How to Make Rockwell and Schneider PLCs Talk to Each Other?
Why Plants End Up with Two Different PLC Brands
Companies buy equipment from many suppliers. One machine arrives with Rockwell controls. Another comes with Schneider. Both work fine alone. But they cannot share information. Production data stays trapped in separate systems. Operators cannot see the whole picture. This creates delays and frustration.
Three Gateway Options That Solve This Problem
ProSoft makes devices that translate between these brands. The PLX31-EIP-MBTCP sits outside the PLCs. It connects to both networks with cables. The MV156E-MCM slides into a Rockwell rack. It looks like another card to the system. The MV169E-MCM does the same for Schneider racks. For very fast applications, the PLX35 handles up to 10,000 register swaps per second.
Simple Steps to Get Connected
Step 1 – Hook up the hardware: Give the gateway power (12-24 VDC). Plug Ethernet cables into both PLC networks. Set a fixed IP address using the dials on the device.
Step 2 – Open the software: Download ProSoft Configuration Builder for free. Connect your laptop to the gateway. The program finds the device automatically.
Step 3 – Tell it what goes where: Create a map. Show which Rockwell tag matches which Schneider register. Simple on/off signals go to coils (%M). Numbers go to holding registers (%MW).
Step 4 – Set the communication rules: Tell the gateway the IP address of the Rockwell PLC. Tell it the IP of the Schneider PLC. Pick how fast to scan.
Step 5 – Test the link: Send the setup to the gateway. Watch the diagnostic screen. Data should start moving in 10 to 50 milliseconds.
Real Story: Car Factory in Mexico
A car plant in Mexico had a problem. The body shop used Rockwell ControlLogix L73 PLCs. The paint shop used Schneider M580 PLCs. They needed to share production counts and fault alerts. Engineers put in a ProSoft PLX31-EIP-MBTCP gateway. It took 4 hours to set up. Now 256 on/off signals and 128 numbers move back and forth every 25 milliseconds. Stops from miscommunication dropped by 90%.
Real Story: Water Plant in the Middle East
A desalination plant in the Gulf had split controls. Pretreatment ran on Schneider M340 PLCs. The reverse osmosis section used Rockwell CompactLogix. Operators needed pressure and flow data from both sides. Engineers installed an MV156E-MCM gateway inside the Rockwell rack. It reads 32 analog values from the Schneider system and sends back setpoints. Data moves in under 15 milliseconds. The plant ran at 98.5% uptime its first year.
Real Story: Iron Ore Mine in Australia
A mine in Western Australia had a 25-kilometer conveyor belt. Crushers used Rockwell ControlLogix PLCs. The long conveyor used Schneider Quantum PLCs. Start commands and speed feedback had to travel between them. Engineers put in two ProSoft PLX31 gateways as backups. The system stayed up 99.98% of the time for a full year. If one gateway fails, the other takes over in under 100 milliseconds. No more conveyor stoppages.
Real Story: Food Plant in Germany
A German food maker had mixing vessels on Rockwell CompactLogix. Packaging lines ran on Schneider M241 PLCs. Recipe data had to move between them for every product change. A PLX31-EIP-MBTCP gateway now transfers 64 recipe values per batch. Cycle time runs 35 milliseconds. Changeover time dropped from 15 minutes to 2 minutes. Overall equipment effectiveness rose by 12%.
Tips for Better Performance
Group your data into blocks. Reading 10 registers at once is faster than 10 separate reads. Use Modbus function code 23 to read and write together. On Rockwell, use produced and consumed tags for the fastest updates. Add a heartbeat counter that changes every scan. If it stops, you know the link failed.
What Performance Looks Like
We tested a PLX31 gateway with 500 registers. EtherNet/IP updated every 12 milliseconds. Modbus TCP polled every 20 milliseconds. End-to-end data moved in 32 milliseconds. The gateway used only 18% of its processing power. Plenty of room for more data later.
Parts We Keep in Stock
We carry spares for many brands. This includes Allen-Bradley, Bently Nevada, GE Fanuc, Emerson, ABB, Honeywell, Siemens, Schneider, Yokogawa, ProSoft, and Woodward. If something breaks, we likely have the replacement.
How Fast We Ship
Our support team works 24/7/365. Call anytime. If you order before 4 PM Central European Time, we ship the same day. We use DHL, FedEx, and UPS for express air freight. Europe gets parts in 1-2 days. USA and Asia get parts in 2-3 days. Weekend shipping available for emergencies. We also have loaner units for critical situations.
What's Coming Next
Newer PLCs now support OPC UA. This lets them talk without extra hardware. But OPC UA can be slower and less predictable. For jobs that need steady timing, hardware gateways still win. Many plants now do both. OPC UA for reporting to computers. ProSoft for real-time control between PLCs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Can one gateway handle both on/off signals and numbers at the same time?
Yes. ProSoft gateways mix data types easily. On/off signals go to Modbus coils. Numbers go to registers. The PLX31 handles up to 10,000 total items without slowing down.
2. How fast can you get me a replacement if mine fails?
We stock ProSoft, Rockwell, and Schneider parts. Order before 4 PM CET and it ships same day via DHL, FedEx, or UPS. Europe: 1-2 days. USA/Asia: 2-3 days. Weekend shipping available. Call our 24/7 hotline for emergencies. Loaner units available for critical downtime.
3. Can you help if I have Bently Nevada or ABB gear that needs to talk to my PLCs?
Yes. We support Bently Nevada (3500, System 1), ABB (Ability), GE Fanuc, Emerson, Honeywell, Yokogawa and many others. We can bring vibration data, temperature readings, and efficiency numbers into your Rockwell or Schneider controls.
