Version 4.1.

Updated 9/01

S7-200 PPI Network Notes (Tip42)

Category: Communications
Special Hardware Requirements: None

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Overview

1. Token Ring Networks

2. Gap Updates
3. Tokens, Masters, and Slaves
4. Bringing in a New Master
5. “Busy’s” and Starving
6. CP vs PC/PPI
7. Busy’s Revisited
8. Addendum A: A Note for Micro/WIN and Micro/DOS Users
9. Addendum B: Network Component Matrix
10. Addendum C: Physical Data
11. Addendum D: Panel-Tec Information
12. General Notes

Networking
The four connected devices in Figure 42.1 form a simple network. There are two CPU 224s and two CPU 222s.
This network will be the basis for a discussion of more complicated networks and will help to illustrate some of the
Dos and Don’ts of networking. We will be using PPI protocol for our communication. PPI is the default
communications protocol of the CPU 224 and CPU 222. Freeport mode (in which serial communications are
handled by the user program) are not discussed here.

Figure 42.1 The Basic Network

Token Ring Networks

PPI networks are “Token Ring Networks.” This means that the masters pass control of the network to each other
by passing a ‘token.’ For example, the network shown in Figure 42.1 has four stations. Stations 2 and 3 are
masters, and Stations 4 and 5 are slaves.

At power-up the slaves start up, run their programs, and listen to the network for a request. Each master listens for
network traffic. If it finds traffic, it builds a list of the active master stations before it is ready to join the network. If
a master has listened to the network for a preset listening time without hearing any network traffic, it establishes a
network by passing the token to itself. The listening time is shorter for lower station addresses, so the master with
the lowest station address normally establishes the network. If the master receives its own token successfully, the
network is established. The other masters continue listening and are later brought on-line. See the example below.
Figure 42.2 At Power-up, each master sits idle for a period based on its station address. The master with the
lowest station address finishes its timeout first, and passes itself the token, preventing any of the other masters
from seizing control.

In Figure 42.2 the network has just been powered up and both of the masters are sitting idle in listening mode. The
first master to finish its listening (Station 2) passes itself the token, letting all the other masters on the network
know that it has control. This is the simplest token ring, one master continually passing the token to itself (See
Figure 42.3).

Figure 42.3 Station 2 is in a single master ring, continually passing itself the token, but also looking at a different
station before each token pass, trying to find other masters waiting to come online. When it polls Station 3 and gets
a positive response, Station 3 is brought into the ring.

Gap Updates
Before each token pass, the master with the token performs what is called a ‘gap update.’ In a gap update, a
single station address in the ‘gap’ is polled to see if a master is waiting there to come into the network. A master’s
gap consists of all station addresses between the master itself and the next known master. So if the first master
on-line is Station 2, then before the first time it passes the token, it checks to see if there is a master ready to
come on at Station 3. During the next token cycle it checks Station 4, then Station 5, and so on, until it reaches the
‘Highest Station Address’. The address checking then continues with zero and back to the address of the master
(See Figure 42.4).

The highest station address (HSA) is the highest address that a master checks when it is looking for another
master. This value is specified for each master on the network. The highest station address must be set to a value
greater than the all master addresses. If a master address is set to a value greater than the highest station
address of the other masters on the network, it will never be brought on-line by the other masters. The highest
station address is usually set as low as possible so that the gap is small and new masters will be brought on-line
quickly.

Another parameter affecting the gap update is the ‘gap factor’. The gap factor tells a master how often to check for
a new master in the gap. A gap factor of one causes a master to check a station in the gap each time it holds the
token. A gap factor of ten causes a master to check a station in the gap every tenth time it holds the token. A low
gap factor allows new masters to be brought on-line quickly because the gap is checked more often. A high gap
factor increases network performance because less time is spent looking for new masters, but it increases the time
required to bring a new master on-line.
Figure 42.4 A Token Ring Network: Station 3 queries a different station in the gap between itself and Station 2
each time before passing the token; it even queries stations with no devices.

After all the masters have given a positive reply during a gap update and are brought into the network, the token is
passed among them in a ring. Each master whose station address is not adjacent to the next master is still
performing a gap update (See Figure 42.5).

Figure 42.5 The token ring now consists of Stations 2 and 3. Since Station 2 is adjacent to the next master, it no
longer checks for new masters. Station 3, however, still checks a different space in the gap during each token
rotation.

In our example, all the masters are now in the network and Station 3 is performing the only gap update.

Tokens, Masters, and Slaves

It is important to understand the difference between masters and slaves. In the network, a master is a device who
can hold the token. A slave is a device that cannot hold the token. In this example, the CPU 222 is always a slave,
meaning that it can only receive network requests and respond to them. It cannot hold the token or issue network
commands independently. The CPU 224 is set up as a master. When it becomes a master it can hold the token and
issue network commands, but it can still answer the requests of other masters. This is a point that is frequently
missed: One master can still be the object of another master’s Network Read or Write.

Bringing in Another Master

For example, suppose that another master is added into the network as Station 20 and is powered up. When it first
comes on-line, Station 20 starts its listening cycle. Seeing the token is already moving around the network, it stays
in a listening mode for at least two complete token rotations (two cycles of the network) in order to create a map
of the current network before it attains a ‘ready to join’ status (See Figure 42.6).

Figure 42.7 Station 20 has joined the token ring. At this point, Stations 3 and 20 are both performing a ‘gap
update’ (checking for new masters) during every cycle, because the masters are not adjacent.

When it is ready to join the network, Station 20 waits for Station 3 to ask it to join the network. When the gap
update of Station 3 cycles back to Station 20 again, Station 20 replies positively and enters the token ring (See
Figure 42.7).

