Michael137

AB MicroLogix 1200 Backup

9 posts in this topic

Hi All,

I have a piece of manufacturing equipment that is using a MicroLogix 1200 for its control.

Currently do not have a backup of the program uploaded to the PLC and would like to have one, just in case of hardware failure of some description

I understand I need to connect a computer to it through the communication port, I have the specific serial to usb cable.

I would like to know what software I need and the process of downloading the program from the PLC and if there are any dangers by doing this.

Thanks in advance

Michael

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You will need RSlogix500 to Upload the program out of the ML1200 (but you will not get any comments or descriptions, these are stored in the RSlogix500 offline file).

 

In the AB world you Upload from the controler and Download to the controller.

 

Alan

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The very sad part about this is, 1) You have to buy RSLogix500, 2) You have to buy the proper cables and adapters, 3) You will not get the labels for the program, so your just going to see the logic, without any easy way to figure out what you are looking at.(unless you are a genius, unlike me)

Most laptops nowadays will not have a serial port, so you have to have a USB to serial adapter.

Contact the manufacturer of the equipment, and ask them for a copy of the .rss file.

Some company's will require you to sign a non-share agreement before they give it to you. As I explain to them, (although I always sign it anyways) we own the equipment, ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT, so we need it for maintenance.

Again, just my two cents, coming from the maintenance side of this type of problem.

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On 11/19/2018 at 3:05 PM, alan_505 said:

In the AB world you Upload from the controler and Download to the controller.

 

Cheers for the clarification

 

On 11/22/2018 at 0:49 AM, Slwagner73 said:

Contact the manufacturer of the equipment, and ask them for a copy of the .rss file.

The company that programmed the equipment has gone bust and unable to contact any of the old employees.

Thanks for all the help guys, I may have to get a 3rd party in to just take the backups on the AB PLC's.

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For the ML1200, you can probably use the cheapest version of RSLogix 500 (not the free one, alas, that one only supports the 1000 and 1100). A good USB-serial adapter is the Keyspan USA-19HS ($25 on Amazon). You'll need a cable too. If you get it from Rockwell, it will be expensive, but this one from Industrial Concepts should be fine. We've used other cables from them with no issues.

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Just adding mi dos centavos, but if you do get an uploaded backup copy of the program.  Find a day and spend it documenting the inputs and outputs.  Assuming you got schematics with the machine, you can at least document real world I/O in your copy.  From there a good programmer can deduce what 50% or better of the internals do.  I've found some documentation is better then none, even while not ideal.

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RSLogix Micro Starter will work for that PLC. Part number is 9324-RLM0100ENE, Price is $151.00

You have to contact a local distributor to get a copy

 

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