ANC-120e USB to DH+ Converter: User’s Guide

This guide walks you through installing the ANC-120e driver on Windows 10 and 11, setting up the network adapter, connecting to your DH+ network and going online with RSLinx Classic. It also covers the web interface, the HMI feature, firmware upgrades and factory reset.

What the ANC-120e Does

The ANC-120e connects a free USB port on your computer to a Data Highway Plus (DH+) network, so you can program, monitor and troubleshoot Allen-Bradley PLC-5, SLC 5/04 and other DH+ devices with RSLinx Classic and RSLogix 5 / 500. It also works with SCADA and HMI software such as FactoryTalk, Ignition, Kepware and Wonderware.

• USB Full Speed (12 Mbps), powered by the PC’s USB port. No external power supply.
• DH+ speeds of 57.6, 115.2 and 230.4 kbps, detected automatically.
• Automatic polarity detection and automatic DH+ node assignment, so in most cases no configuration is needed.
• Two ways to connect to DH+: the Phoenix connector for the blue hose, or the 8-pin mini-DIN cable to the processor’s programming port.
• Lifetime warranty and 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.

Step 1: Install the Driver (Windows 10 & 11)

Windows doesn’t include the ANC-120e driver, and it may assign a generic “USB Serial Device” driver when you plug it in. Install the Automation Networks driver as follows:

1. Download the driver package and extract it to a folder on your computer. It contains ANC120e_RNDIS_WIN8-10.inf and anc120e.cat.
2. Plug the ANC-120e into a USB port and open Device Manager.
3. Under Ports (COM & LPT), right-click USB Serial Device (COMx) and choose Update driver.
4. Click Browse my computer for drivers, then Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
5. Click Have Disk, browse to the extracted folder, select ANC120e_RNDIS_WIN8-10.inf, then click Open and OK.
6. Select ANC-120e USB-DH+ and click Next. When Windows confirms the installation, click Close.
7. The ANC-120e now appears in Device Manager under Network adapters.

Need screenshots? See the driver installation guide (PDF).

Step 2: Configure the Network Adapter

The driver creates a network adapter that your PC uses to talk to the ANC-120e over USB. The ANC-120e’s default IP address is 192.168.137.2, so the adapter needs a static address on the same network:

1. Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings.
2. Right-click the adapter labeled ANC-120e USB-DH+ and choose Properties.
3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
4. Choose Use the following IP address and enter IP address 192.168.137.1 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Leave the default gateway and DNS fields blank.
5. Click OK twice.

If the ANC-120e’s IP address was changed before, set the adapter to match it, or reset the ANC-120e to factory defaults (see below).

Step 3: Connect to the DH+ Network

Use one of the connectors included with the ANC-120e:

• DH+ trunk (blue hose): daisy-chain a cable from the last DH+ node to the ANC-120e’s Phoenix connector. The cable shield isn’t required, and polarity doesn’t matter because the ANC-120e detects it automatically.
• Programming port: connect the 8-pin mini-DIN cable to the DH+ programming port on the processor.

Connect the DH+ cable first, then plug the ANC-120e into the USB port. With Auto Baud and Auto DH+ Node enabled (the factory default), the ANC-120e finds the network speed and a free node address on its own.

Step 4: Go Online with RSLinx Classic

1. Open RSLinx Classic and go to Communications → Configure Drivers.
2. Select Remote Devices via Linx Gateway from the drop-down list and click Add New. Keep the default name or enter your own, then click OK.
3. In Server’s IP Address or hostname, enter the ANC-120e’s IP address (default 192.168.137.2) and click OK.
4. Check that the driver status is Running, then click Close.
5. Open RSWho, enable Autobrowse and expand the new driver until you reach CH A, Data Highway Plus. Every device on the same DH+ network appears there, ready for RSLogix 5 or RSLogix 500.

The Ethernet devices driver in RSLinx Classic also works with the ANC-120e. For FactoryTalk Linx and more driver options, see our RSLinx Classic and FactoryTalk Linx guide.

Web Interface and Device Settings

Open a web browser and go to 192.168.137.2 (or the address you assigned). The default username is admin and the default password is password. The main window shows the firmware version, serial number, IP address, IP mask, DH+ node and DH+ baud rate.

• DH+ Node set to Auto: the ANC-120e scans the network and takes a free node address. This is handy when you move between different DH+ networks.
• DH+ Baud Rate set to Auto: the ANC-120e detects the network speed on its own.
• To change a setting, select the new value and click Apply. The device reboots automatically. If you change the IP address or mask, update the PC’s network adapter to match.
• Change the default password: enter the current password and the new one twice, then click Apply. We strongly recommend doing this to prevent unauthorized changes.

HMI Feature: Give a DH+ Node Its Own IP Address

Some devices, such as a PanelView, can’t use DH+ addresses. The HMI tab in the ANC-120e’s web interface lets you assign an unused IP address (on the same network as the ANC-120e) to a specific DH+ node, for up to 5 nodes:

1. Turn on a row in the HMI tab.
2. Enter an unused IP address and the DH+ node of the device (in decimal, not octal; use 00 for node 0).
3. Repeat for each device, click Apply and wait about 5 seconds for the unit to reboot.

Firmware Upgrade

Only upgrade with a firmware file provided by Automation Networks support, and only when necessary. Unplug the DH+ cable before you start. Your current settings are kept after the upgrade.

1. Log in to the web interface and open the Upgrade Firmware tab. Click Upgrade.
2. After about 5 seconds the ANC-120e reboots and appears in Windows as a USB drive named UPLOAD_DISK.
3. Delete the file currently on UPLOAD_DISK, then copy the new firmware file to it. The device reboots into normal operation automatically.

Important: have the new firmware file ready before you delete the old one. Without a firmware file the device can’t operate until a new one is loaded.

Reset to Factory Defaults

1. Plug the ANC-120e into a USB port and wait about 5 seconds.
2. With a paper clip, press and hold the reset button in the small hole next to the DH+ LED.
3. Release it when both LEDs light up. The device reboots with its factory settings.

Factory defaults: IP address 192.168.137.2, username admin, password password, DH+ node Auto and DH+ baud rate Auto.

Still need help? Contact our engineers.