1784-PCMK

[rraley 0]

I recently purchased a 1784-PCMK to interface my laptop with all of our PLC-5's. I have a 5-15 that I am trying to upload processor image. When I do a who active and RSLinx browses it sees the processor on one pass but does not recognize it the next. This goes on and on and never stabilizes. I am hesitant to try and go online with the eratic connection. Any advice?

[jstolaruk 9]

What is your physical connection? Direct to the mini-din port on the 5/15s front panel? Or via a blue hose network?

[gravitar 3]

grounding, termination, or node number conflict maybe?

[panic mode 246]

make sure you are using proper driver AND settings. when loading new driver in RSLinx you must KT/PCMK driver, you must change card type to PCMK using pull down list and you must select proper speed. If you are using wrong speed setting (230k when network is 57k and vice versa) you will see just what you have desribed... oh and make sure to choose unique node number. some guys like to set PLC as node 0 just to see how long is going to take for next guy to figure it out.

[hakko808 0]

Not sure if is the same problem I had a couple weeks ago but the cable I was using had a bad connection, thankfully on the DIN end. A little soldering and is good as it ever was.

[rwraley 1]

The processor only has a DB-9 connector on it. there is no Mini Din. I did change the config to PCMK in the driver. The first time I tried it I didn't and it gave me the "Blue Screen of Death". I don't think it is a cable problem because it connects with others just fine.

[gravitar 3]

Did you have to use a "Hakko 808" to fix it? :)

[panic mode 246]

sounds like it

[hakko808 0]

Actually a hakko 936. The 808 is for unsoldering :)

[rraley 0]

There is also a DL-40 connected via DH+ network. I have never seen it happen before but could it cause time outs on the network while communicating with the processor. I did attempt to go online and it almost made it all the way through uploading processor image then stoppped and timed out for loss of communications with processor. Tomorrow morning I am going to disconnect thr dataliner and see if it makes a difference, but the machine is in use right now. In reference to guys using node 0 for processor, I ran into a PLC 5-30 this morning that was as such.

[jstolaruk 9]

One quick thing you can do (besides disconnecting the DL-40 temporarily) is to turn off the Auto-browse feature in the RSWho window of RSLinx. That will free up a little bit of the bandwidth. In RSLinx, you can also check out the Driver diagnostics for the DH+ driver to get an idea of how the DH+ is working with your connection.

[rwraley 1]

OK, I've tried all of the suggestions thus far and to no avail. One thing I noticed is that by assigning linx as node 1 or node 2 etc, the processor seems to be recognized longer than with linx at node 0. I poured through the knowledgebase documentation and there is nothing that addresses the problem directly but there are some things that might jog your memories. The first is a recomendation to update binary files (has anyone done this?). Second downloaded utility to resolve conflicts with Rockwell products and Windows XP SP2 (no help). Third deleted RSLINX lite and loaded RSLINX professional (no help). The only thing I can think of is that I might have a flaky processor. I want to pull it and re-seat it but I have a new battery on order I want to get in first so I don't lose the program.

[TechJunki 0]

Sure sounds like a bad cable.. I am assuming you do not have another cable to try?? I have also seen this problem when using the wrong DH+ speed. Have you tried to use both 57.6K and 230.4K Baud?? Edited 13 Dec 2005 by TechJunki

[rwraley 1]

I did try it at 230.4k baud and it just kicks it back to 57.6. As far as it being the cable I can connect with several other plc-5's with no issues.

[TechJunki 0]

Do you have a series A or a series B PCMK card. The A will only communicate at 57.6K and the B will work at both. I would venture a guess to say that your PLC-5 in which you are having a problem is configured at 230.4K. Connect with DF1 and verify the communication settings of the DH+ channel. Thinking back.... does it have a serial port?? -- PLC5 5/15

[rraley 0]

I have a series B PCMK. The processor does have a DB-9 serial port and DH+ no mini-din.

[TechJunki 0]

have you verified the DH+ Channel Config using DF1??

[rraley 0]

I tried to connect with DF-1 but no luck. Maybe I am misunderstanding what you mean. I only have USB ports on my laptop so I have to use either a 1747-UIC (which only supports DH-485) or a USB to serial adapter cable. In RSLinx when configuring driver the only selection for DF-1 is the AB_DF1-1 rs232. I selected the com port and set device to PLC-CH0 and tried to auto configure but it failed baud and parity test.

[TechJunki 0]

Are you sure the DB-9 port is serial.. looking at the manual it looks as though it is DH+. From what I remeber I don't think I have ever seen a 5/15 with a serial port, although I may be wrong. What models are the other PLC-5's that you are connecting to successfully. Edited 14 Dec 2005 by TechJunki

[TimWilborne 108]

What brand of usb to serial adaptor do you have

[TimWilborne 108]

Never mind I think TechJunki is right, there is not a DF1 port on that processor

[Firetubes 1]

The 9 pin D-shell connector is for DH+ only and it only supports the lower baud rate.

[rraley 0]

The adapter is manufactured by Prolific. I have found this to work well with AB devices. I mis-spoke in my previous post when I said DB-9 serial. I meant DB-9 I never did think that it was a serial connection. Thats why I don't understand about using DF-1.

[ally.davidson1 0]

I have had this sort of problem before and have solved it in the following ways; If you are running on battery on the laptop ,plug in the mains supply, one of my laptops will only stay online in this way as the battery is well past its best. Make sure you have the xp driver for the PCMK card, this is available as a free download from Rockwell. Check that there are terminating resistors on both ends of the blue hose running to the DL, I plugged into a PLC 5 that was connected to 4 other processors and 5 displays and it took the whole network down, as soon as I put the resistors on it all ran fine. Last tip set your node address to something like 77 and you will probably never have to worry about it again as you don't normally find node addresses that high.

[gravitar 3]

The classic PLC-5s (5/10, 5/12, 5/15, 5/25) do NOT have a serial port. They can't communicate using DF1 protocol. (Unless you have an RB module, but we won't get into that can of worms) Only DH+ and RIO. I sure wish A-B would have put a little more thought into the choice of connectors they used.. It is very misleading to see a DB-9 on the front of something and have it **NOT** be a serial port! Same problem with the SLC 500s, using an RJ45 connector for DH485 (not ethernet). It got even worse when they came out with the 5/05, which has an RJ45 connector just like the older ones but now it really IS for ethernet!