Mitsubishi iQ-F Serial (FX5U)

8 min

Review the following information for setting up and configuring the Mitsubishi iQ-F Serial (FX5U) driver. The driver uses the MELSEC Communication (MC) protocol (3C frame, format 1, ASCII with sum check) over RS-232 or RS-485. It connects through the built-in RS-485 port or an FX5-232-BD or FX5-485-ADP adapter.

This driver was previously named Mitsubishi FX5U Serial.

Note: This driver is experimental. Some features might not work as expected.

Litmus Edge compatible series

Compatibility parameter	Compatible items
Driver type	Serial (RS-232 or RS-485)
Validated devices/series	MELSEC iQ-F: FX5U, FX5UC, FX5UJ

To set up and configure this device in Litmus Edge (LE), do the following:

Step 1: Set up and configure the PLC device

Step 2: Set up the PLC device in Litmus Edge DeviceHub

Step 3: Configure the list of registers

Step 1: Set up and configure the PLC device

Record the serial communication parameters for the device. Otherwise, follow the steps below.

To configure your device:

Note down the following information and refer to it when needed.

Device: Mitsubishi FX5U-32M

Communication I/F: RS485. Refer to the following figures.

Reference image of device

Launch the GX Works3 V1.035M software, and then click Online > Read from PLC.

Read from PLC option

Select the series.

Series selection drop-down list

Select the connection destination.

Select Connection Destination dialog box

In the navigation panel, go to Parameter > FX5UCPU > Module Parameter > 485 Serial Port. For an FX5-232-BD or FX5-485-ADP adapter, use the page for its channel.

Set the following parameters:

Communication Protocol Type: MC Protocol

Message Pattern: Pattern 1 (X,Y OCT)

Sum Check: Added

Data Format: 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit

Baud Rate: 19200, or another rate that matches Step 2

Station No.: A value from 0 to 15

Write the parameters to the PLC, and then power-cycle the CPU.

The driver connects to one PLC for each serial port. Multidrop is not supported.

Step 2: Set up the PLC device in Litmus Edge DeviceHub

Configure the following parameters when you Connect a DeviceConnect a Device with this driver. Update default values to the specific setup of your device.

Parameter	Value
Type	Mitsubishi
Driver	Mitsubishi iQ-F Serial (FX5U)
DeviceFile	The serial port path used to communicate with the device, for example /dev/ttyS1 or /dev/ttyUSB0. Default value /dev/ttyUSB0
BaudRate	Must match the baud rate configured on the device. Select a value from 1200 to 921600. Default value 19200
DataBits	5, 6, 7, or 8. Must match the device. Default value 8
Parity	None, Odd, or Even. Must match the device. Default value None
StopBits	1, 1.5, or 2. Must match the device. Default value 1
StationId	The station number of the PLC. Must match Station No. on the PLC. Enter a value from 0 to 31. Default value 0

The following parameters are under Advanced Parameters.

Parameter	Value
ReadTimeout	How long the driver waits for a response, in milliseconds. Enter a value from 10 to 10000. Default value 2000
RetryCount	The number of times a failed request is retried. Enter a value from 0 to 5. Default value 0
PauseBetweenRetries	The pause between retries, in milliseconds. Enter a value from 0 to 2000. Default value 0

The driver reads up to 128 words in one request. Below 4800 baud, a full request takes longer than the default ReadTimeout, so increase ReadTimeout on slow links. For example, a full request takes about 2.3 seconds at 2400 baud and 4.7 seconds at 1200 baud.

For the Meta Data, Status Register, and Optional Settings options, see Connect a DeviceConnect a Device. By default, the status register is D, value type word, address 0.

Step 3: Configure the list of registers

When you Add a TagAdd a Tag to the connected device, see the following register table and tag parameters. This driver does not support browsing tags.

