Shiner

MrPLC Member
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Everything posted by Shiner

  1. I am away from the office (all my equipment) and got a call from a customer who wants us to modify his program so that it is in A different language. What is involved?
  2. Contrologix

    It would be for a panelview plus 1000. We have FT View Studio.
  3. Contrologix

    To be a bit more clear, the customer would like a button on the touch screen to select between languages.
  4. external I/O

    AD has its way, as do others. Eaton has developed remote I/O that is made to connect to AB processors, so you can increase your I/O count without running up a major bill. Just an FYI if you are looking for a pre-designed cost-effective solution.
  5. We have done purge units on non XP enclosures, but they aren't the big units on top with safety relays ect. There are just simple positive pressure units that with a dryer can keep panels in dusty or damp environments clean. One was in a washdown area that we replaced the original controls because everything corroded. They sprayed high temp sanitary wash and the panel heated up air pushed out. Then they started process and dropped the room to -30F and the panel would suck in the moisture. You should be able to get something in the 100-150$ range for this type of app. Just remember that if it does not have one included, a dryer/filter should be upstream of the unit.
  6. Cooling Options

    We use Pfannenberg or Ice Qube. Just did a similar sized unit for a little more half the cost you mentioned. I think alot of times it is the application that dictates cost. Your unit at home is UL listed, but may not have NEMA ratings. Even though it is exposed to the elements, and for industrial use would need a 3R type rating, it does not have it. There may be some cost there to have that rating. I would also hope they are a little more robust, and can take more abuse from oils, dusts, sprays ect than my window unit at home. Still doesn't help the pocket book though. Try the two sources I mentioned. They have consistently kicked hoffman's butt on price, and look and work good as well.
  7. Yaskawa has free tech support that may be able to give you good numbers. This may be one of those projects where you end up tweaking some of those 300 parameters that never seem to be used..... 1-800-YASKAWA If you want some real world application feedback on whether or not this is going to be reliable, one of our engineers has been doing drive commissioning for about 30 years. I'm sure he has come across something with similar requirements. 1-716-656-9900 ask for Jim Touhy (pronounced two-E)
  8. Fighting the Flab

    Something I didn't mention which my chiropractor told me was a good idea. While seated, you can flex your abs to not only keep your posture good and avoid lower back issues caused by sitting at a desk all day, but this is an effective workout as well. Just a thought. Someone needs to invent The Deskorcisor......
  9. Fighting the Flab

    I have had similar lack-of-mobility/increase-in-rotundity issues transitioning to a more office oriented position. I have lost half of what I gained simply by cutting out all the calories I used to drink during a day. Hit the water cooler not the coffee machine. No more pop, juice ect. I averaged 3-5 drinks a day. Your avg drink/coffe with cream or sugar has 100+ calories. Weekly that is a reduction of 2000-3500 calories. Just by doing this, I had gone from 180 to 200lbs. in three months I am back down to 192 and have not had to give up food that has taste.
  10. DL06 Newbie

    rlp is right you don't want to pause the program, and you may be on the right track about the drum sequencer. They are perfect for what you are talking about. Sometimes it is a good idea to write out everything you want to happen eg: 1.Start. I want to index the part. 2. part indexed. I want to clamp the part. 3.Part clamped. I want to start the reamer motor. 4. motor running. i want to extend the reamer. and so on till you can break down each step. If you notice, at teh beginning of each step is a criteria that needs to occur before the step may take place. This would fit in the input parameters of the drum sequence step. Sometimes there may be more than one criteria. in that case you can create a logic rung that monitors all the steps in question and turns on a register bit and then use that register bit to turn on that step in the Drum. The nice thing about the drum is it will wait until each step is complete before moving on to the next. you can enter a time constant into one of the intput parameters. Say you wanted to ream for 30 seconds. one step would be, if the reamer is entended hold for 30 seconds. You can wait for an operator input. It is pretty flexible. the biggest thing is to organize your sequence on paper first. Then transferring that into code is a mere matter of translation. Writing unorganized code causes premature balding!
  11. New Project Thread

    I have seen panel designs that have breakers in them, but only smaller homeline style distribution. I have yet to see anything that has the power capacity you are talking of. I was not really a fan of it, and am curious how putting something inside an enclosure gels with NEC or other listing standards. A few thoughts. Some breaker manufacturers have pre-fabbed jumpers to parallel feed breakers, then you only have to land your wires on the first one, no need for a distribution block for the xformers. Instead of an entire enclosed distribution breaker, you can buy just the guts and mount that to your sub panel. It will still serve the purpose without taking up as much room. They make insulated copper buss systems, you could run a horizontal run and tap off of that without leaving a bunch of exposed live surface in the panel. I think they even make tee shaped boots that would cover your connection point. There are distribution blocks that have the ability to break out into the number of points you need at that current rating. Point is you do have options. As far as feeling bad about the buss to lug connection, that is how it is done in switchgear, although I would use a burndy crimp log with two holes for somthing with that kind of current rating. Not a standard screw terminal ground lug.
  12. DL06 Newbie

    I guess my first question is why would you want to turn off something based on a scan. I am pictuing an automated drill press with reaming functions and I cannot think of a way that what you are talking about is neccessary. usually things are more time dependant. Action X causes timer T to run when done Action X ends or Action Y starts. Because the time value is defined you can regulate things better that relying on something scan dependant, scan time can be inconsistent. Anyways, i am guessing. Can you describe your process more?
  13. v20

