Technology

Allen-Bradley PLC data collection: ControlLogix and CompactLogix

We read the tags in your Rockwell controllers over EtherNet/IP and carry production data into MES, OEE and ERP systems.

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Our clients

Siemens
Anadolu Isuzu
BSH
Tofaş
Toyotetsu
Martur
Turkcell
Vodafone
Doğadan
Pakmaya
Bross
Abdi İbrahim
Nobel İlaç
Plastimak
Dalgıç Kalıp
Barbaros Motor
Magneti Marelli
Rözmaş
Sanel

Allen-Bradley PLC data collection means reading ControlLogix and CompactLogix tags over EtherNet/IP using CIP. These controllers hold data by tag name rather than by address, so the read list comes straight from the tags in the Studio 5000 project.

VOLSOFT does not program PLCs or touch control logic. We take the software and integration side: deciding which tags to read, setting up the reading on Proxus and connecting the data to production systems.

Rockwell plants usually run old and new generations side by side. Alongside ControlLogix and CompactLogix there are separate protocols for SLC and PCCC-based controllers, all read on port 44818 from the same edge server.

What we deliver

Allen-Bradley PLC data collection

Tag browsing

On ControlLogix and CompactLogix the controller's tags are listed, so we pick what to read from that list instead of typing addresses.
Older controllers

Controllers that use SLC or PCCC, and the MicroCip protocol, are supported too. These have no browsing, so we define the addresses to read together.
Data types

BOOL, SINT, INT, DINT, REAL and STRING tags are read with their native types, then named in the shared data model with units and meaning.
Logic stays untouched

Reading uses the controller's existing EtherNet/IP connections; no routines or message instructions are added to the program. By default we only read.
Network and load

Read intervals follow how fast each tag changes: counters and states often, setpoints rarely. That keeps the controller's communication load in check.

How a project runs

From discovery to live, step by step

01
Controller inventory

We list the ControlLogix, CompactLogix and older controllers on the line, with IP addresses and slot positions.
02
Tag selection

From the Studio 5000 project or a live browse, we pick the tags needed for production, downtime and quality with the automation team.
03
Model and naming

Selected tags are placed in a site, line and machine hierarchy in the shared data model, named the same way on every line.
04
Commissioning

We start reading, check values against the HMI and then connect them to MES, OEE and reports.

Built on Proxus

Proxus's Allen-Bradley driver runs on the edge gateway, connects to controllers over EtherNet/IP and browses their tags. Values flow into the Unified Namespace, next to data from Siemens or Mitsubishi PLCs on the same line.

Proxus is the industrial data platform built by the VOLSOFT team.

Proxus Allen-Bradley driver ↗

Frequently asked questions

Common questions

How do you read data from an Allen-Bradley PLC?

ControlLogix and CompactLogix data is read by tag name over EtherNet/IP using CIP. The controller's tags are browsed and the needed ones selected; no change to the PLC program is required.

Do we need RSLinx or an OPC server?

No. The Proxus driver connects to the controller directly, with no RSLinx or separate OPC server in between. If the plant already runs an OPC UA server, reading through it is also possible.

Can you read older controllers such as SLC 500?

Yes. SLC and PCCC-based controllers with an Ethernet connection have their own protocols. They cannot be browsed, so the addresses to read are defined together.

How do you decide which tags to read?

The controller's tag list is browsed and the tags needed for production, downtime and quality are chosen with the automation team. Selected tags get a lasting name in the shared data model.