b2barker

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About b2barker

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  • Website URL http://www.applicon.com.au
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  • Location Perth, Western Australia
  1. Try something like this. s:20 is the day in the real time clock. If it changes make a pulse. count 7 pulses then count 3 cycles. Actually I think this will do 8 day cycles, but you get the point. All you need to do use c5:1.ACC = 0 to run pump 1, c5:1.ACC = 1 for pump 2 and c5:1.ACC = 2 for pump 3.
  2. Are you sure it's becuase the scan time is too fast? Are you using PanelView ME? I think there are some properties to play with in the banner object. There was option of diplaying the first unacknowledged alarm or the last to alarm arrive. If set to first unack, it will only show one in the banner until you acknowledge it. Try making whole page with big list of alarms and see if the ones you think it missed are in there.
  3. The GE Forum

    I mainly use AB and GE, with a little Modicon and some others. Personally I find AB's more user firendly than GE's. This may be in part because I cut my teeth on AB's, and because their windows based software is much easier to use. LM90/30 is OK but not really intuitive and Cimplicity ME is flakey (IMHO). Could the reason the forum is not used be that they haven't changed for so long, all the questions have already been answered? I for one am very dissappointed GE didn't see fit to update the instruction set when they released the RX7s. Just give me a CMP and a FAL and I will be happy.
  4. I had something similar on a machine that I had unistalled RSViewSE over two years previous, all of sudden trying to reinstall after countless reboots. Try searching at Microsoft's website, as I believe you will find some registry settings that have your PC thinking this program is partially installed. Once these settings are deleted it should go away. I can't remember the path for these settings but it's in microsoft.com somewhere
  5. I have, and it is pretty much a re-write from scratch. I would starting by exporting of your variable declarations from the GE (CSV format) and the using Excel make a RSlogix type CSV to import. If it's a LM90 program some variable decs may be defined locally in the blocks, and GE have a utility to extract them all at once on there site if there are a lot of them. It may also help to make arrays like the data types in the GE. ie. A Bool array call M, an INT array called R etc. and then make all your ControlLogix tags an Alias to these arrays. This way you would have can easily see what the old address was in the RSlogix program and it makes checking between the twoeasier. The Alias could be removed when you are happy with the program, or not. Remember some things are much easier in the AB, like you may have an ADD, going into an SUB, going into a MUL. In the AB you would just use one CMP with the expression (A+B-C)/D.
  6. Data Storage?

    I will explain how I would approach the problem with a ControlLogix as I haven't used MicroLogix, and you may be able to convert it if some of the functions aren't suitable. 1) Make a User Defined Type with the strings, ints and bools flags you need. 2) Make array of this type (200-300 long) and a two single instances of this type (Data_In and Data_out). 3) As the data comes in for your seat you write it to Data_In 4) Once complete for that seat you use a LIFO Load (LFL) to move into your array, and the next data goes into Data_In again. 5) When the HMI is connected get it set a data request bit 6) When data request bit is set use a LIFO Unload (LFU) to move the oldest data to Data_Out and clear the the data request bit in the PLC. 6) Once the HMI has read the single Data_Out get it set the data request in the PLC again. This way the PLC stores data while the HMI is not connect and retieves it when it is. If you dont have a HMI as such you could queue the data as specified, set up RSLinx-Excel DDE links to all the items in the array. Then you could just connect with the laptop copy from the DDE links and paste values to where you want to store it and clear all the data for next time. I am not sure if uLogix have UDT's, or LFL and LFU instructions that could operate on UDT's.
  7. Most E-Stops I come across have two contacts. One is hardwired to break the supply voltage, and the other goes to PLC. This means either contacts opening will stop the drive, and it won't restart until the fault is acknowledged from the HMI. Some sites use rising edge of a E-Stop reset to clear faults on the drive when it is in Local to facilitate field testing without continual contact with remote HMI operators, but you would still have to push a Local start PB after you reset it. If your drive is not PLC control maybe consider getting a double NC contact E-Stop and connecting them in series. At least then if one weld you have a fallback. As I mainly work in the Mining industry here in Western Australia, using E-Stops for isolating a drive to stick yours hands in the moving bits is banned. You have to isolate the drive at the MCC an apply a personal padlock to which only you have key before working on the nasty stuff. Operating an E-Stop and sticking my hand in would see escorted to the gate and never to return on every site I have worked on in this state for the last ten years.
  8. Adding integer cells

