YRC1000 Profinet to EtherNet/IP Conversion: Configuration Guide

Overview

The Yaskawa YRC1000 Micro controller supports multiple industrial Ethernet protocols on the same hardware platform, but the active industrial network must be declared in the controller's management-mode configuration before any data exchange will occur. Migrating a cell from PROFINET (typically paired with a Siemens S7-1500/S7-1200 PLC) to EtherNet/IP (typically paired with an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix or ControlLogix PLC) is a common North-American retrofit. The migration is primarily a configuration exercise on the robot side, not a hardware swap, provided the correct option board is installed in the YRC1000.

This reference covers the recommended sequence for a field retrofit, the controller-mode procedure that declares the new protocol, the I/O mapping practices that prevent the "weird I/O" behavior reported by integrators, and the verification steps required to bring the new scanner-to-adapter handshake up cleanly.

Prerequisites

Architecture Background: PROFINET vs. EtherNet/IP on the YRC1000

Both PROFINET (Process Field Network) and EtherNet/IP are real-time Ethernet fieldbus protocols used for discrete I/O and safety integration in robotic cells. PROFINET, governed by PROFIBUS International, is dominant on Siemens architectures, while EtherNet/IP (CIP over TCP/UDP, defined by ODVA) is dominant on Allen-Bradley/Rockwell architectures. Yaskawa publishes both stacks as optional firmware loads for the YRC1000, but only one industrial-Ethernet personality is active per controller at a time.

The Yaskawa PROFINET reference page documents the protocol stack available on Yaskawa drives and controllers, including supported RT classes and conformance classes. For EtherNet/IP integration with PC-based controllers, the Yaskawa Knowledge Center article on YRC1000 EtherNet/IP and CODESYS demonstrates the implicit/explicit messaging model and assembly layout used when the YRC1000 is paired with a CODESYS soft PLC. The same assembly structure applies when the scanner is a Rockwell Logix controller.

Migration Strategy: Direct vs. Gateway

There are two field-proven approaches to a PROFINET→EtherNet/IP migration on a YRC1000 cell:

The ProSoft Technology EtherNet/IP-to-PROFINET IO Device Gateway supports multiple I/O connections, allowing independent RPIs for control and diagnostic data so that low-priority diagnostics do not consume the high-priority control bandwidth. This is the typical choice when the YRC1000 firmware load cannot be changed.

Step-by-Step: Direct Conversion on the YRC1000

1. Document the existing PROFINET configuration. Capture the device name, IP address, GSDML revision, slot/module assignment (input and output), and any user-defined slot mapping. The YRC1000 default PROFINET slot map is documented in the controller manual, but most integrators customize slot assignments in the I/O configuration (Fn060-Fn070 range, depending on firmware). Export these to PDF before any changes.
2. Back up every file on the controller. Use the pendant's external storage menu to copy all jobs (.JBI), parameter sets (.PRM), ladder logic, and the system configuration to USB. Confirm the backup is restorable before continuing.
3. Enter Management Mode. From the top menu navigate to SETUP → FUNCTION ENABLE → MANAGEMENT. The default password is typically 99999999 (eight 9s) on a virgin unit; customer passwords must be obtained from the end user. Management mode is required to alter the active communication protocol; standard operator access will grey out the relevant menus.
4. Declare the EtherNet/IP option board. In Management Mode, go to SETUP → FUNCTION ENABLE → FIELD NETWORK (or COMMUNICATION SETUP on firmware versions that group these menus differently). Select EtherNet/IP as the active protocol. This is the same menu path used to initially declare a PROFINET board at first commissioning.
5. Load EtherNet/IP firmware/configuration files. Insert the USB containing the EtherNet/IP option files provided by Yaskawa. From SETUP → FUNCTION ENABLE → FIELD NETWORK → EtherNet/IP, select INSTALL. The controller will copy the EDS-compatible definitions and reboot.
6. Configure the EtherNet/IP node parameters. Assign IP address, subnet mask, and (if used) gateway. Set the connection multipliers and RPI. The default assembly instances used by Yaskawa are typically:
   
