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Downloading new program to 1746-BAS via Hyperterminal

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Hello all, I am trying to download a new program to a AB 1746-BAS SLC 500 BASIC board via RS-232 connection through a Windows 98 laptop running Hyperterminal. While the BASIC board is connected I verify connection by waiting for the board to print out its information in the Hyperterminal program and then enter "CLEAR", "NEW" and finally, "LIST" in Hyperterminal to wipe any program from the board and verify the board is clean respectively. Then I load the new program via a .TXT file using the "Send Text File" option within the Hyperterminal program. After the program has finished loading I than type "LIST" to verify it has copied over correctly. I than switch the SLC over to "Program Mode" via the key. After doing so I type "RAM" to select the program i just uploaded to the BASIC board and then type "PROG" in the Hyperterminal program. I than receive the "Programming Sequence Failure". If anyone has any advice as to what I am doing wrong it would be greatly appreciated. Below is a list of everything I have set and researched. Thank you in advance, James -Laptop: Windows 98, Hyperterminal -BASIC board (programming): JW1 pin: 1-2 3-4 JW2 pin: 1-2 3-4 JW3 pin: 1-3 2-4 JW4 pin: 5-6 3-4 -RS-232 9-pin connector: Pin 2 connected to Tx Pin 3 connected to RX Pin 5 connected to ground Pins (4/6) crossed DSR/DTR Pins (7/8) crossed RTS/CTS -Hypterminal: Direct Com1 bits per second: 1200 parity: none stop bits: 1 Flow control: Xon/Xoff Settings/properties: -> Emulation VT100 -> ASCII line/character delay: 30 milliseconds check box: Append line check box: Wrap lines... -Manuals: 1746-rm001 1746-pm001

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The PROG command is for saving the Program into the *Optional* EEPROM, Do you actually have the EEPROM ? If so it may not be properly seated, but JW3 is set correctly (by your post) to use this EEPROM,... if it exists. I would recommend "trying" your Program (type "RUN") to make sure it is working before trying to save into EEPROM

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The 1746-BAS unit that I have does not have the optional EEPROM installed. So I think that we may be barking up the wrong tree with that. The machine that we are working on "just quit", and the manufacturer hasn't really been forthcoming on any assistance. We believe that the battery on the Basic board went out and we lost the program on it. After we sent the unit back to the manufacturer to have the program loaded back into it, I got a call from them saying that they didn't have a computer old enough to read the 5 1/4 in floppy they had it saved on. They did however send me a scanned copy of a written program and told me they would help in troubleshooting it. After I entered it and it didn't work, they basically told me that I had to buy a new control system from them and dropped me like a hot rock. I've done some PLC work in the past, and I'm familiar with A-B's emulator software, but this is a BASIC program. And I haven't done that since High School. I can get the program to load into the unit and stay after it's powered down, the problem is when I power up the machine it pops a message saying I have a critical communications error between the PLC and the Basic unit. The ACT led flashes that it's in command mode regardless of where the key is positioned. I've tested every component downstream of the PLC and everything functions. I'm beating my head against a wall trying to figure if we're loading/running it correctly. Or am I trying to load a junk program.

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Good Afternoon All, After the lengthy process of dealing with some actually helpful techs from Rockwell Automation, we have narrowed down our problem to be the program and not so much a hardware issue. As I stated before, the manufacturer of the machine has not been all that forthcoming with any assistance in fixing our problem. So I'm in the process of teaching myself the Basic language skills that I need to get a program up and running. Does anyone have any links to good reference in programming something this outdated? I've got the A-B PDFs, but there are really no clear direction in writing a program. I can dissect the one I have to see how it's made. But it's wrong already and I don't want to waste a lot of my time building incorrect programs. I'm having trouble grasping the whole "Global variable" when it comes to the Push and Pop commands. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

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Hi, You want the Basic Language Reference manual (mine is 1746-6.3 - November 1994) which has lots of examples. I have a PDF but it is 1,221 kb and am unsure how to send it to you if you cannot find it. Mike

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