Configuring Protocols Window in a Virtual Station

On the home view, go to the Virtual Station tab and select a Virtual Station on the left pane. Go to the Protocols window to find a list of available communication protocols depending on the current license in use. The Open Protocol is available for all licenses.

To gain access to ILM Protocol functionality, refer to the ILM Adapter User Guide.

To gain access to functionality through Open Protocol, a unique port for each Virtual Station needs to be defined.

  1. Set the Open Protocol switch to On.

  2. Enter the Server port number.

  3. Enter the Communication timeout value in seconds, between 15 and 60.

  4. Enter the PLC Index value between 1 to 20.

    PLC Index is only relevant when running the SoftPLC.
    PLC Index is used to map where in the shared memory the Open Protocol commands are to be written. The default value is 1 but it is possible to enter values 1 to 20.

  5. Choose the action to be applied when the connection to the client is lost.

    The Disconnect setting controls the action applied when a connection error occurs:

    • None: The tightening program continues normally.

    • Lock tool: The tool is locked after finishing the current tightening normally.

    • Unassign task: The tightening is aborted after finishing the ongoing task. Except for plain tightening programs or Batch sequences where the task will be removed after finishing.

    • Always lock tool: The tool is locked after finishing the current tightening, regardless of result.

  6. Use legacy counter

    The legacy counter setting counts all tightenings in a sequence and outputs that number to secondary systems. To enable this setting, set Use legacy counter to Yes.

  7. MID2500 loosening program

    This setting allows for the selection of a MID2500 loosening program from the list.

  8. Tap or select Apply when ready.

As the default value for PLC Index is always 1 and no checks are made to see if it is in use, there is a possibility that you may have configured the system so that the same index is configured several times when adding Virtual stations. In this case, the Soft PLC will not be able to determine from which Virtual Station the incoming MID is originating from.