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EthernetIP Device Template

Is there a way to create a template for an EthernetIP device configuration in DeltaV?

We are installing multiple identical VSDs that will all use the same settings and signals. The only real difference will be the IP addresses for each one. I don't see a way to create a template for this in Explorer, so I was wondering if there was some other way to do this besides manually creating each one.

chrisslattery

• 22 Jan 2024 1:53 AM
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6 Replies

• StephenCowhey

  

  • 22 Jan 2024 3:43 AM

  Hey Chris. If you're asking if there is like a "class-based" device concept (in the same way as a control module or equipment module class etc) then the answer seems to be no. This is a real shame since many sites will have dozens / hundreds of such devices and having to maintain consistency across their Device/LDT/Signal config can be burdensome. I suspect the best you can do is bulk edits, or messing around with FHX files probably. Happy to hear anyone else's method for dealing with this. The problem would apply to any bus type device config, like ModbusTCP and has become much more significant as we see entire sites MCC's interfaced only via ethernet comms.

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• LaurentB

  

  • 22 Jan 2024 6:36 AM

  As bulk edit is not available for this, if devices are quite similar, the easiest and fastest way is to play with FHX. Export the model in FHX , edit FHX for other devices then reimport it.
  An other elegant way is to use fhxtoxml , complete xml into excel then transform back to fhx with fhx to xml . These software are located in deltav/bin directory

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• Matt Forbis

  

  • 22 Jan 2024 2:22 PM

  In reply to LaurentB:

  Bulk Edit can be used for some components, but it does require multiple imports and I believe there is one or two layers that cannot be done. The signals can be bulk edited and these are usually the most time consuming part to create by hand.

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• TreyB

  

  • 22 Jan 2024 2:22 PM

  In reply to LaurentB:

  I wonder what you mean that bulk edit is not available for this... I just recently created about 50 different devices on 3 different PK controllers for two different EIP drives. I used nothing but bulk edit templates. I believe i even used default format spec files. I started with first the physical device, then did the logical devices. These were the same file for both types of drives. Then when I did the actual signals, i had a format spec file that i used for each one. You could likely use the same file for both, but i find it was cleaner to keep them separate so i didn't mess anything up. But, yeah. Bulk edit is definitely the way to go.

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• Scott Thompson

  

  • 22 Jan 2024 2:40 PM

  With the older "bus" type devices like DeviceNet and ASi you could define signal placeholders in the Device Definitions portion of the library so they would get created using the drag/drop creation under the IO card.  Ethernet devices don't have that option in DeltaV.  However, Bulk Edit templates exist for Ethernet Devices and signals so that you can do bulk changes/creation through the bulk edit process (User Defined Export/Import) using Excel spreadsheets.  It just takes multiple exports/imports, one to manage physical devices, one to manage logic devices and one to manage individual signals.

  Ethernet devices (Physical Devices) formats are Physical_Device_*.fmt files handle user defined export/import for the Physical Device.  There are format files for Ethernet/IP Control Tag Integration, Ethernet/IP, IEC_6185, ModbusTCP, and OPCUA.  Your drives are most likely Ethernet/IP so the Physical_Device_EIP.fmt format file would be the one to choose.

  

  Logical Devices are handled with the Logical_Device_*.fmt format files.  Use the one that corresponds to the communication method you are using for the logical device and it's signals.  Formats are available for Ethernet/IP Control Tag Integration, Ethernet/IP Class1, Ethernet/IP Class 3, Ethernet/IP Class 3 with PCCC, Ethernet/IP UCMM, Ethernet/IP UCMM with hops to another node, IEC 61850, ModbusTCP and OPC UA.

  

  For drives you are most likely looking at Ethernet/IP Class 1 (Logical_Device_EIP_Class1.fmt) where you can define an input and output assembly instance.

  For the individual signals within each Logical Device there are again different format files depending on the logical device type.  These are the Signal_*.fmt files and formats are included for Ethernet/IP Class 1, Ethernet/IP Class 3, Ethernet/IP Class 3 with PCCC, Ethernet/IP UCMM, IEC 61850, ModbusTCP and OPC UA.

  

  For drives it will most likely be Ethernet/IP Class 1 (Signal_EIP_Class1.fmt).

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• chrisslattery

  

  • 22 Jan 2024 9:50 PM

  Thanks for the advice all. I will look at the export existing, edit and import idea. I wasn't sure that DeltaV would accept an edited fhx file, but it sounds like it might work.

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