EQSP32 OpenPLC User Manual

#1. What this package provides

Once installed, OpenPLC Editor can:

• Select EQSP32CE as the compile/upload target
• Configure the EQSP32 main-unit terminals and up to 15 EQX modules in one place (System Layout)
• Compile and upload PLC programs through the official EQSP32 Arduino library

The package carries its own copy of the EQSP32 library (precompiled). OpenPLC compiles every EQSP32CE project with that copy, even when another EQSP32 library version is installed on the PC, so a given package version always builds with the library it was tested with. A newer library reaches OpenPLC users with a new package version.

Because I/O goes through that library, these continue to work alongside the PLC runtime:

• BLE provisioning with the EQConnect mobile app
• Automatic Wi-Fi / Ethernet connection

There is no separate Pin Mapping table for this board. All I/O is configured under Configuration → System Layout.

#2. Prerequisites

The editor installs the ESP32 Arduino core 2.0.17, which the EQSP32 needs, by itself on the first build.

Build folder: the trust patch also moves OpenPLC’s Arduino folder to C:\EQSP32-OpenPLC, so builds work with any Windows user name. Files downloaded before the patch are downloaded again on the next build (a few minutes, once).

#3. Installing the board package (customer kit)

The OpenPLC Editor only accepts cryptographically signed board packages. Until Erqos is an official signed vendor in the editor, the download kit includes a one-time editor patch that adds Erqos’ public signing key.

For step-by-step commands aimed at website downloads, follow INSTALL.md in the kit (extract the ZIP, close OpenPLC, run the Node trust patch, then add the .vpp in the editor’s Package Manager: Device → Configuration → Device list → + Install additional boards… → Installed → +).

#3.1 Contents of the download kit

com.erqos.eqsp32-1.0.0.vpp     Signed board-support package (includes the EQSP32 library)
INSTALL.md                     Quick install for website customers
USER_MANUAL.html               This manual (open in a browser)
RELEASE_NOTES.md               What is new in this version
tools/patch-editor-trust.mjs   One-time editor trust, short build path and display patch
tools/migrate-project-config.mjs  Fixes projects saved with an older package (section 13)
keys/eqsp32-dev.pub.pem        Public key only (safe to share)
examples/                      One example project per language (section 11.1)
LICENSE.md                     License of the package and the EQSP32 library

#3.2 After an OpenPLC Editor update

If the editor reinstalls or updates itself, the trust patch may be lost. Close the editor, extract the kit again if needed, and re-run the trust patch from INSTALL.md. Reinstall the .vpp if EQSP32CE is missing.

#4. Creating a project and selecting the device

1. Create or open a project in OpenPLC Editor.
2. Open Configuration and select device EQSP32CE.
3. Open Configuration → System Layout.

You should see:

• Slot 0 — EQSP32 (fixed; cannot be removed)
• Optional expansion slots (Add module) for EQX modules

If slot numbers show as 1, 2, 3… instead of 0, 1, 2… the trust/display patch was not applied. Behavior still works; only labels differ.

#5. System Layout — how EQSP32 I/O is organized

#5.1 Slot 0 — EQSP32 main unit

Each row in the I/O Mapping table has:

• Channel — faceplate / connector name
• Type — IEC class (digital/analog in/out)
• Mode — electrical function (EQSP32 library mode)
• IEC Address — auto-assigned (%IX, %QX, %IW, %QW)
• Alias — friendly name for PLC variables

#5.2 Slots 1–15 — EQX expansion modules

Add modules in the same physical order they are chained on the EQSP32 expansion bus. The EQSP32 finds each module by its place in the chain, so the slot order must match.

Supported modules in 1.0.0:

The number of modules is also limited by OpenPLC’s I/O limits (see §12).

#5.3 Configuration section (per slot)

Below each slot’s I/O Mapping table is a Configuration panel. Only parameters relevant to selected modes appear (for example NTC coefficients when a pin is TIN). Module-level settings (PWM frequency, EQXRA watchdogs) appear at the top of that panel.

