Communication with Connect Controller

Handheld

Portable marking on large products.

Workstation

Precise positioning of small parts

For the highest level of portability, Connect offer 2 cordless dotpeen systems that are able to be programmed via an android-based smartphone or tablet. The ultimate in mobile dotpeen marking, complete nomad use anywhere in the worplace

Connect Easy industrial touchscreen controllers are natively capable of communication via TCP/IP to a PC/PLC to populate marking fields or start/stop marking.
1

Standard Client/Slave connection.

2

PC/PLC is the “Client“

3

Touchscreen controller is the “Slave”

4

Client connects to Slave through the TCP/IP port 6120 (open TCP socket)

5

Each time the Client sends a command, the Slave will analyse it, do action asked and give an answer to the Client

Controller to Head Wifi

Communication with the Connect marking head is via a private Wifi network. Therefore these instructions relate to to the physical network connection to the controller via the controller’s ethernet port on the rear of the device. If you are encountering difficulties with the controller – head wifi connection, please see this guide: (tbc)

Physical Connections

The ethernet port on the rear of the Connect industrial touchscreen controller serves to transfer the data via TCP/IP. This should be connected to the customer’s network or directly to a PC:
Network Switch/Hub: use straight cable
Direct to PC: use crossover cable
When a cable is connected, the controller tries immediately to establish a communication with the network.

Network Controller Configuration

Port settings can be configured using the network setting window: To access from the controller tap the ☰ Menu icon, then ⚙ Settings to open the system settings folder, then tap the [Network] button.

If the controller has been able to connect to the network automatically, then settings will appear in the [State] tab.

Otherwise, in the Network menu tap the [Settings] button and from the dropdown, choose your preferred option, either DHCP or Static, as confirmed by your network administrator

If your network administrator has specified a static IP, enter the provided values into the relevant section and then press ☑ to confirm

  • To activate TCP communication, tap the [TCP] button.
  • In the TCP section, enable to TCP communication
  • The Port is fixed to 6120
  • You are able to choose the end marking emissions
  • Press ☑ to confirm
The Connect Controller will now be listening for plain TCP packets with no extra protocol layer.

SymbolHexadecimal valueMeaning
[STX]0x02Start of the frame indicator
[ETX]0x03End of the frame indicator
[ACK]0x06Acknowledgment
[NACK]0x15Negative acknowledgment
[CR]0x0DEnd of the command indicator
CommandsFrame
1[STX][Command][CR][ETX]
N[STX][Command 1][CR][Command 2][CR]…[Command N][CR][ETX]

A timeout is implemented: when you send the STX, there is 10 seconds to send the entire frame, otherwise it is discarded.

A timeout is implemented: when you send the STX, there is 10 seconds to send the entire frame, otherwise it is discarded.

Success[STX][ACK][ETX]
Failure[STX][NACK]R[ETX]
With R failure cause:
‘1’ Unknow command
‘2’ Impossible command
‘3’ No file open ‘4’
Machine busy ‘5’
Unreachable element
‘6’ Invalid parameters value
‘7’ Setting length non-compliant
‘8’ No license

It is possible to disable responses if you included a command to the frame (see G command).

LIST OF AVAILABLE COMMANDS:
A – Open a file …………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
a – Close File ………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
B – Set variable value …………………………………………………………………………… 9
C – Set serial number value …………………………………………………………………. 10
D – Start / resume marking ………………………………………………………………….. 11
F – Get head maintenance value ………………………………………………………….. 12
f – Reset head maintenance value ……………………………………………………….. 13
G – Disable response …………………………………………………………………………. 14
H – Set marking parameters ………………………………………………………………… 15
M – Set marking line ………………………………………………………………………… 16
m – Set marking line (light) ……………………………………………………………….. 18
N – New file ……………………………………………………………………………………. 19
Q – Pause and stop marking …………………………………………………………….. 20
R – Marking end response ……………………………………………………………….. 21
r – Get marking end response …………………………………………………………… 24
S – Save file …………………………………………………………………………………… 25
T – Set current user …………………………………………………………………………. 26
T – Get current user ………………………………………………………………………… 27
U – Get variable value ……………………………………………………………………… 28
V – Create variable ………………………………………………………………………….. 29
W – Get serial number value …………………………………………………………….. 30
X – Get current filename …………………………………………………………………… 31
Y – Get machine state ……………………………………………………………………… 32
y – Get marking head state ………………………………………………………………. 33
Z – Get controller information ……………………………………………………………. 34
z – Get head information ………………………………………………………………….. 35
Communication Protocol V2_0

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