Spanner

Not sure what you're trying to do. We use APT with Ti505 PLC's here. To My knowledge CTI bought the TI Franchise from Siemens a few years back and started re-making their own PLC's based on the 505. We're still using the older ones though. If you have the CTI PLC, I would think that CTI would aslo be able to provide you with a copy of APT. It Communicates through RS232 which is Configured through a pair of Text documents in the Root APT folder.

I'm Spanner casue that's my Nickname amongst friends. They call me Spanner cause I'm supposed to be a bit of a 'tool'!

Guys I think we need to see what Values are being read from this test. ChanThien, can you post a screen dump of the Online View of the code where this Incorrect Value being displayed? Also, If you showed us the code it might help matters. I had a similar issue when working with STL working with Doubles, I was testing the code... // Set up Maximum loops L MD 50 T #_max OPN "Logic_Data1" // Open DB50 For Access. // Start processing A M 0.0 // Switch JCN NLp // Loop conditions. Comp: L MD 100 L #_max <I JCN NLp // no Loop L MD 100 // Reload _i // Start Location. LAR1 // Start with Address register 1 LAR2 // Actual String L DBB [AR1,P#68.0] // Load opend db.dbb80.0+_i - _ist byte in Act String T MB [AR2,P#70.0] // Transfer it to byte array L MD 100 + 8 // Increment _i( + 8 bits) T MD 100 JU Comp // Jump to Compare NLp: NOP 0 And had to add the +8 as placing +10 simply added 10 Bits to MD100 instead of Adding 10 to the answer. (3rd Last Line). This Threw me as I thought I would have had to add W#2# before the value to achieve this.

The Problem with using Microcontrollers is that they can often be very difficult to Debug and while the software to program them may be available in freeware versions the only real way top Debug your program is with an Emulator which can be quite expensive. Also you need to purchase a Programming Caddy to Program the chips once you're happy with your program in order to download it onto the chip. If you've all those components at your disposal, then sure, this would be the low budget way to go but if not, depending on how advanced your application is, a Smart Relay, I would believe, would be the best option.

A Lecturer I once had used insist on them being referred to as "Pneumatic Linear Actuators" but here in the real world I find they're generically called "Cylinders" (Incorporates the solenoid controls as well) with "Extend" and "Retract" limits. (CYL - Cylinder, ELS - Extend limit Switch, RLS -Retract Limit Switch etc).

Another Easy Smart Relay system is the Zelio Logic from telemechanique. http://www.telemecanique.com/en/functions_..._zeliologic.htm It has Free software to download to any PLC and from what I hear is available to download ni PDA format as well if a Hand Held programming system is essential. I Believe a starter kit is relatively cheap coming in at €230 which includes a small smart relay, a programming cable and the software on CD. http://ie.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/par...jsp?SKU=5018882 (Try the US site). The software is pretty intuitive as well and has a nifty Simulation option to trial your program. Also You can program in SFC Mode as well which isn;'t as widespread as I'd thought but isn't much use for your project (I would think). Worth a look regardless.

Once upon a time, in a nice little forest, there lived an orphaned bunny and an orphaned snake. By a surprising coincidence, both were blind from birth. One day, the bunny was hopping through the forest, and the snake was slithering through the forest, when the bunny tripped over the snake and fell down. This, of course, knocked the snake about quite a bit. "Oh, my," said the bunny, "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I've been blind since birth, so, I can't see where I'm going. In fact, since I'm also an orphan, I don't even know what I am." It's quite ok," replied the snake. "Actually, my story is as yours. I too have been blind since birth, and also never knew my mother. Tell you what, maybe I could slither all over you, and work out what you are so at least you'll have that going for you." "Oh, that would be wonderful" replied the bunny. So the snake Slithered all over the bunny, and said, "Well, you're covered with soft fur, you have really long ears, your nose twitches, and you have a soft cottony tail. I'd say that you must be a bunny rabbit." "Oh, thank you, thank you," cried the bunny, in obvious excitement. The bunny suggested to the snake, "Maybe I could feel you all over with my paw, and help you the same way that you've helped me." So the bunny felt the snake all over, and remarked, "Well, you're smooth and slippery, and you have a forked tongue, no backbone and no balls..... I'd say you must be either a team leader, supervisor or possibly someone in senior management."

