JRoss

I usually use not equal to 0. You might be all right because you're using 5 nibbles, but if you use 4 (INT) or 8 (DINT), then the most significant bit acts like a sign bit, which means if it's on the value of the grouped bits will be negative.

+1 on the PCIS software. I've used it in both a Win3.1 virtual machine and in a WinXP virtual machine. If you can get your hands on an older laptop with WinXP and a serial port, that'll be easier than messing with an emulator or virtual machine. Note you will need the serial cable adapter for it. Edit: You will still have to hand-convert the code. It won't automatically convert to RSLogix 500.

At some point in the past you must have gone into Online Monitor/Write mode to make online changes. This sets an option to write changes to the PLC after compiling. Go to Tools/Options and look for that setting.

bump

Huh, for some reason emails from MrPLC started going into my spam folder, and I just found this. The programs in the motion card are pretty basic. Jog forward and reverse. Homing with some variation based on direction and location of the home sensor. Absolute positioning to fixed positions. One of the drives switches to torque mode for a period of time to seat a mold in place

Absolutely agreed! I have never worked as a maintenance tech, but my first years doing automation were doing a lot of service calls and troubleshooting. A lot of the same stuff that maintenance techs do, though not as much of the mechanical side. It teaches you valuable troubleshooting skills and how to work under pressure. You also get a chance to dig into programs written by other people to see how different people approach programming problems, and what works (or more often, what doesn't....).

Has anyone used the A800 with encoder card as a standalone motion axis? I'm looking at upgrading some Danfoss drives with SyncPos motion cards for a customer. I can go full bore and replace the drives and motors with servos, or I could attempt to just replace the drives and leave the original motors and encoders for about half the cost.

What version of GX Developer are you using? You have to be at a recent enough version for the FX3S. I recommend upgrading to GX Works 2.

As far as I know, those are the only three options.

Unless you're talking a really slow pulse train, you will either need to get a transistor base unit, or an FX3U-1PG special function module. Only the first three outputs of a transistor base unit will work with the high-speed commands like PLSY, DRVI, and DRVA. The FX3U-1PG uses standard FROM/TO commands to set up and execute the motion. Using the built-in commands with the base unit is much easier, so I would highly recommend replacing the base unit.

Take a look at the help file. When you select the type and temp units on the configuration tab of the module properties, it scales to the published range of the thermocouple, and the value you get is the temperature. The 0-7000 you see is grayed out and doesn't apply unless you choose "custom range" instead of Celsius or Farenheit. So if you have the thermocouple in ice water, you should see 32F or 0C depending on the units. If you don't, then there is a problem with the thermocouple, the card, or the wiring. Either that or you have a different type than you think.

Yes, configure your card as Joe E states, then you'll get the actual temp reading in your input data. Then you can just use comparison intructions (LES, GRT, LEQ, GEQ) for off-on control of your heaters.

Not without knowing what you are trying to accomplish. What is the process? Give as much detail as you are legally allowed!

Well... An RTD and a thermocouple are both temperature sensors. Choosing one versus the other is a factor of the temperature range, accuracy, and the characteristics of what you are monitoring. But both give you the same piece of information. So you can change the type, but the PLC won't do anything differently. Next, an SCP isn't a control algorithm, it's a scaling instruction. It's for taking one linear range of numbers (like 4-20mA) and converting to another (like 0-1000 degrees). It sounds like you want a PID instruction.

Once you install the AOI, you can use it in the ladder logic as if it were a regular instruction. In ladder, add an instruction and type in the name of the AOI, in this case it should be "SCP". You'll see the block appear with 7 arguments. The first is for a tag with a custom data type to match the AOI. I usually type in a name like "DeviceID_SCP", then right-click and create a tag on the spot. You shouldn't need to do anything in the create tag dialog except click OK. Then back in the ladder, you can enter the tags or constants for the rest of the arguments, just like in RS Logix 500.