manav

Hi, Is there any method to convert ladder programs in RSLogix500 to text files and back? Or to CSV format. Any text based format would be fine. I dont know if other people have not had this requirement till now. Basically I use this facility in structured text programming, where if I have to program a lot of similar lines then I use edit / copy / paste features from Excel etc. and program a lot of lines at one go saving donkey work time. I have been searching around for any method to convert ladder files in RSLogix500 to text and vice versa. I already use RSLogix500's edit with Excel facility to save donkey work time for address mapping. I need a similar saving of time with ladder programming. Can any one help with this?

I have forgotten the user name and password of Factory Talk network directory on my laptop. Hence am unable to log on to factory talk to open RSViewSE Distributed for an appication I need to modify. Any workaround for this? Can I un-install / re-install any software to work around this? And if so then what components of RSViewSE / Factory Talk need to be re-installed? I had a similar problem about 6 months back. As my Laptop was getting extra RAM at the time I just formatted the system and installed everything again, but would hate to do the format this time. Thanks in advance guys.

Hi guys, I really need some help on this. Has anyone used ODBC datalogging in RSViewSE? Has anyone logged data to MSAccess from RSViewSE? Please respond mates...... cheers........

I am trying to log data to ODBC data source from RSViewSE. I have done the same earlier from RSView32 to MSAccess thru ODBC data logging, and it works fine. When I do the same with RSViewSE, I can create the tables in a new MSAccess project thru RSViewSE but when I run the RSViewSE project the data does not get logged and I get the message: "Switching model 'Attempt to connect to datasource failed' logging back to primary ODBC datasource" in RSViewSE. I am only using the primary path for datalogging. Anyone done this before? Any ideas on what might be going wrong for me?

I have done this kind of work with RSViewSE. But not with RSViewME. In SE I used the VBA component to implement this feature. VBA would not be available in ME so I dont reckon it can be done.

Never needed a random number generation in control, but it could be done with scan time bits, as the scan time in usecs keeps changing even for a static program running with no change of states. Even a periodic task takes different times for execution every scan. Since there is an inbuilt randomness in the scan times due to the hardware design, this would be the best inbuilt randomness that you can feed off to develop an algorithm for a rand generator. It depends on the characteristics and frequency of the random number you want to generate that would determine the applicability. I have developed a PID loop simulation algorithm in RLL. I used the trig functions with system times to generate a randomly fuctuating PV (scaled appropriately). The system seconds, minutes, hours etc. they keep changing, it is impossible to predict the result of the trigonometric functions at the system second level, as the scan times of periodic tasks are not perfect, hence you get a randomly fluctuating value. Of course in my case the frequency was to the tune of 10 Hz or so. If you need a higher frequency then you can of course try using the scan time bits directly.

I only work on PV+ so dont know the exact addressing syntax for PV std. But just a thought. You can cut and paste the tags from program section to controller section. Or if it is a few tags then you can make some controller tags and alias them to the program tags.

You also have the SCL instruction in FBD that works the same as SCP. Although it does consume memory.

Will an OPC client like RSView32 also be needed in this solution with KepServer to link the tags from the 2 PLCs, i.e. read from Siemens and write to AB or vice versa or can it be done without OPC Client? I have done this earlier to connect a 3rd party PLC (dont remember the make) on Modbus ENet to FlexLogix controller on ENet I/P, thru Kepserver, using derived tags in RSView32 to write the tags from 3rd party PLC to FlexLogix data table, so I know this can be done with Kepserver + RSView32. Since there already was an RSView32 station in the project accessing data from Kepserver via Modbus serial from field devices, I did not investigate further, but can this be done without RSView32 or any other OPC client?

See the thing is that you have to import any graphics in your project that you want to run. Just copying and pasting wont work. Search the knowledgebase for any utility you can find to do this. Or if you can explain to the guys how to import graphics and csv file (for tags) into the onsite project, then your prob is solved.

Glad to help mate....

You can try using the dos xcopy command and copy files without overwriting. i.e. only copy 1 or 2 graphic files or database files, that have been modified later than the original files. Modem speed would allow transfer of 1 or 2 graphic files. Basicaly this method would not copy the entire project but only the modified or new graphic files. Not sure abt tag database but you can try with csv method. type xcopy/? in dos prompt to get a list of the parameters that you would need for the exact command. I have used this method to backup project files without the dbf trend and alarm history files. Let me know if you need any more help with this.

I am assuming that your PV+ would have an inbuilt ENet port. But your controller does not? Is that the case? RA had told me that theoretically the DF-1 Linx driver can co-exist with the driver of LinxEnterprise but in practice it does not work. So you might have to turn off 1 or the other and turn the other service on. Also might have to use separate COM ports. Even with this you might get haphazard errors, like corruption of LinxEnterprise. Driver failed to load. Its a software issue which has nothing to do with cable selection. Trust me i beat my head against this wall enough 3 yrs ago. Even after the project started working properly, after some time there were communication issues between PV+ and PLC. Unless you are using a PLC where ENet is just not available, which should not be the case unless its a very old PLC, just get any converter if PLC does nt have inbuilt ENet port, and transfer entire system to ENet. Throw away all the other serial cables. And then see if it works. The cost might add for the ENet card but convince client its only way to go as i did. I had deployed 2 Flex 1794-L34 PLC + 2 PV+ on serial ports 3 yrs back at a site. I had to spend 2 weeks at the site figuring out why it is not communicating properly before switching entire system to ENet. After ENet system never gave a problem again for last 3 yrs working fine. After that experience I never had the balls to trust serial cables on PV+. So summing up whatever needs a ENet card PLC or PV+ try to get the system on ENet. You will see much better comm performance that will justify the cost add.

