Scanning the Network for Profinet Devices

For scanning the network for Profinet devices, the project must already contain a controller with Profinet controller. Refer to the topics "Scanning the Network for a Controller (Controller-based Template)" or "Scanning the Network for a Controller (Empty Project)" for detailed procedures.

Note
For a network scan as described below, it is not necessary to manually establish a communication connection before the scan. This is done automatically by PLCnext Engineer.

Double-click the 'Profinet' node.
In the editors area, open the 'Online Devices' editor (see (1) in the figure below).
In the drop-down list (2), select the LAN adapter of your computer which is connected to the controller network to be scanned.

Click the 'Scan the network' button (3) on the 'Online Devices' toolbar.

The network is scanned and found Profinet devices are listed in the table.

Note
If your project controller can be used as both the Profinet controller and Profinet device at the same time, the controller is also found as device and listed in the table (as shown in the example above).

The columns left of the 'Status' column represent the configuration edited in the project. The columns are empty as no Profinet device has yet been added to the project.

The icon in the 'Status' column indicates that the scanned device is not yet contained in the project.

Select the table line with the found device and execute the command 'Add to Project' from the context menu or click the following toolbar button:
If a scanned device cannot be uniquely identified because, for example, more than one matching device type is available in the COMPONENTS area ('Device' or 'References' category), the 'Station structure preview' dialog appears. In the dialog, select the 'Type' of the scanned device from the drop-down list and confirm to continue.

Note
Only add a controller as Profinet device if it is not the project controller. Otherwise, the controller would be used as its own child element.

After adding the device to the project, the communication connection 'Status' may switch to 'Warning' because the communication settings of the scanned device do not match the (default) communication settings in your project.

In this case, proceed as follows:
Select the table line of the device with 'Warning' status and execute one of the following commands from the context menu or click the related toolbar button:

Command 'Apply the online device settings to the project device settings' or toolbar button:

The communication settings configured in the scanned device are transferred to the project. The 'Online Devices' table is updated accordingly on project side. The 'Status' of the communication connection between PLCnext Engineer and the device is set to 'OK' (green). See (1) in the figure below.

Note
After reading the IP address from the scanned device, an error message may be output that the IP range configured in your project does not match the read IP address. Open the 'Settings' editor of the 'Project' node and adapt the IP range accordingly.

Command 'Apply the project device settings to the online device settings' or toolbar button:
The communication settings configured in the project are transferred to the scanned device. The 'Online Devices' table is updated accordingly on online side and the communication status is set to 'OK'.

The device is added as node in the PLANT using its configured device name (2).

Profinet I/O modules which are connected to this device are also inserted below the device node.

Example:

Double-clicking the Profinet device node opens the properties providing the 'Module List' editor. In this table, all found Profinet I/O modules are listed.

If further Profinet I/O modules are installed later, you can add them to the project as follows:

By scanning the Profinet network ('Read Profinet modules' in the context menu of the device node in the PLANT),
or by selecting them in the 'Module List' (station editor).
or by dragging them from the 'Devices' category of the COMPONENTS area.

Overview: status icons in the device table

Note
When you position the mouse pointer over an icon, a tooltip shows further information about the current status.

Icon

Meaning

Status 'OK'.

The project device and the online device are identical. All comparison values of the project and online device match.

Status 'Unassigned: Not in project'.

The discovered device is not in the PLCnext Engineer project, i.e., not assigned to a project device. It is only available "online" (online device).

To add the device to the project (PLANT), right-click the entry and select 'Add to project' from the context menu or click

on the editor's toolbar.

Status 'Unassigned: Not online'.

The device is only contained in the PLCnext Engineer project.

Status 'Warning'. (See the icon's tooltip for details.)

The project device and the online device are not identical. At least one comparison value of the project and online device does not match. The status is indicated, for example, if the values of the project device and the online device have changed after the last network scan.

Remedy: You can transfer the communication settings from the device into the project or vice versa:

Note
Project device settings that you modify in the 'Online Controllers'/'Online Devices' editor, such as the 'IP address', 'Subnet mask', 'Default gateway', etc. are immediately written to the online device by entering the value and confirming it with <Enter>.

Note
If the device settings cannot be synchronized, a corresponding warning is shown in the MESSAGES window.

Status 'Error'.

There is a critical error reported for the device.

Status 'Conflicted'.

Status symbols such as the 'OK' and 'Unassigned' statuses may have an exclamation mark overlay. An exclamation mark symbol is displayed on the status symbol if there is a conflict between devices listed in the device list (for example, several devices have the same IP address or the same name of station).

Status 'Outdated'.

The settings of the online device are possibly not up to date. This status is for example indicated if a new configuration file with different settings have been downloaded to the device after the last network scan.

Status 'Pending'.

A write/read operation, firmware update, etc. is currently in progress. The icon is also shown while an assignment is applied.

Status 'Unknown'.

Scanning is in progress and the comparison between project and online device is not yet completed.

Status 'Flashing'. After pressing the 'Flashing' button in the editor's toolbar, LEDs are flashing at the device for identification purposes.

Further Info
Continue with configuring and parameterizing new devices, e.g., for editing the device IP address.