Steve Bailey

To upgrade firmware in a CPU311, you need to purchase an EPROM from your distributor. Part number is 44A731233. The list price is $100. You can set up VersaPro to permit downloads to earlier version levels. Open the 'Options' window and select the 'Communications' tab. There are three radio buttons to select which level of firmware revision checking to apply.

Cool! Thanks Russ.

I would be surprised to learn that Logicmaster has been officially offered for free. Chris, if you can get an official statment that it's OK to do so, I'll zip up the files necessary to deploy Logicmaster One ad Logicmaster One Junior and put them in the downloads section. I know you've said to go ahead and post manuals unless they tell us to stop, but I think that posting copyrighted software might be more problematic. Case in point: Allen Bradly is still offering software for the PLC2, but at ridiculously inflated prices. Their rationale is that there is a group of integrators with a substantial volume of business supporting the installed base of PLC2s and AB is supporting those integrators by keeping the price of the tools high.

Other than ebay, I'm not sure where you could get Logicmaster One. I don't think distributors can get it anymore. Depending on which CPU model you have, Automation Direct's DirectSoft32 might be able to read your program. It will work with CPU105 and CPU106.

Once you have properly connected the VFD to the main power supply and to the motor, there are two control signals required to make the motor run. The first is a command to tell the motor how fast to turn. This can come from several different sources. You can set it from the keypad that comes with the VFD. You can wire a potentiometer to terminals on the VFD. You can connect a PLC analog output signal to the VFD. You can connect a contact closure between two terminals on the VFD that command a preset speed. The other is a command to start. In the simplest possible configuration, this is a contact closure between two terminals on the VFD. You have to decide how you want the motor to act and then how to provide those basic signals to make it do what you want. You do not need to establish serial communications between the PLC and the VFD to do the simple things that you have been talking about. You are making this much more complicated than it needs to be. Read the manual. Talk to someone who understands these things and who also speaks the same language as you. Many of the same people who have been following your questions over at PLCs.net are also regulars here.

There are a number of products at the MRPLC.com store on this site. Click on 'Shop' at the top of the page.

The IC693CMM321 is the correct part number. It does not require any additional software beyond the programming software for the PLC (VersaPro or Proficy ME). You assign an IP address in hardware configuration. For communications with other GE Fanuc products, it uses the SRTP protocol which is GE Fanuc's SNP modified for TCP/IP. It can also communicate via Modbus TCP. What are you planning to use the module for?

There are a couple of versions of the VB6 development package. The Professional Edition includes the MSCOMM object. The Student Edition does not. If you try to add the MSCOMM object to a form under the Student Edition, you get that message about licensing. The VBA included with Excel (or whatever VBA you're trying to use) may not let you design around MSCOMM objects. It may only let you use then at runtime. One other possibility to check is to look for a file called 'MSComm32.ocx' on your computer. It's normally found in the Windows\System32 directory.

You have to completely exit LM90. You can't just hit ALT + M to go offline. The SNP driver in LM90 doesn't completely relinquish the port until LM90 shuts down.

Even though your PLC doesn't have analog modules, it still has %AI and %AQ memory areas. The simulation runs on your PC and writes its value for tank level directly to %AI memory, the same way an analog input module would if one were installed.

VersaPro is one software package that can be used to program a 90-30. Logicmaster is another. Logicmaster is a DOS application. VersaPro is a Windows application. The most current package is called Proficy Machine Edition Logic Developer PLC. If you are trying to maintain the PLC on an existing machine, then you need the programming software with which the program was originally written. You should have a copy of the program files available to you. Without it, you won't have any rung comments or address names. There is (or was) a demo version of Logicmaster software available on the GE Fanuc website.

You will need to indicate which model PLC you have before you can get any meaningful assistance. If you contact a local distributor of GE Fanuc products, they might be willing to make the programming software available to you. If the PLC belongs to your school, then the school should have the proper software.

Bill, There are some quirks with the S90 Micros when it comes to getting to the 'Logic Equal' state. It may have to do with the use of the 'Always_On' bit (%S0007) or one of the other internal system bits. I can't remember the details, but I think there used to be something about it among the FAQs at the GE Fanuc website. Try this link: http://elitenet.geindustrial.com/techadvis...,Case=obj(2820)

I keep an old DOS computer on hand for running LM6, so I can't offer any first-hand advice. The newest Windows version I've run LM6 (serial version) on is Win95. The challenge will be to get Win 98 to recognize the parallel WSI board. I expect your config.sys settings would be the same as they would be under DOS.

