Anybus X-gateway Configuration Manual

Complete Configuration and Operation Guide for Industrial Protocol Gateway of Anybus X-gateway

Product positioning and core values

The Airbus X-gateway is a highly flexible industrial protocol conversion gateway launched by HMS Industrial Networks. It can seamlessly connect two completely different types or even different manufacturers of fieldbus networks together, such as PROFIBUS DP master and Modbus RTU slave, EtherNet/IP adapter and PROFINET IO device combinations. This gateway is based on mature Anybus-S embedded communication technology and has been widely validated in the global automation field.

Unlike ordinary gateways, X-gateway supports multiple combinations of master/slave roles and has Ethernet capability. One of its most prominent features is that it does not require specialized configuration software - engineers only need to use standard terminal simulation programs (such as HyperTerminal under Windows) and a NULL modem cable to complete all basic parameter settings. Of course, for specific fieldbus network parameters such as PROFIBUS site addresses, I/O mappings, etc., manufacturer specific configuration tools may still be required. However, the gateway's own operating logic, data mapping size, control word/status word enablement, etc. can all be completed in a free and universal manner.

Hardware installation and electrical connection

2.1 DIN rail installation and grounding

The X-gateway adopts a standard DIN rail installation method. When installing, first align the upper buckle of the gateway with the guide rail, press firmly on the upper part (position 1), and then push the lower part into the guide rail (position 2) until you hear a clamping sound. When disassembling, press the upper part and pull out the lower part at the same time.

Important: In order to meet electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements, DIN rails must be connected to a protective earth (PE). Otherwise, it may lead to unstable communication or decreased anti-interference ability.

2.2 Power Wiring

The gateway requires a stable 24V DC power supply with a permissible fluctuation range of ± 10% (i.e. 21.6V~26.4V). The maximum power consumption is 300mA @ 24V. The power interface is a 2-digit pluggable screw terminal with clear polarity markings: the top pin is "+24V" and the middle pin is "GND".

⚠️  The power terminals have polarity differentiation. Reverse connection will not work and may damage the equipment.

2.3 Fieldbus Network Interface

The position of network connectors and dip switches depends on the specific model of the gateway (upper layer interfaces and lower layer interfaces may be located at the top or bottom, respectively). Each network interface has a dedicated status LED:

Green constantly on: The network communication on this side is normal

Red constantly on: Network fault on this side

Red flashing: Network interface hardware failure

Extinguish: This side is not powered on

For detailed network wiring rules, terminal resistance settings, site address dialing, etc., please refer to the corresponding interface supplement manual (Interface Addendum).

2.4 Gateway Config Interface

This interface is located at the bottom of the gateway and is a standard 9-pin D-sub female socket (RS-232) used to connect to a PC for parameter configuration. The interface definition is as follows:

Pin signal

2 RXD (receive data)

3 TXD (Sending Data)

5 GND (signal ground)

Shell shielding layer

The communication parameters are fixed as:

Baud rate: 57600

Data bits: 8

Verification: None

Stop position: 1

Flow control: None

When connecting to a PC, a NULL modem cable (also known as a cross serial cable) must be used instead of a direct serial cable.

Internal data exchange mechanism

3.1 Dual buffer structure

The X-gateway contains two Anybus-S network interface cards that are interconnected through an intelligent gateway platform. Each network interface maintains two data buffers:

Input buffer: Data received from the local network, ready to be forwarded to the other network.

Output buffer: Data received from the other network, ready to be sent on the local network.

The gateway copies the entire content of one input buffer to the other output buffer during each cycle, and vice versa. The data exchange between the two directions is independent, with a maximum support of 512 bytes per direction. Note: The actual number of bytes that can be exchanged is limited by the maximum I/O data length of the fieldbus protocol used.

3.2 Loop Data (I/O) and Non Loop Data (Parameters)

Most fieldbuses distinguish between fast, periodic process data (I/O) and slow, non periodic parameter data (such as device configuration). The X-gateway handles these two types separately:

I/O data: automatically mapped to input/output buffers in each bus cycle for real-time control.

Parameter data: can be enabled through additional parameter data length settings for transmitting diagnostic information or configuring parameters.

3.3 Examples of Data Mapping

Taking the slave slave mode as an example: the upper network is a PROFIBUS DP slave, and the lower network is a Modbus RTU slave. If control words/status words are enabled for each network separately, the mapping structure is as follows:

The output data of the upper layer network (network → gateway) includes: control words (2 bytes)+application output data

The upper layer network input data (gateway → network) includes: status word (2 bytes)+application input data

The same applies to the lower level network

The gateway automatically forwards the output data of the upper layer application to the input data of the lower layer application, and vice versa. Control words/status words are used for operational control and status feedback between networks.

In the master slave configuration (such as PROFIBUS DP master in the upper layer and Modbus RTU slave in the lower layer), an additional Live List will be provided. This list is a 64 bit (8-byte) bitmap, with each bit corresponding to a slave node number (1-64). Bit=1 indicates that the slave is active, 0 indicates inactive or offline. This is very practical for the upper system to monitor the status of on-site equipment.