Why not use a phone based activation like MicroSoft is using for WINXP? Internet activation is quite a pain for sites where net access is not easy. And anyways the plant PCs hosting programming software and hmi usually never have internet access for security reasons. Why not go to a phone based alternate option activation method like Microsoft is using? And as far as the bootlegging goes not sure if the new method will discourage them, people who have the incentive to find a method to copy master disk based activation will surely figure out a way to copy net based activation too. Maybe hardware dongle might help, even tho i know ppl bootleg these too. Any thoughts?

Turn your firewalls off. RSLinx usually has the problems with firewalls for downloadinh

I have used the PV+ on serial port configuration. I required 3 separate cables for this. 1 for PLC to PC. 1 for PC to PV+. 1 for PLC to PV+. 1 of these cables was standard RS-232 cable. 1 was NC13 cable (as far as I remember). So you would need to check the cables you are using. Even on using these cables communication was intermittent and the client faced massive problems. There are some communication limits faced by the serial ports due to which only one port can be connected at a time. We contacted RA and they suggested converting to ENet. Once we converted all communication to ENet then we never faced any problem. I have implemented PV+ / Logix Pocessor / PC / RSViewME / RSLogix5000 deplyment all on ENet at numerous places and never faced any problem at all. Is your problem Serial port related or something else?

I did use a lot of VBA for SE recently. I had an application that required reducing trend screen count. For this I used the SE VBA to show only group of tags selected by the screen. Do not remember active pen property, do not recall if it exists. But how I used the pen selection is by pen count method, which gives you the total number of pens in the trend. The pen number property can be used to make selected pens visible / invisible etc. or some other type of required manipulation on them. If I get time to look into it I will let you know. Guess you can search some more in the meantime. BTW VBA in SE does not have any issues as such. Only issues are that you sometime might see some irregularity while coding. For this you might need to reboot your machine, or stop / start running SE server / client. Probably the online editing features for VBA are not as well incorporated in SE as they are for Non VBA editing. And probably this feature will improve in future releases of SE.

Since the trends in SE are client based, RA has eliminated the control tags for the trends as more than 1 client would be potentially accessing the same trend, and the control tag would create a clash. The trends in Se use the TrendX model. No pen masking buttons in TrendX for RSView32 if you recall. The method I used to use control tag type features like pen masking / start time / trend span etc. is thru SE VBA. It works fine. Look up the VBA section and you would understand.

I am sure that you can transfer individual license from the 70 odd activations on the master disk, as I have done so myself. The software list is comprehensive. You have more than you need. There are some products that have the install software but not the activations, namely Test Stand, RS Tune etc. Would love activations for these. The expiration can be handled by pushing the system date back. But for HMI packages this would interfere with the trend / report data. So you have to use the pushing back of the date carefully. Otherwise if you are a regular customer you can update the activations with the new expiration date activations, as we do. One problem I am facing is the factory talk internet activation method rockwell has started. Problem being that at a lot of sites the customer is not trained enough or does not have internet access to activate the software himself. Is the option of master disk activation still available on rockwell products? I have heard talk of changing the activation methods completely by 2008. Anyone know anything on this?

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any experience with 1794-OE12 module. This is a recent module and we are using it for the first time. We have tried all recommended configurations from the manual for the module and from Rockwell Automation Customer Support. But we still get the LED status light blinking green. Also we are unable to generate an output in any format (Only checked for 4-20mA) from any channel in the module. If anyone has used this module, please reply a suggestion. I have configured this module in Slot 0 of local I/O chassis of 1794-L34 FlexLogix processor. I have also put a 1794-OE4 module in slot 1 and is working fine. So clearly the problem lies in the configuration of the module.

Does Ver 16 support FlexLogix controllers and I/O?

Well then try the selector list etc. Not sure how it works. Otherwise go with numeric input enable for this one , n keep in mind this issue from next time, mate. Hope you can get some workaround to this. Try contacting RA tech for this. I havent used PV+ for a while now. Lemme know if it works out.

Try using an excel macro. I have faced similar problems but eradicated them using excel and macros. As long as you maintain uniformity in description of I/O list at program level and physical level, all you have to do is merge 2 rows. Use the VLookup excel command, or if possible write a VBA macro. Once they are combined, just get the cells into text and copy paste the .slc library file into routine. Your whole work would be over in 10 mins or so.

Is connecting a mouse possible?

I assume that you are checking the RSWho from the SEServer or RSLinx Server. Please mention your exact topology. What media is used for connecting between Linx Server and CLX. Problem seems to be that the server machine is losing its Ethernet link with the clients. How many clients do you have? Do you have a domain or workgroup setup? I am assuming you have a solitary server and not redundancy at server level. I have been working on an app in the office for the last 3 weeks with SE Server and clients. Generally my clients are not online all the time. Maybe 2-3 hrs in a day. Frm the server end there is no loss in data logging for even 1 second over these 3 weeks. Server is online for about 7 hours daily. While the 2 clients have been online I have never had any issue with data loss with them. There is a lot of detail for SE setup regarding system / network specifications and patches. You might want to look into that. You can also try investigating the ethernet link between server and clients. If you give a detailed topology then maybe I can suggest something else. We have had problems with a site that has 4 CLX connected to redundant SE Servers, and 7 SE Clients. There has been loss of data reported. But most of the problems were either virus related, or Redundancy related, or Win2003 related which is the OS there. I have tested out my app in the office on WINXP SP2, workgrouped computers. Not faced any problems so far.