Schneider Modicon M258 Selection and Upgrade

Configuration points:

The input type is sink, please note that the external sensor must be matched with NPN or PNP.

The high-speed counter shares a physical point with the regular digital input, and the HSC function needs to be defined in SoMachine before use. The regular input function will be disabled.

3.2 Analog quantity and temperature control

The M258 body analog input can be configured as 0-10V or 0-20mA, with a 12 bit resolution (0~4095). For applications with higher requirements, the TM5 analog expansion module provides 16 bit resolution and multiple ranges.

The controller has built-in PID regulation function, which can be combined with temperature sensors (PT100/thermocouple) to achieve temperature closed-loop control; Simultaneously supporting process control such as pressure and flow.

Attention: To directly connect PT100, a TM5 dedicated temperature module (such as TM5SDI12T) must be used. The analog input of the body does not support resistance sensors.

3.3 Position Control and Motion

M258 supports two motion control modes:

Control Lexium 32 servo or SD3 stepper through CANopen: use PLCopen standard function blocks (MC_Sower, MC_SoveAbsolute, etc.) with up to 16 independent axes. CANopen has a maximum baud rate of 1Mbps and supports synchronous periodic position mode.

Communicate with Lexium 32 or third-party drivers through digital I/O: use high-speed output to send pulse/direction signals, or control start stop, forward and reverse through traditional digital quantities. This method is limited by the number of high-speed output points, but it is easy to implement.

Selection Tips:

The TM258LF series (with CANopen) only supports multi axis motion control.

If more complex electronic cam, gear synchronization and other functions are needed, it is recommended to consider a higher-order Modicon LMC058 motion controller.

Communication interface and network integration

4.1 Embedded Ethernet

All M258 models are equipped with an RJ45 Ethernet port (10/100Mbps, MDI/MDIX adaptive), supporting the following protocols:

Modbus TCP Server/Client (up to 8 server connections)

EtherNet/IP devices (up to 16 connections)

SoMachine protocol (used for programming and debugging, occupying 1 connection)

Web server (up to 10 concurrent connections)

FTP server (for file transfer)

SNMP (Network Management)

Practical functions:

The built-in web server provides a device status page, allowing users to view variables, I/O status, and diagnostic information through a browser without the need for additional programming.

FTP servers can be used for remote uploading/downloading of program files or data logs.

4.2 Serial Link (Modbus/ASCII)

M258 provides an RJ45 serial port that can be configured as RS232 or RS485, supporting:

Modbus RTU/ASCII master or slave

Free protocol (ASCII string transmission and reception)

This port is suitable for connecting old-fashioned instruments, barcode scanners, third-party inverters, etc.

Attention to wiring: Shielded twisted pair cables should be used for RS485 wiring, and terminal resistors should be added at both ends. RS232 is a 3-wire system (Tx/Rx/GND) with a maximum length of 15 meters.

4.3 CANopen Master Station (LF model only)

The TM258LF series (LF42DT, LF42DT4L, LF42DR, LF66DT4L) is equipped with a 9-pin SUB-D interface CANopen master station, which complies with the CiA DS301 V4.0 standard. Features:

Baud rate 125kbps~1Mbps can be set

Supports up to 63 slave nodes

Support PDO, SDO, NMT, heartbeat, and synchronized objects

Import EDS files through SoMachine's built-in CANopen configurator to easily configure drivers, I/O modules, and more.

Typical application: Connect multiple Altivar frequency converters or Lexium servos through CANopen to achieve speed synchronization, torque control, and status monitoring.

4.4 Profibus DP extension (via TM5PCDPS module)

For systems that require access to the Profibus DP bus (such as communication with Siemens S7-300/400 main station), the M258 can be equipped with a TM5PCDPS communication module (occupying one PCI slot). This module uses M258 as a Profibus DP-V1 slave and supports up to 244 bytes of input/output data.

Configuration steps:

Insert TM5PCDPS into the PCI slot of M258 (limited to TM258LD42DT4L, LF42DT4L, LF42DR, LF66DT4L models only).

Use SoMachine to configure the station address and baud rate (up to 12Mbps) of the module.

Import GSD files on the main station side (such as S7-300) and configure I/O mapping.

Note: A M258 can accommodate up to two communication modules, but only one Profibus DP module can be installed (the other slot can be used for the serial port expansion module TM5PCRS2/4).

Expansion I/O and TM5 module selection

M258 increases I/O points or special functions through TM5 series expansion modules. The expansion module includes:

Digital module: 8/16/32 channels, input/output/hybrid type

Analog module: 2/4/6/8 channels, 12 or 16 bits, voltage/current/thermocouple/RTD

High speed counting module: up to 200kHz, supports more counters

Public distribution module: provides unified power distribution for multiple modules

Transmission/reception module: used for remote I/O expansion (up to 100 meters, up to 25 islands)