RSLogix w/ Windows 7 Program Editing Problem

[alk 0]

Thanks in advance for your help. I am trying to get a copy of RS Logix Micro Starter Lite (Rev. 8.3) running on a Windows 7 laptop, connecting to a MicroLogix 1000 (1761-L32AWA). Everything is up and functional to a degree, but I cannot edit the program - if I try to use the icons for adding a rung or elements, it simply ignores the input, and when I go to to the pull-down menus, all of the options for adding elements are grayed out. The "ladder" showing communication is spinning, the tx/rcv leds on the USB cable are flashing, I can alter data such as timer and counter presets and bounce back and forth between run mode and program mode. When I use my ancient DOS-based Toshiba with the equally ancient MPS software, everything works fine. As far as I can tell, there is no activation process that allows full functionality. It reminds me of some of the old Honeywell PLCs that had a separate mode for limited access to data tables, but wouldn't allow the program to be tampered with, but I've never seen anything like that on the Micros. Thanks again.

[Ken Roach 194]

Are you in Online or Offline mode ? The MicroLogix 1000 has never supported online editing. The DOS based software isn't performing online edits, either, but may show online/offline modes differently. If the software isn't allowing you to edit rungs when in Offline mode, then there's something wrong. But in Online mode, this is ordinary behavior.

[alk 0]

That may well be the problem - I've been assuming that "online" meant that you were actually connected to a processor and "offline" was when you were working on a program in the laptop memory. I am in the "program" mode, but online. So, am I to understand that the program needs to be written and/or modified in the laptop memory and then downloaded to the processor each time? Edited 22 Jan 2013 by alk

[Mickey 71]

Yes

[alk 0]

That did it. Interesting, that little tidbit is completely transparent to the user in the DOS version. Thanks for the help.

[Ken Roach 194]

Thanks for the followup ! I haven't used MPS since probably 1996 or so. As some additional information: the MicroLogix 1000 was built on the SLC-5/02 operating system, so like the Fixed SLC, 5/01 and 5/02 models, it doesn't support online editing. Its two different-format big brothers, the MicroLogix 1200 and 1500, have improved instruction sets and data types, but still run the basic task execution model that doesn't allow online editing. The MicroLogix 1100 and MicroLogix 1400 are the "modern" MicroLogix controllers; both support Ethernet communications in all models, and both have a newer operating system that supports online editing. The MicroLogix 1000 models will probably go "silver series" relatively soon, to be replaced at the lowest end by the Micro 800 series of small controllers. Those haven't really taken off the way RA had hoped, but they are an interesting low-cost controller despite their clunky development environment.

[Doug53 0]

Hello, I am not a experienced programmer but have been trying to learn to use an old micrologix 1761-L20bwb controller.  I have been writing and downloading programs until recently.  I was messing around with a simple stoplight program when all of a sudden the plc would not program and I was not able to edit the existing program.  I also noticed the plc lights were only in the run mode where I was before had both lights (run, rem) on.  I have read that I need to be in REM/RUN to program.  Is this correct?  I have tried resetting power nothing happens.  Can someone tell me that I haven't got a ruined PLC?  And what I could do?  I am using RSLogix Classic Lite and RSLinx with windows XP.

[Armadillo852 25]

When online, you should be able to change from run to remote run. So go online.

[The Sword 0]

Yes, I'll back that up. Once you have established comms link-up, via linx (who active), you should be able to get online ok, provided that is the case, once online, as Armadillo852 pointed out, you should be able to remotely switch the processor mode to rem/prog mode.