Is there a way for an M-series PLC to determine it's own PLCID via TBasic?
I want to interact with the PLC via the RS485 port but I also want to put other devices (namely the ICP I-7018 thermocouple module) on the same RS485 line. Unfortunately, ICP has chosen to use their own protocol rather than implementing MODBUS so I was hoping to write some TBasic code that can figure out how to handle ICP-style messages that are addressed to the PLC's ID. But I want the PLC to be able to handle whatever address is assigned to it in case I have several PLC's on the line.
Or does anyone have any other ideas for dealing with this situation? I find it really frustrating when companies offer products that use RS485 but don't adhere to any of the standard protocols for communicating on party lines. Are they so egocentric that they think people have no need for other company's products in their applications? Sure, I could add a second RS485 port to deal with ICP's modules but this is added complexity (and cost and wiring) that I really don't need.