#6. Main-unit pin modes and PLC values

Mode labels always start with the EQSP32 library code.

#6.1 Main-unit Configuration parameters

#6.2 Counters and encoders

Pulse totals and encoder positions are 32-bit signed numbers (DINT) at %ID addresses. Declare the variable as DINT, or pick it by its alias.

• The counters run free. The package never clears a total or a position while the PLC runs (both start at 0 after a restart). To zero one, for example at a home switch, keep a reference value in the program and subtract it:

  IF Home_Switch THEN
    Home_Pos := Conveyor_Pos;          (* remember where "home" is *)
  END_IF;
  Position := Conveyor_Pos - Home_Pos;  (* 0 at home, counts from there *)

  In ladder: one rung with a Home_Switch contact driving MOVE Conveyor_Pos -> Home_Pos, and one rung SUB Conveyor_Pos - Home_Pos -> Position. A pulse total works the same way (Batch := Flow_Total - Batch_Start;).

• Roll-over is safe. After about 2.1 billion counts a counter rolls over as a normal 32-bit counter (from +2,147,483,647 to -2,147,483,648), and Now - Start stays right across it.
• An encoder uses a terminal pair: DIO9/10, 11/12, 13/14 or 15/16. Set the first terminal to QENC A (Quad encoder signal A) and the second to QENC B (Quad encoder signal B), and wire the encoder’s signals A and B to them. In the program the first terminal gives the position and the second reads TRUE while the position counts up. The Signal Format in Configuration sets what the B input does: A/B x4, x2 or x1 (counts per signal period), pulse + direction (pulses on the first terminal, direction level on the second, high counts up), or up/down pulses (the first terminal counts up, the second counts down).
• The build stops with a message when the second terminal of a QENC pair is not QENC B (or QENC B has no QENC A before it), or when more than four terminals and pairs use the counters: PCC (Pulse Counter), PCC (Pulse Total) and QENC pairs share four hardware counters.
• Power the EQSP32 through VIn when an encoder is connected. On USB power alone the first counts after a pause can be lost.

• Modbus does not read %ID. To give a position or a total to an HMI or a Modbus master, copy it to a %MD variable every scan (§10):

  Position_MB AT %MD0 : DINT;   (* holding registers 52-53 *)
  ...
  Position_MB := Position;

#7. Aliases and IEC addresses (important)

IEC addresses are auto-assigned (lowest free address per class). Changing a Mode can change a channel’s IEC class and reflow addresses.

Always bind PLC variables using aliases, not hard-coded addresses.

Default aliases (when the editor patch is applied):

You may rename aliases; user edits always win. Use letters, digits and _ (the editor does not accept . or spaces in an alias).

Pin names in EQMonitor. A terminal or module channel you rename here gets that name on the EQSP32 when the program starts, so EQMonitor shows it next to the pin (for example Start_Button beside terminal 3). Default aliases are not sent: they only repeat the pin number. Names are set at every start and are not stored in the EQSP32.

#8. EQX expansion modules in detail

Channel names include the connector prefix (X1., X2., X3.) to match the module housing.

A module that is missing or stops answering (unplugged, loose cable, module reset): its digital inputs read FALSE, its analog inputs read 0, its temperatures read −32768, and its outputs are not written. Write your program so that FALSE is the safe state of every input that permits motion or heat.

#8.1 EQXIO

SWT debounce appears in Configuration when SWT is selected.

#8.2 EQXAI

TIN conversion parameters appear in Configuration (same options as the main unit).

#8.3 EQXRA

I/O Mapping (physical terminals only):

RL1–2 have independent COM; RL3–8 are paired COM (3–4, 5–6, 7–8).

The EQXRA’s internal status values are not PLC channels in this release.