Guys. Here in this plant, we use Ti-555 PLC's with a Wonderware Intouch 7.11 / 8 HMI screen to operate the Manufacturing lines. This was originally Ti-555 PLC's with a CVU HMI and CVU was used as a Window to the PLC where EVERYTHING took place. Calculations, Calibrations, Production counts, control, alarming, Analisys Data, Machine Control, cycle time processing, EVERYTHING. This was upgraded to intouch 7.1 a few years ago and since is in the process of being upgraded to Intouch 8. We've an InSQL Server oveseeing the plasnt production numbers and are currently looking into Intouch with Archestra on Allen Bradley PLC's (RSLogix-5000 I think) on New Manufacturing lines. This has raised a few questions and debates recently, mainly about all that's still going on in the Ti-555. Some are stating that Production counts, Yield analyis, basically most of the Non Control processes within the PLC be removed and placed on the Wonderware System to allow the PLC to function as a controller only. Others - Like myself - Are opting to Place As much as we can within the PLC as I believe the Purpose of a HMI is to simply act as a Window into the PLC and to pose as a Smart Switch system where necessary. What I would like to see is what do you think? Am i wrong? Should as much as possible be placed on the HMI? Should the Load be shared? What should the role of a PLC be compared to that of a HMI or is the Term HMI Irrelevant, Should the system operate as more than just an Interface? What do you guys think? Am I right? If I'm not, try to convince me and others that think like me Otherwise.

We had an issue with taht too causing comms problems between a Yaskawa Progic 8 and YPSU (Dos Based). The solution was eventually to make the Systems Dual boot and hav one running pure DOS on one boot but Windows on another. Not sure if that's any good for you but is you find out anything about setting the Comm ports to run faster in XP, I'd love to hear about it! Dual boot is a bit of a pain.

Exactly how familiar is he with the Automated Machinery? He could put down [Type of machine] machine operator and add his familiarity to the roll description and responibilities section.

Heya West_ I would more ask the question, "Why is My HMI Computer Hanging". We had a bit of a problem here where 2 applications on the HMI Computer were in conflict over ethernet port 1505 causing the procesor to work 100% for a while giving the illusion of Hanging up. Another Hangup we'd seen here was a bit of a bugger to find. We use intouch 7.1 and 8 here and programmed into intouch is an option to print the page using the Key script for "Ctrl+F12". The problem was caused by Operators Pressing Ctrl+Pause/Break instead which if selected (Often by default) in the windowmaker - Windowviewer configuration settings stops running all scripts. (SEE ATTACHMENT) What HMI Software are you using?

Hey Guys. I'm looking to get my hands on a little blue key for the Front panel of a Siemens PLC. In the plant here we use S7-400 PLC's and The Little Mode selection Keys at the front to switch between RUN, RUN-P, STOP and M_RSET are kept in the Panels on the front Door. The Philosophy is that unless you know how to use them, you can't accidentally reset the PLC with the switch. The Problem is that As they are so accessable, all but a handful have gone missing and the few left are a commodity. So to cut a long story short, does anyone knwo where I can get my hands on one... In Ireland if Possible! Any Help is appreciated guys. Thanks in Advance Alan.

I Must Remember that one!

Or if you're not going with Siemens due to Pricing, this guy makes a (Suprisingly passionate) point... http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?showtopic=5912 Although Seeing as this question was originally posed over a year ago, It's probable you've chosen Festo or S7. If unregistered is looking at this, what did you choose?

Hey guys. I'm working on a TI-555 PLC being programmed with APT instead of TI-Soft. I've copped that when you make a change to a tag, The Cross reference needs to be rebuilt with a full compile before it recognises any changes to Tags refeenced in the program. What i've copped is that i've done a full compile followed by about 3 incremental compiles and the reference Data STILL hasn't updated. it's referencing steps and transitions that don't exist any more. Does anyone out there have any experience with this ad that knows how to rebuild the reference files reliably WITHOUT doing a full compile. I know APT is a Nasty system with Lots of holes and bugs but it's been superceeded long ago and Siemens don't offer any support for it any more, so here's to dipping into the pool of knowledge!!! Any Help is appreciated! Spanner.

Not quite, A Company called CTI have purchased the rights and offer some support but their main focus appeasr to be development which isn't quite 100% backwards compatible... Or So I'm told!

