Understand and configure redirects

To configure redirects from Ethernet to another FP-I4C interface, you must open and configure a TCP port for each interface.

The wizard on the “COM Interface” page provides a simple way to configure redirects.

In the following example, the TOOL or COM port of the FP0R PLC is connected to COM1 RS232 of the FP-I4C unit. A PC is connected to one of the Ethernet interfaces of the FP-I4C unit. To establish a connection between the PC and the PLC via the FP-I4C unit, open port 9094 for COM1 RS232 and set the PLC station number.

  1. Go to “COM Interface” and enable “COM1 RS232”.
  2. Go to “Port” > “Ports and restrictions” and select “Add new” to add a new connection.
    To delete one or more entries from the list, select the desired check boxes and click “Delete selection”.
  3. For “Port”, set the number of the port you want to open. In this example, enter 9094.

    Each port number must be unique. Do not use the following port numbers that are already in use: 21, 22, 53, 80, 443, 100, 3000, 8000, 8080, 8081. We recommend to use port numbers greater than 1025.

    Under “Memory area restrictions and mapping”, you can restrict access to certain address ranges for each opened port.

  4. Under “COM interface”, select the physical interface or the internal interface (“INTERN”) of the FP-I4C unit to receive the TCP packets.

    In this example, select “RS232” to redirect the TCP packages from the Ethernet interface to the RS232 interface.

    The interface INTERN refers to the addressable internal memory areas of the FP-I4C unit which are accessible via Modbus/TCP or the script function.

  5. Disable “Allow FPWIN Pro” if you do not want to permit remote monitoring and updating of PLC programs in Control FPWIN Pro7.

    If “Modbus/TCP gateway” is enabled, “Allow FPWIN Pro” is automatically disabled.

  6. Enable “Modbus/TCP gateway” if you want to use the port as a Modbus/TCP server.
  7. For “Number of clients”, set the number of clients (e.g. HMIs, PLCs, PCs) that can connect to the FP-I4C unit simultaneously.

    A maximum number of 16 clients can be set for each port. Do not set more clients than necessary to keep resource usage low.

  8. Go to “Permitted IP addresses” and set the first and last address of the allowed range of IP addresses to access the port (e.g. 192.168.178.1 and 192.168.178.100).

    If 255.255.255.255 is set for either one, all addresses are allowed, regardless of the other setting.

  9. For “Timeout”, set the timeout in seconds.
  10. Save your configuration.

    If you have changed any settings, a “Save” button appears in the top right corner of the screen. You can make changes in multiple pages and then save your settings.

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