AOUT vs SAOUT

Mixing AOUT on one channel and SAOUT on the other does not synchronize. In SAOUT, AO1 and AO2 change at the same moment.

EQXRA Configuration (protection)

#8.4 EQXTC

#8.5 EQXPT

Pick wiring per channel with the Mode dropdown.

#8.6 EQXPH

#8.7 EQXHI

PLC Channels in the Configuration section chooses which rows exist: Inputs, Inputs + frequency, or Inputs + frequency + quality. Choose only what the program needs; each frequency or quality channel uses one analog input address.

Quality codes (bits 0-2): 0 not available (no input), 1 acquiring, 2 bad (off target), 3 marginal, 4 good, 5 excellent, 6 not monitored. Bit 7 (value 128 added) is the delayed frequency error. Test the code with (QUAL MOD 8) = 4 and the error with QUAL >= 128.

Frequency monitoring is set per COM group (IN1-IN5 and IN6-IN10): Target Frequency (0 for DC, or 25 to 1000 Hz), Allowed Deviation (0 switches monitoring off) and Error Delay (0 to 60,000 ms).

#9. Working with scaled values in the PLC program

Signed temperatures: OpenPLC analog words are unsigned. Negative °C values require WORD_TO_INT (or equivalent) in the program.

Temperature faults: TIN (open or short circuit), TC and PT sensor faults, and a temperature module that is missing, read −32768 after WORD_TO_INT (−3276.8 °C, never a real reading). Test for it before you use the value.

#10. Modbus and networking

Since OpenPLC Editor 4.3 the Modbus server belongs to the project, and the package supplies the EQSP32’s ports. Three places:

1. Device → Network (package screen): switch on Enable network, and choose DHCP or a static address. The EQSP32 library runs the RJ45 Ethernet port and Wi-Fi and switches between them by itself: Ethernet works as soon as the cable is plugged in. For Wi-Fi, enter the network name and password, or leave them empty to use the Wi-Fi set up with the EQConnect app.

   • A static address set here is applied by a network reset: hold BOOT for 3 s (this also clears the Wi-Fi network). Otherwise set the address with the EQConnect app.
   • Keep Ethernet and Wi-Fi both on: no switching; both stay connected. A static address goes to Ethernet, and Wi-Fi uses DHCP. Modbus TCP and the debugger answer on both addresses. Use it, for example, for Modbus on a fixed Ethernet address with Wi-Fi for EQConnect.
   • Disable Erqos IoT: turns off BLE, the EQConnect app, EQMonitor (pin names, forcing) and Wi-Fi. The EQSP32 then works on Ethernet only, with an address from DHCP. The screen hides the settings that no longer apply.
   • BLE advertising time: how long the EQSP32 stays visible to EQConnect and EQMonitor after it starts (default 3 minutes, 0 = always). After that, press BOOT to make it visible again.
2. Device → Serial (package screen): the Parity of the RS232/RS485 port: None, Even or Odd (8 data bits, 1 stop bit). Many Modbus masters expect Even.

3. Servers → Modbus server (editor screen): choose RTU, TCP or both, the slave ID, and for RTU the Serial Port and baud rate:

   • RS485_Port: the EQSP32’s RS485 terminals. Set the Modbus master to wait at least 10 ms between a reply and its next request (most masters wait longer by default).
   • RS232_Port: the RS232 terminals.

   The EQSP32 has one serial port, used as RS232 or as RS485: pick one. The USB port belongs to the editor (upload and debugger); a server set to Serial stops the build with a message.

Modbus TCP answers on port 502 (or the server’s port) over Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Set the Modbus master’s timeout to at least 2 s: a few requests per thousand take about 1 s on Ethernet and on Wi-Fi.

Register map (register numbers start at 0):

%ID (pulse totals and encoder positions, §6.2) is not in the map. Copy the value to a %MD variable in the program.

Debugger: always available over USB at 115200 baud; it needs no Modbus settings. With the network enabled the editor also offers the debugger over the network and asks once for the EQSP32’s IP address (EQConnect shows it).