In My Opinion, Programming Styles don't make as much of a difference as is thought. I've had to go through about 875 lines of ladder logic that controlls 4 positioners. The Part I hated was Someone had deleted the comments and all the Coils/relays had their X/Y/M### Labels on them. If the code is Commented correctly and adequately such that you know what's going on and the Tag Labels have a Nomenclature you can follow and Make sense as to what it does, the whole process becomes Much (Much) more managable regardless of Programming style. I've seen some code where someone used a subroutine for the sake of it (only used once, no repeatability and Poor comments) and it made it Very Difficult to jump between subroutines and standard code to troubleshoot. that Said, I'm a Big Fan of Well structured object orientated programming as well when you can get a better picture of what's going on by trawling through the code. One thing though I dispise is Commented out code however. Especialy when it's not partivularly colour coded and still shows up in Cross references.

We Actually have those which are running about 1/3 of the TI-555 PLCs in the plant, The problem is that the Manufacturing lines are using 5 Ti-555 PLC's each and the programs are quite Large. It would take quite a Task to re-code everything in Ladder. (For those of you who have not to come across APT before, APT is a Structured Text Based Programming Language fot S5 and Ti-555 PLC's. Have a Look at the attachment below, this is an extract from the Instruction manual, the Text editor is purely DOS Based). I Was simply wondering if anyone out there has Used APT in Depth before and knew what was going on?

Have to agree, a lot of my inspiration and original direction towards engineering is due to star trek, but It was the engineers in The next generetion that drew my love for engineering. There was an engineering answer and solution for EVERYTHING. When i'm feeling uninspired I think back to cmdr la-Forge for inspiration. Still no closer to deciding who's the better engineer then folks?

Most SCADA systems I've worked with have an option on the Tag configuration for selection between Read only and read/write. Seems simple enough but check this in the configuration of the Tag you want in Both the OPC server setup and the SCADA system Setup.

Not only that but I think If you know what you're doing, you can pretty much do anything with a PLC that you can with a PC... within reason. Anything extravagant can be done on a HMI PC such as a WinCC or Intouch server. By offering this interface facility, when the HMI inevitably crashes, the process being controlled is still quite happily working away with the PLC while all the pretty, fancy and gadgety things you'd want a PC for can be run seperatly on the HMI. That's my opinion anyhow.

Hey guys I Had this posted in the lounge but was probably in the wrong place. If anyone out there has any info, It's appreciated, This has rared it's ugly head again! http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?showtopi...1&st=&p=entry (Or if anyone knows how to move a topic from one location to another?)

Folks. Looking for any help out there concerning a Yaskawa Progic8 PLC. We have this here in th eplant controlling a servopack and Positioner assembly. The Points are normally Taught through a teach pendant or through the YPSU interface allowing to access the point table on a remote PC. The problem is that the Teach Pendants are getting pretty scarce on the ground and the communications between YPSU and the Progic8 CPU are unreliable to say the least on anything newer that Windows NT. What I'm trying to do is to get intouch to write the point tables directly to memory but I don't want to bypass the traditional option of the point table because Operations are famailiar with that option and any teach pendant's will be useless. Does Anyone know of any HMI IO Server that can be run between Intouch and a progic8 PLC or where I can get an OPC Server compatible with Progic 8. Also, Anyone out there familiar with progic8, is there a command to write to the point table in the same way the "MON" command reads from it? Any help or suggestions are appreciated and any questions or queries are welcome. Spanner.

Since Siemens have stopped making the TI 555 / 505, a company called CTI (Who have previously released ethernet modules and expansions for the APT programming language for TI-505 series controllers) have picked up the Mantle and are in work prodcing a New 565 type PLC... Or So I hear anyhow! Try them at their website http://199.184.177.36/ (Believe it or not!) The website is at least worth a look.

We Have Software Logbooks and stringently keep up to date records on each change. If it's a small change, then Chances are operators won't see it or notice it unless it's displayed on the HMI. I like to cover myself though and Forward on a E-MAil with the new Revision, the line effected, the software change (Breif Description of the cghange and how it works) and Clarification for testing. The problem I find is that for bigger changes, the Mails become too long winded and operators often don't have the Patience to read them. one of the down points of bing at the end of a phone line.