Published: 2025-11-18 Article source:
Hello, everyone! Welcome to general measure's channel. Today we'll explain how to communicate GMC-X4 with PLC via the PROFINET protocol.
GMT-X4 supports multiple communication interfaces:
Serial Communication (RS232/RS485)
CAN Communication
Ethernet Communication (Modbus TCP/IP)
Field-bus Communication (including PROFINET, EtherCAT, Ethernet/IP, and CC-Link IE)
In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to communicate GMT-X4 with PLC via the PROFINET protocol.
Before communicating, you need to download the GMT-X4 GSD File on the General Measure's website and remember the download address.
The software used for demonstration is TIA Portal V14.
1. Creating a New Project
Click [Create New Project], fill in the project name as GMT-X4 (* Tip: It's better to set the project name to English characters), and click [Create].
Open the [Device and Network], enter the Add New Device, add the corresponding type of PLC device first, choose the version and click [Add]. (* Tip: The operation is based on the type of PLC device you connected to)
2. Add instrument equipment
Click [Options] on [Manage General Station Description Files] to import the GSD file of the GMC-X4 (file saved from the official website at the beginning), select the file, click [Install]. After installation, Waiting for the hardware directory to be updated, then click [Device Configuration] in the equipment bar on the left, click [Network View], and select [PROFINET IO] in [Other Field Devices]. Click [I/O], find the instrument device corresponding to the GSD file you just installed, double-click to select, and click Connect Instrument Device and PLC.
3. Assign Device Name
Next, assign the IP address of the PLC. Click on [PLC Devices] and set the IP address of the PLC
Then assign the IP of the instrument, click on [Instrument Device], and set the IP of the instrument
Modify the PN device name of the instrument, the device name is the unique identification for PN communication. Then reassign the device name of the instrument, right-click the instrument device, select [Assign Device Name], click [Update List], find the MAC address corresponding to the instrument, select [Assign Name], and click [Close] after assignment is complete.
4 Read and Write non-cyclic parameters
Click on [Ungrouped Devices] in the left device bar, select "IN1_1", right-click on [Properties], and modify the parameters of GMC-X4 in the module parameters. Here, in the case of modifying [unit], after the modification is completed, the parameters will be written to the instrument. We can see the unit changed in instrument.
5. Compile and Download
Click the [Compile] button to compile the configuration. After compilation, click [Download to the device] to enter the download interface. Then click [Start Search] to find the corresponding PLC device, click [Load], click [Stop All] to load the configuration into the PLC. After completion, check [Start All] and click [Finish]. At this point, the configuration download is complete and the download interface is automatically closed.
Click on [Go Online]. A green checkmark displayed in the left device bar indicates that the device has established a communication connection.
6. Read/Write Loop Parameters
Different parameters of the instrument can be set using the read-write cycle parameters (Refer to the parameter list in the manual, P45-46).
For example: Zero calibration by using the request to write value of the address and input data, and read the millivolt of the zero calibration by using the read request of the address.
Click [Instrument Device], then [Device View] to query the address assigned to the instrument by TIA software, which is divided into address I and address Q.
First click [Go Offline], click [PLC tags] on the left, and select [Default tag table]. (Manual P44-45, check IO module address of GMT-X4 combined mode of PN loop parameter. It can be known that the [modbus address of the value to be written] and the [input data] correspond to Q6 and Q10 respectively, while the [address to be read] and the [value to be read] are Q14 and I34 respectively. ) Enter the corresponding [Name], [Data type], [Address] in the default variable table. Click [Download], and after loading, click [Go Online]; Click [Add new watch table] in [Watch and force tables] on the left side, import the parameters of the default variable table in the monitoring table, and turn on [All Monitoring]. And select the corresponding display format. Check the data types in the modbus communication address table in the manual to get the corresponding display format. (Manual P25-29, data types in the modbus communication address table).
Write 608 for the [address of the value to be written], 1 for the value to be written, and 608 for the [address to be read]. Click on [Modify all selected values] to see if the value in [Read Value] is consistent with the zero-point calibrated millivolt. If they are consistent, the read/write is successful.
That's all for GMT-X4 PN communication demo. If you want to learn more about this instrument, feel free to contact General Measure.