Projects made with package 0.7.x: editor 4.3 does not carry the old Modbus screen settings forward. Set up the Network screen and a Modbus server again.

BLE / EQConnect provisioning remains available whatever the network settings, unless Disable Erqos IoT is on.

#11. Compile, upload, and first run

1. Finish System Layout and program logic.
2. Select the correct COM port for the EQSP32CE.
3. Build / upload from OpenPLC Editor.
4. First compile may take several minutes while core 2.0.17 and RadioLib 7.7.1 download. The EQSP32 library comes with the package and is not downloaded. On the first upload, Windows Firewall may ask about mdns-discovery. It only looks for network-connected boards; uploads over USB work if you deny it.
5. After upload, the PLC scan runs on the device; use EQConnect if you still need BLE setup.

If compile fails after an editor update, re-apply the trust patch (§3.2) and reinstall the .vpp if needed.

#11.1 Example projects

The kit has one example per language in examples/. Copy a folder, open it with Open in OpenPLC Editor, pick the COM port, build and upload. Each README.md has the wiring and what to watch in the debugger and in EQMonitor.

#12. Limits and practical cabinet notes

OpenPLC’s I/O limits (approximate):

• 56 digital inputs / 56 digital outputs
• 32 analog inputs / 32 analog outputs

The EQSP32 can address up to 15 EQX modules. Typical DIN-rail cabinets fit fewer modules beside the controller; stay within both the cabinet space and the I/O limits above.

Counters on the main unit: PCC terminals and QENC pairs share 4 hardware counters; the build stops with a message beyond four (§6.2).

#13. Upgrading the package / missing channels

If channels disappear from the I/O Mapping table after a package upgrade (for example AO1/AO2 or ADIO1), the project usually still has an old Mode string that the new catalog no longer lists. The editor silently drops those rows.

Fix:

1. Close the project (or quit the editor).

2. Run:

   node tools/migrate-project-config.mjs "<path-to-your-project-folder>"

3. Reopen the project.

The tool writes devices/configuration.json.bak before changing anything.

#14. Troubleshooting

Every build message of the package starts with EQSP32:. When a build stops, search the editor’s console for EQSP32: to find the reason among the compiler output.

#15. What stays with EQConnect / the EQSP32 library

OpenPLC owns the PLC scan and mapped I/O. The EQSP32 library still owns:

• BLE / EQConnect provisioning
• Wi-Fi and Ethernet connection

Do not expect OpenPLC’s System Layout to replace EQConnect for device provisioning.

#16. Support scope for this package version (1.0.0)

Included:

• EQSP32CE main unit full Mode set via System Layout
• EQXIO, EQXAI, EQXRA, EQXTC, EQXPT, EQXPH, EQXHI
• EQXRA watchdog / feedback-deviation configuration
• Modbus TCP (Ethernet / Wi-Fi) and Modbus RTU (RS232 or RS485) through the editor 4.3 Modbus server
• EQSP32 library v1.6.0 bundled in the package
• Quadrature encoders (QENC, all formats) and the PCC running total (§6.2)
• Missing-module handling (inputs read FALSE / 0)

Not included / deferred:

• The EQXRA’s internal status values as PLC channels
• Thermocouple type selection (library exposes a single TC mode)
• Listing in OpenPLC Editor’s package catalog (this kit installs with the trust patch)
• CAN bus (no OpenPLC function blocks for it yet)

#Notices

Erqos Technologies P.C. may change products, software, specifications and this document at any time without notice. Always use the latest revision, available at erqos.com.

These products and this document are intended for qualified professionals. The information in this document is provided as is. Erqos Technologies P.C. assumes no liability for its use. Customers are responsible for designing and testing their own applications, including the protection of connected equipment and persons.

For hardware details, see the EQSP32 and EQX module datasheets at erqos.com.

#Revision history