As a further example, let’s say that at Station 20 we have a computer running Micro/WIN, instead of a CPU. A
problem arises when both Station 20 and Station 2 both have several messages for Station 3.
Figure 42.8 Station 20 has been changed to a computer with a CP card running Micro/WIN. In this situation, it is
possible for the computer to “starve out” one or more of the other devices in the network.

Busys and Starving

The basic problem is this: Micro/WIN, with a hardware-implemented PPI and a fast processor, can keep a CPU or
another station so busy that no other masters can contact it (starving the other masters out). In this case, the CPU
responds to requests from other masters that it is busy.

There is a simple solution to this problem. You can prevent Micro/WIN from performing a gap update by placing
another master at the next station address. As shown in Figure 42.9, Micro/WIN is now at address 3 and another
master is directly after it at Station 4. This setup prevents Micro/WIN from executing a gap update, which forces it
to pass the token more quickly and prevents it from tying up a CPU.

Figure 42.9 Station 20 has been moved to Station 3 to prevent it from performing a gap update and starving out
the other masters.

CP vs PC/PPI
In the above example, the programmer has a CP (Communication Processor) card. A programmer with a CP card
is always a master device. The CP cards have hardware and software which manage the network for the
programming package. CP cards allow programmers to communicate on networks with all types of masters and at
any baud rate. NOTE: All devices on a network must be at the same baud rate to work correctly.

The PC/PPI cable is very different because it only converts the RS 232 communication port of the PC to the RS
485 network used by the S7 200 CPUs. Micro/WIN allows a PC using a PC/PPI cable and running Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows Me to be a master by installing a special communication port driver. This
driver allows the PC to hold and manage a token, but it is limited to operating at 9600 or 19.2K baud. You enable
the master driver by checking the ‘Multiple Master Network’ option on the PG/PC communication interface in
Micro/WIN.
The multiple master driver generally operates correctly on most PCs. There are some PCs on which the user must
adjust the communication port FIFO settings to allow the driver to operate. On these PCs the receive FIFO should
be moved to its lowest setting to allow the driver to operate more efficiently. In addition, for PCs running Windows
2000 or Windows Me the transmit FIFO should also be moved to its lowest setting. Some other PCs do not allow
the multi-master driver to operate because of other applications running on the PC. On these systems you may
have to close other applications or disable the multi-master driver and use the single master driver.

If you are operating Micro/WIN on a PC running the Windows NT operating system or you have not enabled the
‘Multiple Master Network’ option, Micro/WIN operates in single master mode on the network. In this mode
Micro/WIN does not operate as a network master or pass the token to other masters. If you try connecting
Micro/WIN to a network with active master devices, you will receive errors and disrupt the communications of the
other masters.

Peripherals
There are many other peripherals, such as the TD 200 and the OP 7, that can connect to a network. Both of these
devices talk to a certain CPU in the network and behave as masters. Figure 42.10 shows the physical connection
of two TD 200s, an OP 7, and a programmer with a CP card to a basic network.

Figure 42.10 The Basic Network Adds Peripherals

Figure 42.11 The Basic Network Talks to Its Peripherals

The reason these devices are masters is that each peripheral has to initiate a request to gather data from the
CPUs. To do this, it needs access to the network. Generally each device talks to a separate CPU (See Figure
42.12).

Figure 42.12 The Peripherals Communicate on the Basic Network

Peripherals Addressing the Same Unit

If each of these peripherals were trying to address the same unit, the “busy” problems discussed above can arise
(Figure 42.13). The TD 200 and the programmer with the CP card can handle the problem, but the OP 7 (and up)
can only perform moderately well and the OP 3 will not cooperate at all.

Figure 42.13 The Basic Network Gets Confused

Note for Micro/WIN

When a PC with a CP card running Micro/Win is connected to a network, you may get a time-out error saying that
the programmer can’t join the network. This situation occurs because each master has to wait to be polled before it
can come into the network, and because some ‘gaps’ may contain a hundred or more different addresses. Ignore
the message, wait a few seconds, and then proceed normally. Generally, by the time you need to do network tasks
the programmer will have joined the network.

Note: Some of the most common errors in networking occur because the network has devices in it that can’t
communicate effectively. To prevent this communication problem, do the following:

Be sure that you don’t have multiple masters on a network with a device that doesn’t support multi-master
connections.
Be sure that you don’t have devices that can’t handle ‘busy’s on the same network as devices with a
hardware-implemented communication protocol.

Addendum C: Physical Data

A network can have no more than 32 devices without a RS485 repeater

Including repeaters, a network can have up to 128 devices
The maximum number of masters on the network is 32.
Cable can be no longer than 10km
 (Certain cables may vary; check with your manufacturer)
Recommended Cables:
Beldin Cable No: 3079A
Siemens Cable No: 6XVI 830-0AH10
Recommended Connectors:
Without programming device port: 6ES7 972-0BA40-0XA0
With programming device port: 6ES7 972-0BB40-0XA0
The ends of the network should be terminated.

Addendum D: Panel-Tec Information

The Panel-Tec device listed in the component matrix (Model Number: DTU-3000) is a serial device which transfers
information between unlike CPUs. It supports over 25 protocols and includes 2 CPU Ports and 1 Configuration Port
/ Expansion Port. (Each Port is configurable for RS232 or RS422.)

Phone: 1-800-869-2026 / (205) 534-8132

Fax: (205) 534-4769
Address: P.O. Box 2394
Huntsville, Alabama USA
35804-2394

Copyright 2001 Siemens Energy & Automation

SIMATIC S7-200 customers have free use of the application tips. These tips are only a general approach to using the S7-200 with various applications. Your
specific application may be different. It is your responsibility to use the SIMATIC S7-200 properly in your applications.