Status and Diagnostic System

4.1 Status Word

The status word is an important means for X-gateway to provide feedback on its own diagnostic information to the upper system. It is disabled by default and needs to be separately enabled for each network interface in the configuration interface. The length of the status word is 16 bits, and its meanings are as follows:

Name Description

The 15-12 gateway cycle counter successfully completes a bidirectional data exchange each time, and the counter increments by 1 (0-15 cycle)

The 11-8 universal error counter increments by 1 every time the gateway data exchange cycle exceeds 100ms

7-5 reserved -

4-3 main station mode (if applicable) indicates the current operating mode of the other main station (such as stop/run/clear, etc.)

2 initialization flag 1=The other network interface has been successfully initialized; 0=Initialization failed

1-0 operating status 1=the other side of the network is online/running; 0=The other network is offline/not running

By reading the status word, the upper system can real-time understand the health status of the opposite network and promptly detect issues such as initialization failure or communication timeout.

4.2 Control Word

The control word allows the upper system to manipulate the behavior of the gateway or the main station on the other side through one side of the network. By default, it is turned off and needs to be manually turned on. The control word length is 16 bits, where:

Bit 0 (LSB): Reset bit. When the bit is 1, the gateway will immediately restart and reinitialize the network interfaces on both sides. Usually used for remote fault recovery.

Bit 1-15: Master station mode control bit (only valid when the opposite side is the master station interface). The exact definition depends on the specific fieldbus, but the general rule is that if the control word is enabled, a valid value must be specified for these bits before the gateway can begin exchanging data. For example, for PROFIBUS DP master stations, it is usually necessary to set the mode to 'run' in order to initiate periodic data exchange.

4.3 Live List of Activity Sites

Only available when one side of the gateway is configured as the main station interface. After opening the Live List, the main station will forward the currently recognized activity status of its slave stations in bitmap form to the other network every cycle. This bitmap has a total of 64 bits and occupies 8 bytes. Bit 0 corresponds to node 1, and bit 63 corresponds to node 64 (node 0 usually represents the main station itself and is not included).

Notes:

Even if the master station supports more than 64 slave stations, the Live List only reflects the status of nodes 1-64.

The EtherNet/IP scanner interface does not provide a Live List, but can provide statistical information on configured connections, active connections, and incorrect connections. Please refer to the corresponding supplementary manual for details.

Error handling strategy

When one network side experiences offline or communication interruption, the gateway allows users to customize how the other network responds. This setting is completed through the Offline option in the configuration menu, which has two options:

Clear: Clear the data from the offline network direction and send it to the other side. For example, if the upper layer PROFIBUS network is offline, the gateway will output all 0 values to the lower layer Modbus. This can avoid executing old data, but may cause the device to stop.

Freeze: Keep the last received valid data unchanged and continuously forward it to the other side. Suitable for scenarios where the device is expected to maintain its current position or state, such as keeping a valve open.

In addition, for the scenario of connection loss for TCP/IP transport providers (such as HMS Transport Provider used by some configuration tools), Reboot after disconnection can also be set:

Enabled: Once the connection is lost, the gateway will automatically restart.

Disabled: Do not restart.

Configure the terminal through serial port for advanced settings

6.1 Enter the main menu

After correctly connecting the NULL modem cable and opening the terminal software (such as HyperTerminal, set 57600-8-N-1), power on the gateway. During the startup process, a series of self check messages will be displayed, and finally:

text

Press ESC to enter configuration interface

At this point, press the Esc key on the keyboard to enter the main menu. The main menu is usually as follows:

text

Anybus X‑gateway Main menu

1 - Show gateway system information

2 - Show fieldbus system information

3 - Show gateway system configuration

4 - Show fieldbus system configuration

5 - Operating Status information

6 - Change Configuration

7 - Configuration upload/download

8 - Restart Gateway

9 - Change operation mode (Master only)

A - Administration mode

Here are the most commonly used menus.

6.2 Viewing System and Fieldbus Information

Menu 1: Display firmware version, bootloader version, product version, and serial number.

Menu 2: Display the boot version, application version, MAC address (for Ethernet interface), etc. of the upper and lower network interfaces separately.

Menu 3: Display the global gateway system configuration, such as the "Reboot after disconnection" status.

Menu 4: Display detailed configuration parameters for each current network interface (see "Changing Configuration" below).

6.3 Real time Operation Status (Menu 5)

This menu parses the current running status from the status and control words, for example:

Cycle counter

Error counter

Operation mode (main station mode: run/stop/clear, etc.)

Module status (initialized/uninitialized)

Network status (online/offline)

Status word value (original hexadecimal value)

This menu is an effective tool for quickly diagnosing whether the network has been established and whether the main station has been started on site.

