Connecting an Omron NJ or NX1P to a Red Lion HMI

Omron Demonstration NJ NX1P Red Lion

If you find yourself needing to communicate multiple protocols on a single machine, the Red Lion series of HMI's and data stations are a great solution. In this article and video, I am going to review how to set up communication between an Omron NJ or NX1P and a Red Lion HMI.

Before we get started, I want to make it clear that I am not saying, go out and replace all of your Omron NA or HMIs. This art video is simply a demonstration on how to connect Red Lion products to Omron products. This can be very useful if you have a machine that utilizes an Omron PLC but is also required to talk to additional protocols like Modbus, DF1, Serial, or one of the many drivers Red Lion supports.

To begin, open your NJ Project in Sysmac Studio and note your FIN’s Node Address Setting. You will find this under Configuration and Setup – Controller Setup – Built in Ethernet/IP Port Settings and ‘Node address of built in Ethernet I/P port’. If your IP address-FINS conversion method is set to Automatic, it will be the last octet of your PLC’s address. If your IP address-FINS conversion method is set to Combination, it will be the editable value in ‘IP address-FINS conversion method’. In this example will use 3.

If you’re using an NX1P, you must enable CJ memory. To do this, go under Configurations and Setup – Controller
Setup – Memory Settings, and check the enable box for the appropriate CJ Series Unit Memory.

Next, determine what tag’s you want to send to the Red Lion. In Global Tags and under the ‘AT’ column, enter in “%” then then an appropriate memory variable. Please note per Omron specifications, some variables must be set to retain, so be sure to check the retain box if required by Sysmac Studio.

Using Red Lion Crimson 3 (or 2) software, open the project with your appropriate Red Lion HMI Model. Enter in an IP address for the Red Lion Screen. Click on Network. For ‘Port Mode’
select Manual Configuration. Enter an IP Address with the same first 3 octets as your NJ. The
example Red Lion Screen will be 192.168.100.12.

Under Network – Protocol 1, add an Omron Master via FINS driver.

Click on the newly created “PLC1” under the FINS Master in the Navigation Pane. Enter in the IP Address of the NJ under Device Identification. In this example I’m using the NJ IP address,
192.198.100.3. For destination node, enter the value you noted in FINS node address setting, in this example we will use 3. Finally enter in the Source Node. I suggest you make this the same number as the last octet of the IP address of the Red Lion Screen. It CANNOT be the same as your NJ Node. Under Protocol Options: Ignore Fatal CPU Errors and check that Non-Fatal CPU Errors are set to YES. Link Type should be set to Shared Socket.

To use a tag in your screen, under Data Tags, create a new tag. In this example we will create a Numeric tag with the name Speed_Pot. Tag Address will be DM00001.

For Bit Level Tags, you must enter the WORD level memory address, this example will use
DM0000 (for %D0.2 entered in the AT column of the NJ). Then under Treat As: Bit Array Little –Endian. Bit Number: 2 (for %D0.2 entered in the AT column of the NJ). Finally, for Manipulation, set to None. Access: set to Read and Write If you desire to be able read and write to the tag.

Download both projects. If the systems are communicating, you should see values updating on your Red Lion Screen.

The ability to talk to multiple devices with one HMI has many advantages over other options. The biggest advantages being less hardware to purchase and easier integration between devices.

Learn more about the NX1P.