    In a PLC5 or ControlLogix PLC you could also do it with a single FAL instruction.
  9. DH485 is AB's Data Highway protocol on a RS485 wired multridrop serial network. I agree that having an ethernet port on each PLC is the best solution. But is it's cost prohibitive... I have used the following for serial to ethernet, but there are heaps of them around these days: 1) Adam Avantech http://www.advantech.com/products/sub_cate...1-KM5V2&PD=ICOM 2) RuggedCom 3) Lantronix The first two I have used for Citect to read Serial Modbus from drives and power monitors remote substations. These didn't need COM port mapping as Citect can read a serial protocol through an ethernet port. The last I used some time ago for comms to multiple very old GE Series 6 PLC's. They all have versions with one to one or one ethernet to many serial ports. The Adam and the RuggedCom I used had terminals for serial connections. The lantronix had RJ45 serial ports. Guest_Rock : You need RSLinx Pro or Gateway for DDE links to RSLinx. Lite or OEM doesn't cut it.
  10. You understanding about COM port mapping is correct. As Snerkel has said with DH485 and DH you would better off combining all your equipment into one DH485 network and one DH network, unless speed is an issue. If I understand correctly you would have a DH485 network with 14 PLCs, 14 field PC's and one central PC, and a DH network with 2 PLC's, 2 field PCs and the same central PC. If I remember correctly DH is a token passing system where each node takes turns in exchanging data. Your current system each 'network' has one PLC and one PC. If you have 14 PC requesting data from their PLCs and one central plc requesting data from 14 PLCs, I would expect existing data transfer significantly slower (maybe 1/28th). Less of issue for the DH due to reduced number of nodes
  11. First 2. RS232 (DF1) is good for about 50m, 485 (DH485) I am not sure I think in the order of 500m though it may be more 1. If the distance allows then you can put in multiple physical comm ports. If not you could consider serial/ethernet convertors. We have used Lantronix, RuggedComm and Advantech Adam convertors before. Most of these have a driver you would put on central machine that make virual comms port where the driver redirects comms port traffic via an ethernet address. For example, if you put 2 eight port Lantronix serial/ethernet convertors in the field near you PLCs, and have ethernet to central machine, the software would give you COM2-9 for one and COM10-17 for the other. This would work for DF1, but I am not sure about DH485. For DH485 I think you would need multiple KT cards but you could multidrop. 3. For DF1 you configure a driver for each, port physical or virtual. For DH485 a driver for each card. You would then configure an OPC topic for each PLC. 4. No you wouldn't need gateway if you OPC connection is on the same machine, but you would need it if you want to maintain the existing PC's in the field and they are DF1 connected. That is, you would be removing the connection to the local machine in order to connect it to the central machine, so you would need gateway on the central machine in order for the field machines to connect through the central machine. If it's DH485 you can multidrop both the field and central machines so you wouldn't need gateway. There are many solutions including an off the shelf HMI. I would add Citect to kaiser_will's list, not just because it's Australian like me, but because is a very good package. Hope than helps
  12. Yes, you need Gateway on each machine get OPC data from a remote machine . Are your current connections serial (maybe DF1 or DeviceNet if you are using RSLinx)? Maybe if would be cheaper to bring all to data to one central point with one RSLinx Gateway, and then the other machines in the field connect to this Gateway to get their their data with their RSLinx Pro. You could then run your VB code on this central machine or on remote machine.