5

Status Word

A variable that identifies the memory location where the status value for

 

the consumed exchange will be placed. Valid memory types are listed

 

later in this chapter.

Time Stamp

A variable that identifies the memory location where the timestamp of

 

the last data packet will be placed. The timestamp is not an actual date, it

 

is an 8-byte value representing the time elapsed since midnight, January

 

1, 1970. The first four bytes contain a signed integer representing

 

seconds and the next four bytes contain a signed integer representing

 

nanoseconds. This value represents the time in the producer when the

 

data sample originated. It can be examined to determine if a new packet

 

received from the network has a new data sample or if it is the same data

 

received previously.

 

The timestamp information produced by the PLC currently has a

 

resolution of 100 microseconds if no network synchronization is used. If

 

SNTP is used to perform network time synchronization, the timestamp

 

information has a resolution of 1 millisecond and has ±10 millisecond

 

accuracy between PLCs on the same LAN.

 

SNTP is enabled in Module Configuration for the Ethernet Interface.

 

Once SNTP time synchronization is configured, the Ethernet Interface

 

will synchronize itself to an external SNTP time server. Only EGD

 

exchanges produced through an SNTP-synchronized Ethernet Interface

 

will carry network-synchronized timestamps. EGD exchanges produced

 

through other Ethernet Interfaces in the same PLC that are not

 

configured for network synchronization will use the PLC’s timestamp

 

information.

Exchange Variables A list of data elements making up the snapshot of internal memory that will be consumed from the network. Each exchange has its own variable list, which will be received from the producing device as a contiguous set of bytes. The elements in the list are defined as variables. A maximum of 100 variables can be defined in one exchange definition. The data types BOOL and BOOL_STATE are not allowed for exchange variables and the total size of all variables cannot exceed 1400 bytes. For consumed exchanges, %S memory types and override references are not allowed. Valid memory types are listed in this chapter.

GFK-1541B

Chapter 5 Ethernet Global Data

5-15

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Image 164
GE GFK-1541B manual Time Stamp