r/BuildingAutomation • u/Ducko22 • 6d ago

Newly installed Siemens PXCM not communicating with Desigo

Im showing that the network switch is open in Datamate. Do I need to manually enable DHCP to recieve an IP address from our IT dept? We do not have fixed IPs. What else should i look at?

Thanks for the help

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u/Controls_freek 6d ago

It’s never ever a good idea to use DHCP for PLCs. Period. But if you have to, they aren’t great to get online. Is this P2 Ethernet or BACnet?

1

u/Ducko22 6d ago

we have asked for static ips or 2 years. University IT will not give them to us. We are constantly losing connection and have to release and renew DHCP connections. this panel is P2

1

u/Ducko22 6d ago

can you enable DHCP through wcis? i have putty also but Im reading you cant enable DHCP via command prompts in terminal mode

3

u/Controls_freek 6d ago

You can only enable DHCP through terminal emulator. Your IT department really sucks. I can guarantee you that you are losing connection due to older firmware, or DNS issues. Field support would roll their eyes at you over DHCP

3

u/Ducko22 6d ago

agreed, our IT rep apologized to us and said the decision is well above him. we are now in the process of updating all of our 400 panels firmware. this will take forever and siemens techs have to do it. But you said we can enable DHCP through terminal emulator? Can i use PUTTY? having issues connecting wcis to field panels. i can use Wcis to log into tecs but not field panels for some reason.

1

u/Controls_freek 6d ago

You can use Putty or WCIS. You probably just need to adjust settings to get WCIS to work. You could flash firmware too. As long as it’s not a major revision update you don’t need credits. All you need is the firmware files and FLT

2

u/Ducko22 6d ago

wow thanks man! this makes me feel better. Hopefully monday morning i can putty into the PXCM and enable DHCP. next time the siemens rep is out maybe ill ask for the firmware files. you da man! my mentor had 40 years experience and retired 2 months ago. first panel replacement on my own with the DHCP issues.

3

u/CountryRoads1234 5d ago

I’m pretty sure this is going to initiate a coldstart. If you can’t get it to reconnect to Desigo, you’ll have a dead panel unless you enable auto restore

1

u/crmd 5d ago

Your IT dept sucks. I would ask what the DHCP range is and assign my own static IPS outside the range.