Overview

To simplify using EtherNet/IP and PROFINET in a Matrox Design Assistant project, it is recommended to use the Quick Comm feature. It provides a predefined datamap, handshake protocol, and automatic result transfer, without adding any steps or wait loops to the project flowchart. It can also be used to trigger image acquisition automatically. The Reader and Writer steps are also provided to support legacy projects created prior to Matrox Design Assistant 5.0, and to communicate with a PLC whose ladder logic cannot be modified to be used with the Quick Comm handshake. Reader steps are provided to access data sent by the PLC, and Writer steps are provided to write data to the PLC.

When communicating using the PROFINET or EtherNet/IP protocol, data fields in data tables are used to store the data to be sent to or received from the PLC. You can add data fields to the Quick Comm handshake by associating them with custom actions. Matrox Design Assistant data tables correspond to modules in PROFINET, and to assemblies in EtherNet/IP. For information on how data tables are organized in PROFINET and EtherNet/IP, see Setting up for PROFINET and the Setting up for EtherNet/IP section later in this chapter.