Go ahead, ask for a raise. State your case as you've presented it here. Your efforts are making X dollars per hour for the company, and you think you should get a piece of it. Presented that way, the worst the boss is likely to do is turn you down. You can buttress your case even further by checking to see what a person with your skill set might be earning at another company. Just don't make it an ultimatum, as in "If I don't get a raise, I'm outta here". Presented like that, your boss is likely to call your bluff.

These two units have been "blessed" by GE Fanuc product support: HE500USB600A from Horner Electric http://www.heapg.com It has been tested with Logicmaster, VersaPro and CME. Belkin model F5U103. It works with VersaPro and CME, but not with Logicmaster.

Check the fault tables. If it's configured to power up in run mode and it won't, the reason is probably that there is a fatal fault preventing it from running. Once you correct what caused the fault and clear the fault tables, you should be good to go.

If you're already familiar with some other brand of PLC, and you're comfortable working in DOS, picking up the quirks of Logicmaster won't be too difficult. If this is your first-ever PLC project, your learning curve will be longer. Since you already have the PLC and software, you might be interested in programming some simulated processes to learn basic PLC applications. The advantage to a simulated process is that it runs entirely on your computer. If your program doesn't work the way you expect, you don't break anything. Check it out at the MRPLC store. http://shop.mrplc.com/view_product.php?product=PS32001

Logicmaster is GE Fanuc's generic name for its old DOS-based programming software. There is Logicmastyer One for the Series One, Logicmaster Six for the Series Six, Logicmaster 90-30 for the Series 90-30, Logic master Five, Logicmaster 90-70, and even Logicmaster Three. The current programming software is called Proficy Machine Edition Logic Developer PLC. If you're just getting into GE Fanuc PLCs, that would be a better place to start. If you're trying to learn enough to be able to support existing PLCs that were programmed with one of the Logicmaster packages, you need to specify which one. Having said all that, I'm not aware of any books or tutorials specificaly targeted to any of the Logicmaster packages, although the manuals for all (except Series Three) are available.

Something like this perhaps? http://shop.mrplc.com/view_product.php?product=PS32201

NO. The PLC PWM output is a low-voltage DC signal. A 3-phase AC motor requires an AC signal. The rated current of the PLC output at 24 VDC is 0.75 amp. The speed of a 3-phase AC is a function of the frequency of the applied voltage. Even if you argue that the PWM waveform looks like an AC waveform, the PWM output does nothing about frequency. How were you planning to wire this up? A 3-phase AC motor needs three wires to it. There is only one solid-state output on your PLC (IC200UDR005). Do you need any more reasons? You might be able to do crude motion control with a PWM output fed to a VFD's analog speed reference input. Make sure the RMS voltage from the PWM output doesn't exceed the maximum value that the VFD can accept. The basic strategy would be to have the PLC create a trajectory, and assuming that the motor follows the reference. The area under the plot of velocity vs time is the distance traveled. Without feedback, the emphasis is on the word crude. Your accuracy and repeatability will be lousy.

If I understand your question correctly, you want to know whether it is possible to control position using an AC motor and drive without any position feedback device. The answer is yes as long as you're not particularly concerned with accuracy, repeatability or speed of response and as long as you've reached the target position you don't need much torque to maintain it.

The only way I know of is to get the password. You can try contacting the original manufacturer of the machine or the original programmer. If you're forced to guess, there are 65536 possibilities. The password is a 4-digit hex value between 0000 and ffff. A lot of manufacturers that use passwords tend to use the same password for every machine so the field service people will be able to remember them. Try variations on the machine's model number or the telephone number of the manufacturer's home office. Try the machine's serial number. Put yourself in the position of the engineer at the machine builder. You need to come up with a password strategy that will prevent unauthorized people from accessing the code, but you need to make it possible for authorized people to get access at any hour of the day or night. How would you approach the task? Of course, it's possible that the password is random and unique to your PLC. In that case, if you can try one number every 5 seconds, it will only take you 91 hours to try out all the combinations.

I got hung up on the String vs INT aspect of the question. Russ, over at the GE Fanuc forum was sharp enough to identify the real question as being about indexed addressing. I'd have more respect for your criticism, guest, if you would register and identify yourself. Any jacka$$ can take anonymous potshots. I'm not calling you a jacka$$, just pointing out that you're exhibiting behavior that could lead a person to the conclusion that you are.

I just uploaded the Series One Junior manual to the site. http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?act=Downl...&CODE=02&id=370