Connecting Siemens S7-1215 to Datalogic Matrix 300N via PROFINET

Overview

This document covers the integration of a Datalogic Matrix 300N industrial 2D imager with a Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 CPU 1215C over PROFINET IO. The Matrix 300N is a compact, IP67-rated 2D reader that exposes its read results, status flags, and control interface through PROFINET IO conformance class A or B. The S7-1215C has a built-in PROFINET interface (X1, 2-port switch) that operates as an IO controller natively, so no additional CP module, sidecar interface, or signal board is required for the scanner connection.

The integration path follows the standard PROFINET IO workflow used for any third-party IO device on a SIMATIC controller:

1. Obtain the GSDML device description for the exact Matrix 300N variant and firmware revision.
2. Install the GSDML in TIA Portal.
3. Add the device to the device configuration of the CPU 1215C.
4. Assign a unique PROFINET device name and IP address.
5. Wire the scanner's I/O slot configuration (inputs, outputs, diagnostics) to the PLC's process image.
6. Program the application to consume the result data and drive the trigger and control bits.
7. Verify with online diagnostics, watch tables, and a live read cycle.

Direct connection is possible. The S7-1215C's X1 interface is a 2-port managed switch, so the Matrix 300N can be patched directly into the second port of the CPU with a standard Cat 5e (or higher) PROFINET cable without an external switch, provided the installation rules for cable length (≤ 100 m copper) and grounding are respected.

Prerequisites

Hardware Topology and Wiring

The S7-1215C PROFINET interface (X1) is an integrated 2-port switch. The two RJ45 sockets are labelled X1 P1 and X1 P2, or labelled PORT_1 and PORT_2 depending on the CPU revision. Either port can be used for the engineering PC and either for the scanner — there is no upstream/downstream restriction for IO traffic on the CPU's built-in switch.

Pinout for industrial M12 D-coded PROFINET cables:

Power the Matrix 300N from a dedicated 24 VDC branch protected by a 2 A or 3 A slow-blow fuse. The scanner provides a power input and a power output daisy-chain; do not exceed the cumulative current per branch (typically 4 A cumulative on Datalogic readers). Ground the scanner's chassis to the cabinet ground bus with a low-impedance bond (≤ 1 Ω at the cabinet end).

GSDML File Acquisition and Installation

The GSDML (Generic Station Description Markup Language) is the XML-based device description PROFINET uses to expose a device's slots, modules, diagnostics, and parameters. TIA Portal cannot import the Matrix 300N into the device catalog without it. The Datalogic GSDML is keyed to the firmware revision of the scanner; using the wrong revision is the single most common cause of station failures on PROFINET startup.

1. Identify the exact Matrix 300N part number from the device label, including the suffix that denotes the fieldbus variant.
2. Visit the Datalogic product support portal and locate the GSDML file matching the part number and firmware revision. As of current releases, typical files are named GSDML-V2.3-Datalogic-Matrix_300N-yyyymmdd.xml or GSDML-V2.4-Datalogic-Matrix_300N-yyyymmdd.xml.
3. If the GSDML is not published, request it from the Datalogic sales or support channel with the part number and firmware version.
4. Save the file to a known folder on the engineering PC.
5. In TIA Portal: Options > Manage general station description files (GSD).
6. Set the source path to the folder containing the GSDML.
7. Select the GSDML row in the list and click Install.
8. Wait for the import to complete and confirm the device now appears in the Hardware catalog under PROFINET IO > Sensors > Datalogic > Matrix 300N. Restart TIA Portal if the catalog tree does not refresh.

PLC Hardware Configuration in TIA Portal

Open the project containing the S7-1215C station and double-click Device configuration on the CPU.

1. From the Hardware catalog, navigate to PROFINET IO > Sensors > Datalogic > Matrix 300N.
2. Drag and drop the device onto the PROFINET subnet attached to the CPU 1215C's X1 interface. TIA Portal will draw a line from the CPU's port to the new device's port.
3. Right-click the device > Properties > PROFINET interface > Ethernet addresses. Assign:
   • A unique PROFINET device name (for example scanner1) — must match exactly the name loaded into the scanner at runtime.
   • An IP address (for example 192.168.0.10) on the same subnet as the CPU's X1 interface (default 192.168.0.1, mask 255.255.255.0).
   • A device number (PROFINET slot ID, for example 1).
4. Right-click the device > Assign device name. TIA Portal will discover reachable devices and let you select the target by its MAC address. The MAC address of the Matrix 300N is printed on the device label and also retrievable via WebScan/Impact.
5. Open Device view on the Matrix 300N to insert the I/O slot modules. Typical default configuration:
   • Slot 0: DAP (Device Access Point) — auto-inserted, not removable.
   • Slot 1: Input: Result data (e.g., 32 bytes / 16 words).
   • Slot 2: Input: Status and diagnostics (e.g., 4 bytes / 2 words).
   • Slot 3: Output: Control and Trigger (e.g., 4 bytes / 2 words).
6. Right-click each I/O slot > Properties to enable the consistent or non-consistent (overlapped) access mode. Use consistent access for the full result buffer so that the PLC reads a snapshot of the data, not bytes that may change mid-scan.
7. Compile and download the hardware configuration to the CPU 1215C.

PROFINET Network and Device Name Assignment

PROFINET identifies a device on the wire by its station name, not its IP address. The CPU 1215C opens an RPC connection to the station named scanner1; if the device on the network has a different name, the connection will not establish even if the IP is correct. The name is the only mandatory PROFINET identifier; the IP is only required for IP-based services (WebScan, Impact, PDev, SNMP).

