CX_Luigi

In the past I had a chance to test ISaGRAF, that advertises itself as the precursor to the current crop of automation software such as TwinCat, Codesys et al. It is also owned by Rockwell Automation through ICS Triplex. It used to be simple to download the full software from their site, but now it appears this possibility is broken. It is redirected to a ftp site whose connection times out. I am starting to think that the product is either discontinued or unsupported, but nothing indicates otherwise. I have a project in which I can use this software and i would like to test it again. The current version is 6.1 and the download page is http://www.isagraf.com/index.htm. Are there alternative download sites? Someone else has been able to download and install the full package?

i am having a slew of DeviceNet-related errors lately, and mostly i have to troubleshoot in remote, and with people not always proficient or comfortable with electrical troubleshooting. I see CX-Integrator has a network diagnostic tool for Controller Link, but no related service for DN, there is some tool (Omron or otherwise) that may be used to diagnose the status of the network and its error condition? Ideally it should be used to pinpoint with the maximum possible accuracy errors in the DN connection, perhaps communication signal status (again, looking from the analogous tool for Controller Link).

apologies to bring out an old thread. I tried the suggestion given in the initial post, so: - set up a Dyndns domain and enable the router support; - install Passport and set up the port forwarding through localhost; but without success. The point that escapes me is the setting up the PLC to routing table. Currently i set up the routing table in ETN21 to 0.0.0.0->my router internal LAN gateway, so any incoming request should be redirected straight on the connected PLC. I tried already with success communicating with the same PLC by giving in my CX-P the WAN address of my router, but using dyndns setup should avoid the need to get this address beforehand, and this is the scope of the whole topic. What should i look that i could have forgot or overlooked?

another option would be Portmon, from Microsoft

actually you could connect to an NS panel using just two wires, but as Mendon System pointed, Omron requests 4-wire connection for communication. I did set up systems in the past with two wires communication with NS attached ranging from 1 to 7, and I found that communication could still be achieved without problems for up to 5 panels connected. Above this number, disconnections were the norm. But again, if you want to play regular, just follow Omron advise, and you'll be fine.

Omron has listed the SD1000-BT kit, for 307 euros. The kit is manufactured by SENA, a specialist that i see they also sell online and through resellers, for prices that are lower than the Omron offer, therefore i'd like to order to them directly. However: - the kit sold by Omron is specially customised or is a standard one rebadged? - there are different models shown in SENA's online store, powered and unpowered, and also with battery pack (SD200 rather than 1000). Can it be worth ordering the SD200 rather than SD1000? if someone has used them, or ordered them, i'd like to know his experience about.

I also tried to get the Promi from Omron, but was told now they source the SENA onest

Have you tried already to contact them directly? A website www,talamonti.it seems to indicate the company is still in business. I would not count on a copy of a similar machine, as it is possiblle there are different personalizations and/or settings for different equipments.

On a CJ2M I can create datalinks using the Ethernet/IP port. Can I also access the PLC with a software or shall I need to install an EIP21 card? Also what are you experiences with datalinks for a number of PLCs? I am appraising the convenience to have up 10+ PLCs connected in this way, rather than the usual ControllerLink network.

PCMCIA and PC-E cards does not need software drivers to install as they are already present in the OS, while USB converters do. This sometimes can lead to problems. I read somewhere that to minimize issues it is better to install any driver for USB converters just immediately after powering on for the first time a new computer. I dislike PC-E cards serials because due to the low form factor, almost always the output ports are protruding from the side of the laptop. This did not happen with PCMCIA cards, but of course this is an entirely personal issue. AFAIK a PC-E card will cost less than a CIF31 converter, that as BobB said is a very sturdy piece of hardware.

PCMCIA is a good solution usually if your laptop has the slot. More recent machines are doing away with it or they sport PC Express slots, that have an entirely different form factor (my current laptop is a Lenovo ThinkPad T410 and comes with it). For USB to RS232 converters Omron has a good one, part name CJ1W-CIF31, that can be used also with different environments (IIRC Siemens recommended it straight on for using with Step 7). Another good choice is Moxa, type UPort 1100.

thanks for your detailed answer DanW, my question started by noticing the presence of multi-point connection mode in the software I use for configuring the devices (E+H FieldCare). The HART master can configure and monitor device values so I was wondering if I could replicate its functions into PLC, allowing me to remote servicing the devices, and customer operate and/or configure them. From your reply I think the best option to explore is HART to Modbus converters, in conjunction with SCU card with a protocol macro to read values/configuring devices. By the way, am I alone in thinking that the HART masters are poorly made software pieces? I have worked extensively with two, both from Endress Hauser, ToFTool and its successor FieldCare and I found them both unwieldy, slow, complicated and generally poorly designed (for example they have different ways and file formats to save the configuration of the devices). I've tried also CX-ConfiguratorFDT, also as a DTM container like the former two, but was not able to make it communicating with the devices I use. Pactware seems the relative best of the group, but I haven't had the chance to test it deeply. I think there are huge margins of improvements for these software and probably a nice opportunity for developers to produce a decent software.

apologies for resurrecting an ancient thread, but i'd like to ask if there is a way to read multiple devices through HART protocol on 4-20mA current loop. I have a batch of E+H FMP40 continuous radar levels that are polled through an CJ1W-AD081 analog card, would like to see if they can be daisy chained and their values read, both for configuration and monitoring.