6.4 Change Configuration (Menu 6) - Detailed Explanation of Core Parameters

After selecting menu 6, the gateway will prompt "Both networks will go offline". After confirmation, enter the configuration editing interface. The following are common parameters (taking a mixed configuration as an example):

Independent settings for each network interface

Parameter value/description

Input I/O data size (bytes) The length of data input from the local network to the gateway (gateway → network direction)

Output I/O data size (bytes) The length of data output from the gateway to the local network (network → gateway direction)

Input parameter data size Non cyclic input parameter data length, 0 indicates disabled

Output parameter data size Non cyclic output parameter data length

Offline option Clear or Freeze

Control / Status word Enabled / Disabled

Live List (Main Station Side) Enabled/Disabled

Offline timeout (ms) 0=disabled; A non-zero value indicates how long to wait offline before executing the Offline option

Global gateway settings

Parameter value/description

Reboot after disconnection Enabled / Disabled

When modifying, use the+and - keys to switch options, and enter the new value directly for the numerical parameter and press enter. After completing all modifications, enter the Y storage configuration as prompted, and the gateway will ask if you want to restart immediately (a restart is required for it to take effect).

6.5 Upload/Download Configuration Files (Menu 7)

This feature allows the current gateway configuration to be saved as a file (config. cfg) or restored from a file, making it ideal for bulk deployment of gateways with the same settings.

Download configuration to gateway:

Press'd 'to start downloading

If prompted offline, press y to confirm

Select "Send File" from the "Transfer" menu in the terminal software, choose "config. cfg", and select "Y-modem" for the protocol

After sending, the gateway automatically restarts

Upload configuration to PC:

Press U to start uploading

Select "Receive Files" in the terminal software, specify the save path, and select the Y-modem protocol

Gateway sends current configuration and restarts

6.6 Manually changing the main station operation mode (Menu 9)

Only displayed when a network interface is the master station. This menu allows you to force the main station mode to switch to "Run" or "Stop". This is very useful during the debugging phase: you can first stop the data exchange of the master station and manually start it after all the slave stations are ready.

Troubleshooting and typical problem solving

7.1 Unable to enter the configuration interface

Check if the serial port cable is a NULL modem cable (2-3 crossover, 5-5 direct connection).

Confirm that the baud rate and data bits of the terminal software fully comply with 57600-8-N-1.

Confirm that the gateway has been powered on normally (indicated by LED).

If the "Press ESC..." prompt does not appear during the startup process, it may be due to a damaged gateway or firmware crash. Try powering off and restarting.

7.2 Two networks cannot exchange data

Check if the I/O data length of the two network interfaces matches the length used in actual engineering. For example, if the upper layer is set to 20 bytes, the lower layer must also be set to 20 bytes to fully map.

If the control word is enabled, please confirm that the upper system has set the "master station mode" bit in the control word to a valid value (non-zero).

Check the "Module status" and "Network status" in menu 5 to confirm that both parties have been initialized and are online.

Check if the initialization flag and run flag of the status word are set to 1.

7.3 Some items are not displayed in the Live List

Confirm that the slave address is within the range of 1-64.

Check if the slave station has been correctly connected to the bus and if the power supply is functioning properly.

For PROFIBUS, confirm that the GSD file configuration of the slave station is correct and there are no conflicts in the station address.

For EtherNet/IP, there is no Live List and connection statistics should be used.

7.4 Data behavior after offline does not meet expectations

Enter menu 6 and check if the Offline option is the desired value (Clear or Freeze). Save and restart after modification.

7.5 Frequent gateway restarts

Check if the power supply is stable and if the fluctuation exceeds ± 10%.

If 'Reboot after disconnection' is enabled and the transport provider connection is extremely unstable, the gateway may restart repeatedly. You can try disabling this option.

Check if the universal error counter is growing rapidly. If it grows too fast, it indicates that the gateway cycle has timed out, which may be due to excessive data volume or slow network response on one side.

Summary of Technical Specifications

Project specifications

Power supply 24V DC ± 10%, maximum 300mA

Working temperature from 0 to+65 ° C (according to IEC 68-2-1/IEC 68-2-2)

Storage temperature -40 to+85 ° C

Relative humidity 5%~95%, no condensation (IEC 68-2-30)

EMC emission EN 61000-6-4:2001, CISPR 11/22 Class A

EMC immunity EN 61000-6-2:2001 (including ESD, radiated immunity, burst, surge, conducted immunity)

Maximum exchange of data per direction is 512 bytes (actually limited by the fieldbus used)

Configure interface RS-23257600-8-N-1, NULL modem

Installation method: DIN rail, requires connection to PE

Engineering Practice Suggestions

Before the first configuration, backup the factory configuration: use menu 7 to upload the initial configuration to the computer to prevent errors that cannot be restored after modification.

Gradually enable advanced features: If control words/status words/Live List are not used, keeping the default "Disabled" can reduce data mapping complexity and communication overhead.

Reasonable setting of offline timeout: If both networks are deterministic fieldbus (such as PROFIBUS DP), the timeout can be set to 0 (disabled), relying on the watchdog mechanism of the bus itself; If one side is Ethernet and there is a possibility of instantaneous disconnection, setting a reasonable timeout (such as 1000ms) can avoid frequent triggering of offline actions.

Record configuration changes: After each key parameter change (such as I/O size, offline strategy), use menu 7 to upload a new configuration file and archive it to the project folder.

Pay attention to error counters: During the debugging phase, frequently check the error counters in menu 5. If they continue to increase, investigate issues such as bus load, cable length, and terminal resistance.