MC Protocol (Ethernet) Communications for
In-Sight Vision Systems
Integration Note
Author: John Keating
Product Marketing Manager
Published: 6 March, 2009
Integration Note
Executive Summary
This document is intended to assist users to configure Ethernet based MC Protocol communications
between In-Sight vision systems and Mitsubishi Q-Series PLCs. MC Protocol communication enables In-
Sight vision systems to communicate directly with Mitsubishi PLCs without requiring ladder logic.
Examples in this document are based on In-Sight Explorer software version 4.3, using the EasyBuilder
interface, and Mitsubishi’s GX Developer software, version 8.
Connecting In-Sight and Q-Series PLCs via Ethernet
Ethernet based MC Protocol communications are set up through an Ethernet connection between the In-
Sight vision system and the Ethernet port on the Q-Series PLC. In this example, In-Sight is directly
connected to the Ethernet module QJ1E71-100. The connection can also be made through an In-Sight
I/O board (CIO-MICRO or CIO-MICRO-CC), through an Ethernet switch, router, or through the network
connection on VisionView.
Ethernet
Communicating Between In-Sight and Q-Series PLCs
In-Sight can read and write many different data types via MC Protocol, including tool results, data strings
and tolerances. This example will demonstrate writing X, Y and Angle data from In-Sight to the PLC, and
reading the Rotation Tolerance for a PatMax tool from the PLC to In-Sight.
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Integration Note
Communicating Timing Between In-Sight and Q-Series PLCs
The following diagram illustrates the communication method between In-Sight and Q-Series PLCs using
MC Protocol. This diagram shows the initial communication request when In-Sight is put online, the In-
Sight read message when a trigger occurs, and the In-Sight write message after the inspection is
complete.
In-Sight
Ethernet Module Run
Vision System
Online
QJ71E71-100
In-Sight opens the communication
connection with the first MC Protocol
communication. Connection
Request Connection
Permitted
Connection
Complete
Simultaneous with image acquisition.
Trigger In-Sight reads data from the PLC.
Image
Acquired
MC Protocol Message
Message Sent Accepted
Reply
Reply
Accepted
In-Sight writes data to the PLC.
Job
Processing Message
Compelete MC Protocol
Accepted
Message Sent
Reply
Reply
Accepted
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Integration Note
Setting Up an Application to Send Data in EasyBuilder
In the following examples, the In-Sight vision system is set up with the following network configuration:
• IP address: 192.168.0.1
• Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Configure the
network settings
of the In-Sight
vision system.
The In-Sight is set to
192.168.0.2. The PLC will
be set to an address that will
not conflict with the vision
system (192.168.0.1 in this
example).
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Integration Note
Setting Up an Application to Send Data In EasyBuilder
In this example, we will set up a PatMax location tool to send X, Y and Angle data to a PLC using MC
Protocol. We will also read the angle tolerance for the PatMax location tool from the PLC.
Create a new job:
Go to the Get
Connected Step
Press New Job
Set the Trigger Type to manual.
Go to the Set Up
Image step
Trigger type = manual
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Integration Note
Add a PatMax Pattern tool to the job:
Go to the Locate
Part
Select PatMax
Patterns and press
Add
Train the PatMax model.
Place the model
region around the
feature to locate.
Place the search
region in the area
to look for the
feature.
Press OK when
complete.
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Integration Note
Note that the Rotation Tolerance is currently set to 15. This is the value that we will update by
reading a new value from the PLC.
Configuring MC Protocol In EasyBuilder
We will now set up In-Sight to communicate via MC Protocol:
Go to the
Communication step
Press the Add
Device button
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Integration Note
Set the:
• Device to PLC
• Manufacturer
to Mitsubishi
• Protocol to
MC Protocol
Configure the MC Protocol settings:
Input the IP address of the PLC
Input the host port for communications.
This value will also be set up in GX
Developer.
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Integration Note
Select the type of register and the offset to read from the plc. In this example, we will read from a data
register with an offset of 120.
Select the type of register and the offset to write to the plc. In this example, we will write to a data register
with an offset of 100.
The MC Protocol Settings should be configured to look like the image below:
Set the Device type and offset to read
from the PLC. This example uses a Set the Device type and offset to write
Data Register and offset of 120. to the PLC. This example uses a Data
Register and offset of 100.
Select the items to write to the PLC. Go to the Format Output Data tab:
Inspection counter Select data type
is automatically from the list. In
added this example, we
use a 32 bit float.
.
Press the Add button, and select the
items to send to the PLC.
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Integration Note
Select the items to send to the PLC. By pressing the CRTL or Shift key, you can select multiple items.
Angle, X and Y
data is selected.
Press OK to
accept.
The Format Output Data tab should now look like this:
Inspection count,
Angle, X and Y
are selected to
send to the PLC.
Now, we will select the items to read from the PLC. Go to the Format Input Data tab and press Add:
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Integration Note
Select Rotation_Tolerance from the list and press OK:
Rotation
Tolerance will be
read from the
PLC.
Press OK to
accept.
Select the data type from the list. In this example, we use a 32 bit float:
Select 32 bit float
Go to the Run Job step and put In-Sight online.
Go to the Run Job
step.
Press the Online
button.
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Integration Note
Configuring MC Protocol In GX Developer
To configure the Q Series PLC, open the Ethernet settings by double clicking Network Parameters in the
Project data list and pressing the MESSECNET/Ethernet button in the network parameters dialog box:
The Ethernet module for this Mitsubishi PLC for this example is model number QJ1E71-100. Set up the
parameters as shown below:
The first module in the PLC is the
Ethernet module
Set Network Type to Ethernet
Starting I/O to 0000
Network No = 1
Group No. = 1
Station Number = 1
Press the Operational Settings Button:
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Integration Note
Communication
data code set to Initial Timing Set
Binary Code to “Always Wait for
OPEN”
IP address set to a
different IP
address than In-
Sight
Press END to
Enable Write at accept changes.
RUN time is
checked.
Press the Initial Settings button:
Configure the settings as shown below:
Starting Interval=10
Interval Timer=10
Resend=8
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Integration Note
Press the Open Settings button:
Configure the settings as shown below:
Set Host Station to 3000 to match
Set Protocol Set Open the setting on In-Sight.
to TCP. System to
“UnPassive”
Set Fixed
buffer to
“Send” Set Procedure to Paring open=Disable
“Procedure Exist”
Confirm for Existence Confirmation
Press End to accept the network parameter settings:
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Integration Note
Write the settings to the PLC through the icon or OnlineÆWrite to PLC menu:
or
Reset the PLC by cycling power or through the reset switch on the PLC’s CPU.
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Integration Note
Monitoring Communication
Start the Batch Monitor in GX Developer through the icon or OnlineÆMonitorÆDevice Batch menu
Begin monitoring
Set to Real Number
at D100
to match setting in
In-Sight
In-Sight
begins writing
to the PLC at
D100
In-Sight
begins reading
Press Device
from the PLC
at D120 Test to set a
value for D120
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Integration Note
Press Device Test to set a value for D120, which In-Sight will read to set the Rotation Tolerance of
PatMax.
Set the data
type to Real
Number to
match the
setting in In-
Sight, and
Input 180
press Set.
Now, trigger In-Sight by pressing the trigger icon or pressing F5, and monitor the settings in the batch
monitor of GX Developer.
PatMax
Results
Trigger by pressing this icon, or by
pressing F5.
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Integration Note
Inspection count,
PatMax Angle, X
and Y values are
written to the PLC.
180 is written
to In-Sight.
The value 180 is read from the PLC.
Go to the Locate Part Step.
The PatMax Rotation
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