    Has anyone else received the tech note from AB or better yet experienced the issue with versions of rs5000 that program the fault state of modules, having the modules not revert to safe when the criteria demand?
  14. PanelView plus 1000

    Sounds like something you could write a macro for, or do in the processor. You can use compare statements to enable limits on the secondary numeric input. If input X=A then move Y to Max Limit and move Z to Min Limit. If the N value input falls within the limits then write it to the used location. Also read the Min Max values to be displayed as your limits. I am unaware of a way that you can use a read value on the screen as a limit on a numeric input, but it may be something you could write code for. Were you trying to use an expression that was along these lines? If user input value <= Max Limit && >= Min Limit then write to N value?
  15. First time PLC user

    Don't give up on a manufacturer based on one set of software. And with S7, depending on the programmer, if they do not know how to properly use and organize their networks things can be a bit dicey. I was "raised' on AB stuff and I found the Siemens TIA portal stuff is great to work with. Everything on one software package that lets you drag and drop all your communications and tag crosses between HMI and PLC and other devices, doesn't get much simpler than that. My biggest point to someone new would be this... What I have found myself, and observed in others, is that the more different platforms a person works with, the more versatile a programmer you will be because the amount tools you will have in your bag of tricks increases with the study of each programming system. Get involved. There are free softwares out there that let you dabble in small projects. Some languages let you do things others do not. Some software packages have features others do not. Just look at AB timers and the bits that are availabel and compare to a Eaton ELC timer or others that do not have that flexibility for example.
  16. Tag browser window

    I have read some of the other problems you have been having with this software. It sounds like your installation is incomplete or corrupt. I would uninstall and retry it, possibly have techconnect walk through a manual installation and verify your hardware and software of your laptop are compatible.
  17. FactoryTalk Error Message

    Sounds like something is wrong with your activation. On initial installation AB ties their software based on its own serial #, the MAC address of the computer it is stored on, and an activation number received from them when you pay. If any of the three changes or the contract expires....you are dead in the water. go to your start menu, rockwell automation, factorytalk view, activiations tab and see what it shows for status.
  18. Which ethernet driver are you using. I recently had trouble with the one I had been using for years, then speaking with tech support they said since I upgraded my software it would be better to use the drive where I manually have to enter all addresses I want to link to. Have had no problems since when using that driver.
  19. what method are you using to link up? are you clicking on who is active and selecting from a link, or trying to just click go online and let it browse to find the processor on its own. I have had more luck using the who is active method, it seems sometimes the AB software needs a little nudge in the right direction.
  20. Some of the enclosure vendors have good software that can do some of the calculations for you, like Rittal has software called Rittal Therm that can give an approx value of heat dissipated by device, and it is reasonably accurate. Most of the larger devices, (drives transformers ect) have numbers available somewhere if they are from a reputable supplier. One of the lines we sell for VFD's has nothing in their books, but when we asked tech support they sent over a pdf with heat loss #s by part number. Was very helpful. It is nice too to have documentation to help show a customer why the 1'x2' drive he ordered needs a 36x48x16 or larger enclosure or an expensive cooling unit.
  21. Single Phase/Three Phase VFD

    there are some cheapies out there that are single phase in and out. the HP limits are very low for obvious reasons. We have used them on cabinet cooling fans to regulate the internal temp.
  22. Single Phase/Three Phase VFD

    what kind of horsepower are we talking??
  23. Usually partial votages are due to connection probelms. It could be a blown fuse that has some trace left, enough to carry small voltage but not enough current, or crimped insulation in connection points. Things like this can be missed if measuring on the terminal screws. If on one side of a terminal you have a good connection, you will read full voltage on the screw because it is a good connection. If the wire has insulation crimped into the clamp, the output will be affected. One key way to test a poor connection is to remove the connector that is supplying diminished voltage from the device. If your multimeter shows full voltage then you know you have a weak connection. The load of the device being plugged in will "pull" the voltage down due to the limited amount of current available. On the fuse part, I have seen people, and can feel more reading this shake their heads and say fuses don't blow like that. Unfortunately, I have come across installations where the fuse mounting played a part. Some solder element fuses are rated to melt and the solder fall to the bottom end of the fuse, breaking the circuit completely. I came across an installation where the fuses were horizontally mounted and the fuse had blown and enough trace laid across the bottom of the glass to allow a partial circuit. All of this simply put is this. You say your source voltage is correct means there is no problem with the power supply. You also say that your screen operates properly when a 24v source is applied to it so that means there is no problem with that. I would rebuild the entire circuit connecting the two. Remove, inspect and retighten each termination, replace any fusing, even if they OHM out ok!
  24. Basic Panel

    Has anyone had the misfurtune of trying to display an exponenet in a text window on a Basic touch panel? I cannot seem to get it to work.
  25. Basic Panel

    So then you just adjust the display so the exponent is offset above centerline of the numeric/text diplay. I am trying to use an integer to be displayed and in the units parameter i need mJ/cm2 (milli-Joules per centimeter squared). I hadnt thought of using a separate diplay layered on top of this one.....