EEIP.NET

EEIP.NET provides a simplified interface for interacting with Ethernet/IP devices without requiring deep knowledge of the underlying protocol. Key features include:

• Messaging Support: Both Explicit Messaging (client-based requests/responses) and Implicit Messaging (cyclic I/O scanning).
• Object Library: Includes a library of CIP-defined objects.
• Data Exchange: Facilitates communication with various Ethernet/IP compatible hardware.

EEIP.NET is an Ethernet/IP compatible library for .NET implementations designed for data exchange with Ethernet/IP devices. It supports both IO Scanner (Implicit Messaging) and Explicit Message Client functionality. You can download the library from SourceForge.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/eeip-net/files/latest/download

Use the ListIdentity() method to perform device discovery on the network. This returns a list of CIPIdentityItem objects containing metadata about the discovered devices, such as Product Name, IP Address, Vendor ID, and Product Code.

EEIPClient eipClient = new EEIPClient();
List<Encapsulation.CIPIdentityItem> cipIdentityItems = eipClient.ListIdentity();

foreach (var item in cipIdentityItems)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Device: {item.ProductName1}, IP: {Encapsulation.CIPIdentityItem.getIPAddress(item.SocketAddress.SIN_Address)}");
}

To read analog inputs, use AssemblyObject.getInstance to fetch the data bytes. Since analog values are often represented as 16-bit integers, use EEIPClient.ToUshort(byte[] data) to convert the byte array into a usable unsigned short value.

EEIPClient eeipClient = new EEIPClient();
eeipClient.RegisterSession("192.168.178.66");

// Get analog input data (Instance 0x6D)
byte[] analogInputs = eeipClient.AssemblyObject.getInstance(0x6D);

// Convert bytes to ushort (e.g., for temperature)
ushort val1 = EEIPClient.ToUshort(new byte[] { analogInputs[0], analogInputs[1] });

eeipClient.UnRegisterSession();

To read digital inputs, use AssemblyObject.getInstance to retrieve a byte array from a specific instance ID. You can then parse individual bits from the returned bytes using the EEIPClient.ToBool(byte[] data, int bitIndex) helper method.

Example workflow:

1. RegisterSession(ipAddress)
2. AssemblyObject.getInstance(instanceId)
3. Parse bits using EEIPClient.ToBool.

EEIPClient eeipClient = new EEIPClient();
eeipClient.RegisterSession("192.168.178.66");

// Get the state of digital inputs (Instance 0x6C)
byte[] digitalInputs = eeipClient.AssemblyObject.getInstance(0x6c);

// Read specific bits
bool input1 = EEIPClient.ToBool(digitalInputs[0], 0);
bool input2 = EEIPClient.ToBool(digitalInputs[0], 1);

eeipClient.UnRegisterSession();

For devices like the Keyence NU-EP1, you can interact with specific attributes using GetAttributeSingle and SetAttributeSingle.

• GetAttributeSingle(class, instance, attribute): Retrieves a single attribute value.
• SetAttributeSingle(class, instance, attribute, byte[] value): Sets a single attribute value.

These methods allow for fine-grained control over sensor parameters (like light intensity) beyond simple assembly object reads/writes.

EEIPClient eeipClient = new EEIPClient();
eeipClient.IPAddress = "192.168.0.123";
eeipClient.RegisterSession();

// Read an attribute (e.g., sensor value)
byte[] response = eeipClient.GetAttributeSingle(0x66, 1, 0x325);

// Write an attribute (e.g., set intensity)
byte[] newValue = new byte[] { 50, 0 };
eeipClient.SetAttributeSingle(0x66, 1, 0x389, newValue);

eeipClient.UnRegisterSession();

To write digital outputs to an Ethernet/IP device using Explicit Messaging, use the AssemblyObject.setInstance method. You must first register a session with the device's IP address using RegisterSession.

Note that the specific Instance ID and the byte array format depend on your device's manual (e.g., a Wago device might use instance 0x66 for digital outputs).

EEIPClient eeipClient = new EEIPClient();

// Register Session
eeipClient.RegisterSession("192.168.178.66");

// Write an Output to the device (Instance 0x66)
eeipClient.AssemblyObject.setInstance(0x66, new byte[] { 0x01 });

// When done, unregister
eeipClient.UnRegisterSession();