See the following additional resources if necessary:

Organize Device and Tag Data by Using MetadataOrganize Device and Tag Data by Using Metadata

Tag Formula VariablesTag Formula Variables

Register table

All addresses start at 0. Enter addresses the way GX Works3 displays them:

X and Y: octal (O in the address format).

B, SB, W, SW, W_bit, and SW_bit: hexadecimal (H in the address format).

All other registers: decimal.

For _bit registers, the address is the word number followed by the bit number, from 00 to 15. For example, D_bit address 12503 is bit 3 of D125.

Name	Value Types	Access Type	Address Format	Max Address	Description
SM	bit	R/W	DDDD	9999	Special relay
X	bit	R/O	OOOO	1023	Input relay
Y	bit	R/W	OOOO	1023	Output relay
M	bit	R/W	DDDDD	32767	Internal relay
L	bit	R/W	DDDDD	32767	Latch relay
F	bit	R/W	DDDDD	32767	Annunciator
B	bit	R/W	HHHH	32767	Link relay
SB	bit	R/W	HHHH	32767	Special link relay
S	bit	R/W	DDDD	4095	Step relay
TS	bit	R/W	DDDD	1023	Timer contact
TC	bit	R/W	DDDD	1023	Timer coil
SS	bit	R/W	DDDD	1023	Retentive timer contact
SC	bit	R/W	DDDD	1023	Retentive timer coil
CS	bit	R/W	DDDD	1023	Counter contact
CC	bit	R/W	DDDD	1023	Counter coil
D	word, dword, int, dint, real, dreal	R/W	DDDD	7999	Data register
D_bit	bit	R/W	DDDDdd	799915	Data register bit
SD	word, dword, int, dint, real, dreal	R/W	DDDDD	11999	Special register
SD_bit	bit	R/W	DDDDDdd	1199915	Special register bit
R	word, dword, int, dint, real, dreal	R/W	DDDDD	32767	File register
R_bit	bit	R/W	DDDDDdd	3276715	File register bit
W	word, dword, int, dint, real, dreal	R/W	HHHH	32767	Link register
W_bit	bit	R/W	HHHHh	3276715	Link register bit
SW	word, dword, int, dint, real, dreal	R/W	HHHH	32767	Special link register
SW_bit	bit	R/W	HHHHh	3276715	Special link register bit
TN	word, dword, int, dint	R/W	DDDD	1023	Timer current value
SN	word, dword, int, dint	R/W	DDDD	1023	Retentive timer current value
CN	word, dword, int, dint	R/W	DDDD	1023	Counter current value
Z	word, int	R/W	DD	19	Index register
LZ	dword, dint	R/W	D	1	Long index register (32-bit)

Tag parameters

Name: Select a register name from the drop-down list. The available options depend on the names in the register table.

Value Type: Select a data type from the drop-down list. The available options depend on the register name selected.

Address: Enter the register address in the format shown in the register table, within the min and max range. Omit leading zeros. For _bit registers, add the bit number at the end.

PollingInterval: Enter how often the tag polls for data, in seconds. Enter 0 to disable polling. Default value 1

Tag Name: Enter a name for the tag.

Description (Optional): Enter a description for the tag.

Tag Formula: Enter a formula for the tag to process the generated data. You can use two variables: value (current tag value) and timestamp (current tag UNIX time in milliseconds). The following math functions are available:

sqrt

power: power(x) performs the operation 10^x.

log: log(x) is the natural logarithm (the logarithm is in base e).

exp: exp(x) performs the operation e^x.

Only Publish on Change of Value: Select the checkbox to publish NATS messages only when the value parameter changes. Change of Value only applies to boolean, numeric (such as int or float), and simple string data types. It does not apply to complex types, such as JSON or array. Poll-once topics are not affected by Change of Value settings, and still receive a single message.

Meta Data: Define key-value pairs to add to the device output payload.

Note: If you use special characters in metadata key names, the special characters are replaced with underscore characters in the payload. This can cause two key names to be combined into one. For example, configuring the key names a**b and a&&b creates only one key name (a__b).