To assign the name to the physical scanner, use one of the following methods:

1. From TIA Portal: Online > Accessible nodes > select the device by MAC > Assign PROFINET device name. Wait for the "Assignment successful" response before continuing.
2. From the Datalogic WebScan/Impact configuration tool: Connect to the scanner's service interface (default IP 192.168.0.1 if not yet named) and set the station name under PROFINET settings.
3. From the scanner's HMI or display (if equipped): Menu > Communications > PROFINET > Station name.

After the name is written, power-cycle the scanner. The PLC's online diagnostics should show:

• Device status: green check, no fault.
• Communication: established.
• Maintenance: no alarms.

I/O Slot Mapping and Data Structure

After downloading the hardware configuration, TIA Portal auto-generates the I/O addresses in the PLC's process image. With the slot plan above, a typical mapping is:

Result data layout (typical, depends on GSDML revision; verify against the Datalogic manual for the part number in use):

Output control layout (typical):

PLC Programming for Scan Data Processing

Use a structured approach: a trigger generator, a result copy block, and a string parser. The S7-1200 does not have native string handling as rich as the S7-1500, so use the standard String and Char_Array types with explicit length fields. For consistent PROFINET data, use DPRD_DAT (read) and DPWR_DAT (write) system blocks, which respect the consistent area defined in the slot configuration.

Sample SCL (Structured Control Language) function block to trigger and capture a scan result:

// SCL FB: Matrix300N_ScanCtrl
// Triggers one scan cycle and copies the result data into a STRING.
// Uses DPRD_DAT for consistent PROFINET read of the result module.

FUNCTION_BLOCK "Matrix300N_ScanCtrl"
VAR
    bTrigger       : BOOL;          // Output to scanner control bit (Trigger)
    bEnable        : BOOL;          // Output to scanner control bit (Enable)
    bReadOK        : BOOL;          // Input from scanner status (ReadOK)
    bNoDecode      : BOOL;          // Input from scanner status (NoDecode)
    iResultLen     : INT;           // Input from scanner result length field
    arrResult      : ARRAY[0..31] OF BYTE;  // Local copy of result buffer
    sResult        : STRING[32];    // Parsed result string
    i              : INT;            // Loop index
    bTriggerPulse  : BOOL;           // Internal one-shot trigger
END_VAR

BEGIN
    // Drive outputs to scanner (these are symbolic tags tied to %QB100..%QB103)
    "Matrix300N_Control".Enable := bEnable;
    "Matrix300N_Control".Trigger := bTrigger;

    // Pull inputs from scanner (symbolic tags tied to %IB100..%ID107 consistent area)
    bReadOK   := "Matrix300N_Status".ReadOK;
    bNoDecode := "Matrix300N_Status".NoDecode;
    iResultLen := "Matrix300N_Result".Length;

    // Read the consistent result buffer using DPRD_DAT
    // (LADDR := slot 1 I/O start address, RECORD := arrResult, RET_VAL := ret)
    "DPRD_DAT_DB".LADDR := 100;            // %I address start (replace with real)
    "DPRD_DAT_DB".RECORD := arrResult;
    "DPRD_DAT_DB"(REQ := TRUE);

    // Convert raw bytes to STRING (assumes ASCII, length capped to 32)
    sResult := '';
    IF iResultLen > 0 AND iResultLen <= 32 THEN
        FOR i := 0 TO iResultLen - 1 DO
            sResult[i+1] := BYTE_TO_CHAR(arrResult[i+1]);
        END_FOR;
    END_IF;

    // One-shot trigger pulse, 50 ms wide
    IF bTrigger AND NOT bTriggerPulse THEN
        bTriggerPulse := TRUE;
    ELSIF NOT bTrigger THEN
        bTriggerPulse := FALSE;
    END_IF;
END_FUNCTION_BLOCK

For consistent access, the source bytes from the result module must be read with a single instruction that respects the consistent area length (DPRD_DAT or BLKMOV in TIA Portal). TIA Portal will refuse to map a multi-word consistent area directly into a tag; you must use the system block DP/PN I/O access from the slot configuration.

Trigger sequence (recommended state machine):

Recommended state machine flow:

1. Set Enable := TRUE.
2. Wait for ReadOK := FALSE (scanner ready, no stale result).
3. Pulse Trigger high for ≥ 20 ms (or match the scanner's debounce setting in WebScan/Impact).
4. Wait for ReadOK := TRUE (result valid).
5. Read length via DPRD_DAT, copy bytes, parse string.
6. Pulse Trigger low, clear the result, and repeat for the next read.

For acyclic data (reading identification and maintenance information or writing parameters at runtime), use the RDREC and WRREC system blocks. Index 0xAFF0 is the standard PROFINET I&M0 record; index 0x0000 returns the slot diagnostics. Acyclic communication is in addition to the cyclic IO and does not interfere with the real-time result data flow.

Verification and Commissioning

1. In TIA Portal, go Online > Go online with the CPU 1215C.
2. Open Online & diagnostics > PROFINET IO > Devices. The Matrix 300N should appear with a green check and status "OK".
3. Open a Watch Table (or the system tag table) and add the result data, status, and control tags.
4. Place a test code (for example a printed Data Matrix label) in front of the scanner's optical window at the recommended read distance (typically 50–300 mm depending on lens choice).
5. Set Enable := TRUE in the watch table or via the FB.
6. Force a trigger pulse by setting Trigger := TRUE for 50 ms, then back to FALSE.
7. Observe the result data populating within the configured PROFINET update time (typically 1–4 ms after the read completes).
8. Decode the result bytes to a string in the watch table to confirm the content matches the printed code.

Pass criteria:

• PROFINET device status: OK.
• ReadOK toggles TRUE on successful decode, FALSE on no-decode.
• Result length field reflects the actual byte count of the decoded payload.
• Result content matches the test code.
• Trigger pulses are acknowledged within one or two PROFINET update cycles.

Troubleshooting Matrix

FAQ