   • Output Assembly (robot → PLC): Instance 102 (4 bytes status + user-defined I/O)
   • Input Assembly (PLC → robot): Instance 101 (4 bytes control + user-defined I/O)
   These instances must match the scanner configuration exactly or the CIP connection will be rejected with a connection error in the Logix I/O tree.
7. Map I/O to controller variables. The YRC1000 maps each EtherNet/IP word/byte to a specific input or output register range. Document the mapping into the same register locations previously used for PROFINET so the existing application code on the scanner does not require extensive rewrites. Yaskawa's standard mapping provides a 1:1 correspondence for the most common I/O points, but the proprietary status and control words (typically the first four bytes of each assembly) are protocol-specific and must be re-mapped.
8. Initialize the controller. After the new protocol and mapping are loaded, perform a full INITIALIZE from SETUP → CONTROLLER → INITIALIZE. This clears any residual PROFINET stack state that is known to cause "weird I/O" behavior—inputs latching, outputs toggling, or the scanner reporting a connection but receiving garbage—after a protocol personality switch. The initialize step is the single most reliable cure for these symptoms.
9. Restore backed-up jobs and ladder files. Reload the application files from the backup, but keep the new EtherNet/IP configuration active. Verify that the ladder file references the same internal registers and that any conditional branches on PROFINET-specific status bits are either re-mapped or removed.

Ladder and Status-Bit Considerations

Application ladder logic on the robot side generally does not need to be rewritten for a PROFINET→EtherNet/IP migration provided the I/O register addresses (B-registers, I-registers, or named variables depending on the controller generation) remain in the same numeric range. The substantive differences are in the status and control word bits:

Bits 0–7 are functionally identical between the two protocols on the YRC1000; the difference is the message that carries them. Bits 8–15 differ and should be reviewed against the new scanner's tag structure before energizing I/O.

Scanner-Side Configuration (Allen-Bradley Example)

1. Add the Yaskawa YRC1000 EDS file to RSLogix 5000 / Studio 5000 (Tools → EDS Hardware Installation Tool).
2. Add the YRC1000 to the Ethernet/IP I/O tree. Configure the Connection parameters to match the robot: Instance 101 (O→T) and 102 (T→O), the RPI value, and the connection type (Exclusive Owner, Listen Only, or Input Only as required by the application).
3. Create the input and output controller-scope tags. The default tag names will follow the module's connection name. Verify that the tag length matches the assembly length from the robot.
4. Confirm that the scanner's IP address is in the same subnet as the robot and that no managed switch is blocking CIP multicast (IGMP snooping without querier will silently break EtherNet/IP).

Verification Procedure

1. From the YRC1000 pendant, navigate to STATUS → FIELD NETWORK. Confirm the link is up, the connection state reads "Connected", and the I/O counters are incrementing in both directions.
2. From RSLogix 5000 / Studio 5000, right-click the YRC1000 module and view Module Diagnostics. The Connection Status should be "Running" with no faults. Any 0x0318 (Connection Timeout), 0x0312 (RPI Mismatch), or 0x0204 (Duplicate IP) error should be addressed before continuing.
3. Toggle a discrete output from the scanner and verify the corresponding input bit latches on the robot. Toggle a discrete input on the robot and verify the corresponding output bit latches on the scanner. This bidirectional test confirms that the assembly mapping is correct in both directions, not just one.
4. Force the scanner into Program mode and verify the robot enters Hold state, and conversely that placing the robot in Hold from the pendant causes the scanner's status word to reflect the change within one RPI interval.
5. Cycle power on the robot controller. Verify the EtherNet/IP connection re-establishes automatically without manual intervention. This validates the configuration persistence after the initialize step.

Common Fault Codes and Remedies

Field-Commissioning Checklist

• YRC1000 backup verified restorable on a second device.
• PROFINET slot map, GSDML revision, and device name archived.
• EtherNet/IP option firmware version noted (record the EX. version, e.g., EX-M2.x, for support tickets).
• Management Mode entered, EtherNet/IP personality declared, files installed.
• Controller fully initialized after the protocol switch.
• Application ladder/jobs restored.
• Scanner EDS installed, module added, RPI and assemblies configured.
• Bidirectional I/O verification passed.
• Hold/servo-on handshake validated end-to-end.
• Power-cycle test passed; reconnection automatic.

Safety Considerations

Safety-rated I/O and PROFIsafe / CIP Safety networks are out of scope for this protocol personality switch. Safety functions must remain on their original, certified network and must be re-validated by a qualified safety engineer after any hardware or configuration change. The E-stop wiring on the YRC1000 is hardwired and independent of the industrial Ethernet protocol; do not route E-stop signals through EtherNet/IP unless the safety network architecture has been formally re-certified.