Modbus TCP Communication Setup Guide: KEB S6 and F6 Drives

 
Master the programming and communication setup of KEB S6 and F6 drives with this tutorial, utilizing the Modbus TCP protocol. You’ll learn how to configure the drives and map data using COMBIVIS 6, and then program a PLC using the virtual CODESYS Soft PLC within COMBIVIS Studio 6 for a practical demonstration.

Hardware and Software Requirements

In this tutorial, we will be using the following hardware and software:

• KEB COMBIVIS 6
• KEB S6 or F6 drive (with control type A or P)
• KEB USB to Serial Adapter

To see if your drive is compatible with Modbus TCP, look at the 5^th character in the part number. This will specify the control board type. (The red “X” is the location of the A, P, or K control board XXF6XXX-XXXX)

• A = Application Control Board
• P = Pro Control Board
• K = Compact Control Board

Now, let’s get into the steps to set up Modbus TCP.

Modbus TCP Communication Set Up

Before launching your COMBIVIS 6 project, ensure the USB-to-serial communication cable is correctly connected between your computer and the X4A port on the F6 or S6 drive. Then, power the drive, open COMBIVIS 6 on your computer, and create a new empty project.

1. COMBIVIS Diagnostic Communication Setup

When your new project is open, you can scan for devices using the magnifying glass icon below.

Verify the serial interface you have connected and select “Start search. . . ”. COMBIVIS 6 will then scan for a connected device.

• Important: If the device is not found, verify that the hardware connections are correct and make sure the device is powered on. Also, check to see if another program on your PC is currently using the desired COM port.

When you find the device, select it and click the “Add selected devices” button. The device will be added to the Navigator window. Double-click the device to open it in the Device editor. From here, you can adjust its settings.

2. Fieldbus Selection

In the device editor, select the “Wizards” tab and open “Fieldbus.” From the drop-down menu, set the Fieldbus to Modbus TCP.

 
After changing the fieldbus type, select the “run software reset” button to restart the control board. This button is below the wizard’s tab but above the process data mapping window.

• Important: The control must restart after changing the fieldbus type.

3. Process Data Mapping

The Fieldbus wizard allows you to set up the transmit and receive process data. You can use a default data mapping or a custom data mapping. The default data mapping uses the standard CiA 402 process data.

This example uses the default process data mapping. Click on the “Stored mappings” button on the lower right side of the Wizard screen and select “standard PD mapping (F6/H6/S6).

Custom data mappings can be added by selecting the desired parameters from the “Available parameters” window and dragging them onto the available transmit and receive process data slots.

 
The process data mapping will update, displaying the default process data in the transmit and receive PDOs. Select the “Active PDO” checkboxes if not already selected.

4. Rotary Switch Configuration

The device IP address is influenced by the rotary switches S1 and S2. The value defined by the rotary switches can be found in the fb100 node ID switch value. The rotary switches define the 4th octet of the IP configuration, i.e., 192.168.0.node ID.

Alternatively, the node ID can be defined by fb101 adjusted node ID value if the S1 and S2 rotary switches are set to 0. If the node ID is set to 0, the rotary switches do not influence the IP address configuration.

For this example, set the S1 and S2 rotary switches to 0.

• Note: See the “Selection of the node address of the fieldbus system” section in the KEB Fieldbus Systems Programming Manual and the “Rotary coding switch” section in the KEB Realtime Ethernet Module manual for more information.

5. IP Configuration

To configure the device’s IP address, navigate to the device parameters and locate the fieldbus parameter group. Define the IP address assignment method using fb114. Modbus TCP supports static, DHCP, and boots.

 
If fb114 is set to static, then set the IP address by adjusting the Basic IP configuration fb109.

 
Modbus TCP supports COMBIVIS access over Ethernet. This allows parameter configuration and diagnostics via an Ethernet connection instead of using the X3A diagnostic serial port. Adjust the fb108 Ethernet over fieldbus IP configuration to set the diagnostic’s IP address over the Ethernet port.

6. Restart Control

The control must restart to affect the adjusted parameters. Navigate to the fieldbus wizard and select the “run software reset” button. After the control restart is complete, the drive configuration is complete.

• Important: The IP address and node ID require a control reboot to become active!

Supported Modbus TCP Functionality

This section overviews the supported Modbus TCP functions. Modbus TCP is supported on S6 and F6 devices with control type A or P. The TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) port used for Modbus TCP is 502.

Modbus TCP registers are divided into two address ranges. One is for process data communication, and the other is for parameter access to individual parameters. Up to 32 parameters or 64 bytes can be configured in the process data range. See section 3.

• Note: See the “Modbus interface” section in the KEB Fieldbus Systems Programming Manual for more information.

Control Type A

• Note: Parameter fb115 Modbus Subindex is used to enable access to KEB subindex parameters.

Control Type P

• Note: Parameter fb115 Modbus Subindex is used to enable access to KEB subindex parameters.

Conclusion

This tutorial has provided you with the necessary steps to establish a Modbus TCP connection with your KEB F6 or S6 drive. Please reach out to us if you encounter any challenges or have additional inquiries.