As far as i recall this is one of the first instances of attacks to a process control or industrial control network. That Siemens is specifically targeted in this instance is also important, giving their great diffusion: Link to article on Computerworld

i am using a lot HART equipments from Endress+Hauser such as flowmeters and level sensors, and did not like at all their supplied configuration software. CX-One has also a so-called DTM container software, CX-ConfiguratorFDT whose codebase I understand the same as E+H own software, and therefore I was expecting to be able to use the HART modem COMMUBOX FXA-195, so I did install the driver, but cannot find it into the devices list of CX-ConfiguratorFDT Does the modem driver working only with E+H software, or there is need to configure manually to let it be recognized by CX-ConfiguratorFDT? I've previously installed the HART DTMs from Endress and CX-ConfiguratorFDT has recognized them and added into the device list.

from Omron Global IA site: Overview of NJ plc Overview of Sysmac Studio CX-Designer, Integrator, Protocol and Network Configurator also included in the package, that only supports the new controllers, so CX-One is still on for the foreseeable future.

if you need to just create virtual machines Player would be more than adequate, and free. Workstation will be used if you need to manage some aspects of virtual machines, such as snapshotting, cloning, rights management and teams deployment. For a single user with different environments available in his computer this is not normally a concern. By experience, unless the system installed in your VM requests the use of special hardware, there should be no problem at all. Originally Workstation and Player worked as you outlined in your post, when I bought the license few years ago. Nowadays I almost never use workstation and do all the work with Player. Just for information, how is your situation now?

PC104 is a hardware standard, for small factor embedded systems and industrial computers. The few times I saw these small systems, they were always DOS (as in MS-DOS) based, but as you guessed probably you may have a choice between Windows Embedded or CE and some Linux. You should ask your customer what specific hardware he wants you to program, because the choice is quite ample and from there see what's available for development.

LSS can now be freely downloaded, but in its heydays it was sold with some kind of software protection. Syswin originally was copy protected with a dongle, the latest version was activated through serial code, that may be obtained with relative ease. It is feasible to have a full working copy available for download on the site, with Omron consent and/or blessing?

you will need to program your PLC to communicate in a different protocol, for this you can either use CX-Protocol to compose your format (preferred solution), or use RXD-TXD instructions for free serial communications.

I am troubleshooting an installation composed by one CJ1G-CPU44, one NT21 and seven NS5 connected in 1:N NT-Link at high speed. Communication failures are frequent daily, and before they happen the entire network slows down sharply or freezes screen, usually when more operators are simultaneously entering data. When the failures happens, operators cycle the power on the touchscreen and the operation resumes. These failures also happens randomly on any panel, no matter near or far the line, relative to their distance to plc. Also, i've noticed that once one or two panels are kept switched off or idle (no operation performed on them), the communication keeps going without problems. Communication cabling is routed properly, far away from any possible interference source and minimized in overall length (30 to 50 meters maximum between controller and the last panel), each enclosure is well cooled ad insulated from the surrounding environment (a textile mill, hot and humid), and the touchscreen temperature itself is within working limits and not overheating. Communication between panels and plc is done through a single shielded twisted pair cable, and the line converters are not original from Omron, but supplied and marked by their italian branch. They are made in India possibly by Renu Electronics, and are configured to run in RS485. According to the NS manuals i read, for communications in NT-Link RS422 two twisted pair are required instead, while the actual installed configuration is to be used for communicating with temperature controllers, so should I change cable from 2 to 4 twisted pairs and reconfigure network communication from RS485 to RS422 as stated in manuals, or the current configuration is acceptable and I have to look elsewhere for the cause of these problems? Thanks for any insight on the matter

I have neither designed nor built the system, so I have to work with what is available, although it makes sense to put all touchscreens in a single connection rather that dividing them according to function (the NT is for machine control, the NS are for data entry and process display). But again that is a design decision from manufacturer to which I have no control whatsoever.

No ethernet plug, only USB and serial on NS. Also down the line there is an NT21, this rules out anything but serial communication.

thanks for your reply Jay, this confirms my suspicion about the design of the network, after reading the manuals. Actually the system is composed by eleven touchscreen dispersed around factory floor, and it was already split in two subnetworks, and I do not have more ports (SCUs in this case) available to move some of the panels to another dedicated line. However the cable laid for communication is indeed a 2 twisted pair cores, so I can quickly move to a 4-wires communication.

a note of warning there, from experience: while multiple language is easy and rapid during designing stages, thanks to the possibility to export projects' text in .CSV for translation, situation becomes different once you have to rectify text in an already running panel. Once I had to retransmit the project to a batch of 11 panels in advanced commissioning because of a single mistaken Chinese character in the translation. So if multiple language support is a defining feature of your application spend well your time thoroughly checking and verifying, or otherwise use graphics and icons and do away altogether with text labels.