Technologies for remote device emulation

1. A method for facilitating communication between a master programmable logic controller and a target drive, the method comprising:

configuring, by a remote device emulation appliance, one or more drive emulation parameters specified by a user, the one or more drive emulation parameters including a baud rate defined by the user;

receiving, by the remote device emulation appliance, a first communication from the master programmable logic controller over a remote input/output communication link, wherein the first communication is formatted according to a remote input/output protocol unusable by the target drive;

retrieving, by the remote device emulation appliance, communication conversion data associated with a legacy drive, the communication conversion data defining rules for converting a communication including a status word from a format usable by the legacy drive to a format usable by the target drive;

converting, by the remote device emulation appliance and as a function of the communication conversion data and of the configured one or more drive emulation parameters, the first communication from the remote input/output protocol to a drive protocol usable by the target drive, wherein converting the first communication comprises converting, by the remote device emulation appliance, a format of the status word included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive; and

transmitting, by the remote device emulation appliance, the converted communication to the target drive to control an operation of the target drive.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote input/output protocol is configured for use by the legacy drive.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the first communication further comprises converting, by the remote device emulation appliance, a format of a control word included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the first communication further comprises converting, by the remote device emulation appliance, drive operational parameters included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the remote device emulation appliance, a second communication from the target drive in response to the first converted communication, wherein the second communication is formatted according to the drive protocol;

converting, by the remote device emulation appliance, the second communication from the drive protocol to the remote input/output protocol; and

transmitting the converted second communication to the master programmable logic controller.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein converting the second communication comprises converting, by the remote device emulation appliance, a format of a status word included in the second communication from the format usable by the target drive to the format usable by the legacy drive.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the remote device emulation appliance, a selection of a type of the target drive;

receiving, by the remote device emulation appliance, configuration data from a user of the remote device emulation appliance, the configuration data comprising settings for drive operational parameters of the target drive;

setting, by the remote device emulation appliance, the drive operational parameters of the target drive based on the received configuration data;

determining, by the remote device emulation appliance, whether each of the set drive operational parameters is valid; and

visually identifying a first drive operational parameter of the set drive operational parameters in response to a determination that the first drive operational parameter is invalid.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the remote device emulation appliance, a selection of the legacy drive to be emulated by the target drive.

9. A remote device emulation appliance for facilitating communication between a master programmable logic controller and a drive, the remote device emulation appliance comprising:

a configuration circuit configured to configure one or more drive emulation parameters specified by a user, the one or more drive emulation parameters including a baud rate defined by the user;

a communication circuit configured to receive a first communication from the master programmable logic controller over a remote input/output communication link, wherein the first communication is formatted according to a remote input/output protocol unusable by the target drive;

an initialization circuit configured to retrieve communication conversion data associated with a legacy drive, the communication conversion data defining rules for converting a communication including a status word from a format usable by the legacy drive to a format usable by the target drive; and

a communication conversion circuit configured to convert, as a function of the communication conversion data and of the configured one or more drive emulation parameters, the first communication from the remote input/output protocol to a drive protocol usable by the target drive, wherein to convert the first communication comprises to convert a format of the status word included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive,

wherein the communication circuit is further configured to transmit the converted communication to the target drive to control an operation of the target drive.

10. The remote device emulation appliance of claim 9 , wherein the remote input/output protocol is configured for use by the legacy drive.

11. The remote device emulation appliance of claim 9 , wherein to convert the first communication further comprises to convert a format of a control word included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive.

12. The remote device emulation appliance of claim 9 , wherein to convert the first communication further comprises to convert drive operational parameters included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive.

13. The remote device emulation appliance of claim 9 , wherein:

the communication circuit is configured to receive a second communication from the target drive in response to the first converted communication, wherein the second communication is formatted according to the drive protocol,

the communication conversion circuit is configured to convert the second communication from the drive protocol to the remote input/output protocol, and

the communication circuit is further configured to transmit the converted second communication to the master programmable logic controller.

14. The remote device emulation appliance of claim 13 , wherein to convert the second communication comprises to convert a format of a status word included in the second communication from the format usable by the target drive to the format usable by the legacy drive.

15. The remote device emulation appliance of claim 13 , further comprising validation circuit,

wherein the initialization circuit is configured to:

receive a selection of a type of the target drive;

receive configuration data from a user of the remote device emulation appliance, the configuration data comprising settings for drive operational parameters of the target drive; and

set the drive operational parameters of the target drive based on the received configuration data, and

wherein the validation circuit is configured to:

determine whether each of the set drive operational parameters is valid, and

visually identify a first drive operational parameter of the set drive operational parameters in response to a determination that the first drive operational parameter is invalid.

16. The remote device emulation appliance of claim 13 , wherein the initialization circuit is further configured to:

receive a selection of the legacy drive to be emulated by the target drive.

17. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a remote device emulation appliance to:

configure one or more drive emulation parameters specified by a user, the one or more drive emulation parameters including a baud rate defined by the user;

receive a first communication from a master programmable logic controller over a remote input/output communication link, wherein the first communication is formatted according to a remote input/output protocol unusable by the target drive;

retrieve communication conversion data associated with a legacy drive, the communication conversion data defining rules for converting a communication including at least one of a control word or a status word from a format usable by the legacy drive to a format usable by the target drive;

convert, as a function of the communication conversion data and of the configured one or more drive emulation parameters, the first communication from the remote input/output protocol to a drive protocol usable by the target drive, wherein to convert the first communication comprises to convert the format of the status word included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive; and

transmit the converted communication to the target drive to control an operation of the target drive.

18. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the remote input/output protocol is configured for use by the legacy drive.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein to convert the first communication further comprises to convert a format of a control word included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein to convert the first communication further comprises to convert drive operational parameters included in the first communication from the format usable by the legacy drive to the format usable by the target drive.

21. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the remote device emulation appliance to:

receive a second communication from the target drive in response to the first converted communication, wherein the second communication is formatted according to the drive protocol,

convert the second communication from the drive protocol to the remote input/output protocol, and

transmit the converted second communication to the master programmable logic controller.

22. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 21 , wherein to convert the second communication comprises to convert a format of a status word included in the second communication from the format usable by the target drive to the format usable by the legacy drive.

23. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the remote device emulation appliance to:

receive a selection of a type of the target drive;

receive configuration data from a user of the remote device emulation appliance, the configuration data comprising settings for drive operational parameters of the target drive;

set the drive operational parameters of the target drive based on the received configuration data;

determine whether each of the set drive operational parameters is valid; and

visually identify a first drive operational parameter of the set drive operational parameters in response to a determination that the first drive operational parameter is invalid.

24. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the remote device emulation appliance to:

receive a selection of the legacy drive to be emulated by the target drive.