Tab: Communication Settings

On this tab of the generic device editor, you define the connection between CODESYS and the device on which your application(s) should run. This includes security settings such as encrypted communication and signing.

If you prefer the classic mode of display for the dialog, then select it in the CODESYS “Options” in the “Device editor” category.

You select a gateway and a target device from the list boxes. The possible selections depend on the entries in the “Manage Gateways” and “Manage Favorite Devices” dialogs (see the “Gateway” menu).

You can also specify the target directly with the IP address (example: "192.168.101.109"), the device address (example: ‎[056D]‎), or the device name (example: ‎MyDevice‎). After the device is entered, CODESYS searches for the device in the network of the gateway.

The option of searching by device name requires unique device names in the network.

The solid circle on the lower right corner of the gateway symbol provides information about the connection status:

Red: CODESYS cannot establish the connection.
Green: The connection is established.
Black: The connection status is unknown.

Some communication protocols allow regular checking of the gateway so that the status cannot be displayed.

Clicking the solid circle of the target device starts a network scan for the device. This works only if the network is not already being scanned.

“Scan Network”

This button opens the “Select Device” dialog. It lists all configured gateways with the associated devices. You can select one target device from this list. If the name of the selected device is unique, then the name will be used in the connection settings. Otherwise, the unique device address is applied.

For details about the display, see also the description of the classic view below.

Option: “Hide non-matching devices, filter by Target ID”:

: The display is limited on the devices that have the same target ID as the current device configured in the project.

: All available devices in the network are displayed. Double-clicking the entry of a device, which has a different target system ID than the device configured in the project, opens a dialog box. This dialog box allows you to update the device description of the device in the project to the one matching the selected device. Note: This kind of update is possible only with devices which have different IDs, not for those which only have different versions. The update also requires that the device description is already installed in the repository.

“Gateway”

This menu includes the following commands:

“Add New Gateway”: Opens the “Gateway” dialog for defining a new gateway channel
“Manage Gateways”: Opens the “Manage Gateways” dialog with an overview of all gateways. You can add or delete entries here or change their order.
“Configure Local Gateway”: Opens the “Gateway Configuration” dialog. You can configure the block drivers for the local gateway.

“Device”

This menu includes the following commands:

Options:
- “Add Current Device to Favorites”: Adds the currently set device to the list of favorite devices
- “Manage Favorite Devices”: Opens the favorites dialog with a list of all preferred devices. In this dialog, you can add or delete entries or change their order. The top device is the default.
- “Confirmed Online Mode”:
  
  : For security reasons, CODESYS requires you to confirm the following when calling the following online commands: “Force Values”, “Write Values”, “Multiple Loading”, “Release Force List”, “Single Cycle”, “Start”, “Stop”.
- “Store Communication Settings in Project”:
  
  : CODESYS saves the communication settings in the project for reuse on the same computer.
  
  Note: If you use the project on another computer, then you have to reset the active path.
  
  : CODESYS saves the communication settings in the options of the local installation for reuse on the same computer.
  
  Note: When using CODESYS SVN, the option should be cleared in order to prevent a lock on the device object.
“Rename Active Device”:

Opens a dialog for changing the device name
“Wink Active Device”: Devices that support this function react by blinking.
“Send Echo Service”: CODESYS sends five echo services to the controller. These are used to test the network connection, similar to the "ping" function. The services are sent first without a payload and then with a payload. The scope of the payload depends on the communication buffer of the PLC. A message view opens with information about the average echo service delay and the scope of the sent payload.
“Encrypted Communication”:

: The communication to this controller is encrypted. A certificate of the controller is required in order to log in to the controller. If the certificate is not available, then an error message opens prompting whether or not the certificate should be displayed and installed.

If the “Enforce encrypted communication” option is selected as the “Security level” in the “Security Screen” view, then the “Encrypted Communication” command is disabled here.
“Change Runtime Security Policy”

Opens the “Change Runtime Security Policy” dialog for changing the device setting for the encryption of communication
“Change Runtime Password Policy”

Opens the “Change Runtime Password Policy” dialog to change the settings for the password policy and the login lock
“Security Settings”: This command is available only if CODESYS Security Agent >= 1.3.0.0 is installed. It opens the “Device Security Settings” dialog. The current security settings on the connected device are displayed. You can change the settings in the “Value” column and click “OK” to write them to the device.

Table 552: Dialog: “Change Runtime Security Policy”
When you select a new communication policy in this dialog, the configuration in the runtime system is changed.
“Communication Settings”
“Current policy”	Shows the currently selected policy for the encryption of communication with the device
“New policy”	List box for the new policy for encryption “No encryption”: The device does not support encrypted communication. “Optional encryption”: The device supports encrypted and unencrypted communication. “Enforced encryption”: The device supports encrypted communication only.
“Code Signing”
“Current policy”	Display of the code signing policy which is currently set in the runtime system
“New policy”	“All”: All types of application code are accepted. “Enforced signing”: Only signed application code is accepted (preventing loading an application from untrusted sources).
“Device User Management”
“Current policy”	Shows the currently selected policy for user management
“New policy”	“Optional user management”: It is the responsibility of the user to enable user management on the device or leave the device unprotected. “Enforced user management”: The user management on the device is enabled and cannot be disabled by the user.
“Allow anonymous login”	: Specific registered components (for example, OPC UA) can connect to the controller without the providing any credentials. Even if anonymous access to the OPC UA is permitted, the created device user management for the controller remains active.

Table 553: Dialog: Change Runtime Password Policy
The runtime system password policy configured here is already checked in advance in the programming system when the password for a new device user is entered or when the existing password of a device user is changed.
“Password policy is active”	: The “Password settings” can be changed and are used when a password for the device user management is created. “Password settings” “Minimum length” Default setting: 8 “Number of unique characters” Default setting: 4 “Requires lowercase letter” Default setting: enabled “Requires uppercase letter” Default setting: enabled “Requires digit” Default setting: enabled “Requires special character” Default setting: enabled “Must not contain username” Default setting: enabled The following rules for the password always apply, even when the rules are partially or completely disabled: The password must not be blank. The password must not be the same as the user name.
“Login lock is active”	: The “Login lock settings” are applied at login. “Login lock settings” “Scope” “ADMINS”: The settings apply to users who have administrator permissions. “NOADMINS”: The settings apply to all users who do not have administrator permissions. “ALL”: The settings apply to all users. “Maximal Retries”: When the number of login attempts specified here is exceeded, the user will be locked out for the amount of time which is specified in the “Lock duration” field. The user cannot log in again until the lock is removed by an administrator or the lockout time has expired. “Lock duration [s]”: Lock time (in seconds) For information about unlocking a locked user, see: ⮫ type conversion operator

See also: ⮫ Enforce encrypted communication

Communication Settings – Classic Mode