
Axxxxx.0-Axxxxx.7
C00000-C00199
C00000-C00198
C00000-C00196
Cxxxxx.0-Cxxxxx.7
D00000-D09999
D00000-D09998
D00000-D09996
Dxxxxx.0-Dxxxxx.7
F00000-F00511
F00000-F00510
F00000-F00508
Fxxxxx.0-Fxxxxx.7
G00000-G00511
G00000-G00510
G00000-G00508
Gxxxxx.0-Gxxxxx.7
Byte,Char
Word, Short
DWord, Long, Float
Boolean
Byte,Char
Word, Short
DWord, Long, Float
Boolean
Byte,Char
Word, Short
DWord, Long, Float
Boolean
Byte,Char
Word, Short
DWord, Long, Float
Boolean
Byte,Char
Word, Short
DWord, Long, Float
Boolean
Read/Write
Read/Write
Read/Write
Read Only
Read/Write
www. ptc.com
Loading...