SIMATIC RF185C, RF186C, RF188C, RF186CI, RF188CI
Operating Instructions, 04/2020, C79000-G8976-C512-03
15
Description
3
3.1
Properties of the communications modules
Area of application
The SIMATIC RF185C, RF186C, RF188C, RF186CI and RF188CI communication modules
are designed for use in all areas of automation. It covers all areas in which SIMATIC Ident
RFID readers and optical readers are operated. Due to the large variety of interfaces -
PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, OPC UA, and XML - the application can run at the field level on an
S7/Rockwell controller, on a PC or at the IT level. This means diagnostic data, such as
processed transponder data or log entries, can be transferred to higher-level systems via
OPC UA or XML parallel to regular operation.
Figure 3-1
Communication modules SIMATIC RF185C, RF186C, RF188C as well as RF186CI and
RF188CI
Due to the high degree of protection, mounting without a protective enclosure is possible
directly near the RFID read points. The small mounting surface of the communication
module facilitates installation in confined spaces.
Two connections each for Ethernet and power supply allow configuration in a line structure in
addition to a star structure. The L-coded M12 connectors for the power supply allow a high
feed-through current in a line structure. The SIMATIC RF18xCI communication modules
have an additional I/O interface over which up to 8 inputs or outputs can be connected. In
addition to the familiar configuration types via TIA Portal and GSDML, these communication
modules also feature integrated Web Based Management (WBM), which enables devices to
be set via a standard browser. The WBM supports you during commissioning, diagnostics
and servicing. It also displays information about the connected readers and enables the
reading/writing of transponder data.