dwalker

Hi experts, need some advice. I have an application where RSView prints a label to a zebra printer via an OPC server. I have four of these setups on the plant floor and only 1 of them is giving me issues. Every week or so 1 of the systems (the same one) will stop printing, usually a STOP project then START project will get things moving again, but as of late an entire PC re-boot is in order. I dug through the Activity Log of RSView and found the following error each time a print command was supposed to occur: RSViewTagSetServer "Write to tag 'tagname' has failed: Client: Could not connect to the OPC server. ......So it would seem we have an issue between RSView and OPC..... Now the strange thing is the OPC server is also connected to a barcode scanner and that part of it is working fine. I would think that if there was an error with the OPC server that the barcode read would stop working as well. The barcode reader and printer are both serial devices connected to the PC by a 4 port PCI-Express serial card. I'm not an OPC expert but am trying to learn. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks, Dave Things I have checked: The OPC software is setup the same as the others The RSView tags are set accordingly Cabiling (on both ends)

Hi all, I've got a PLC5 that is communicating to remote racks via DH+. I have 4 racks with different rack addresses with the 1794-IT8 in each of them. I have an issue with one rack in general where the data the is coming in is sometimes reading negative or very strange values. We have verifyed T/C wiring, swapped out ASB cards, the T/C module and base, and have moved the module to different slots in the rack. Still same issue. The configuration of the module is the same as the others (different BTR addresses, but setup simialr). The stange thing is, is that the module was reading the correct temperture for a small period of time (i.e. 160 degree F) then all of a sudden, all the channels were reading negative and now are reading 30's to 40's to 50's with no change. We held a lighter to one of the T/C's and no temperature change at the module. We did test all the T/C's with a meter and they are operating correctly. We did have a cold junction error (> 70) and changed the cold junction wires. That solved that but still have the bad data issue. Any ideas? Thanks, Dave EDIT: We also tried calibrating the module with the 'bad' cold junction wire. Even though the calibration failed, is it possible we messed up the module?

Hi all, A few months back I asked and received some great advice about a RSView application I was working on and need a little more advice. I'm using a string entry box to allow an operator to enter a value into a cell. The entry must be in a certain format otherwise in can throw the entire process off. So... I have a string entry box that writes the value entered to a temp. tag. There is also a 'send data' button that allows the temp. tag to be written to the actual tag. I enabled the visabilty animation of the 'send' button and put the following logic in: IF (temptag > "") THEN 1 ELSE 0 As long as a string of characters is entered, the 'send' button appears, however, I would like to go a step further and make sure the format of the string is correct too. At least the first 3 characters. Is there an easy way to do this? Thanks in advance, Dave

Hello everyone, I think I may answer my own question her but need your input. I recently aquired a laptop with windows 7 64 bit. I installed and have running RSlogix 5, 500 and RSView 32. No issues at all with communicating etc. The only issue I did have was trying to install RSLinx enterprise. It didn't like my OS. So, I downloaded XP mode (I know RA doesnt' support this yet) and have installed RSLogix 500 again, but cannot get the activation to work. I noticed that the activation is tied to the Windows 7 hard disk serial #, and the virtual XP serial # is different. Do I have to re-host the activation so I can use it in XP mode? It seems like I should be able to use it on either OS since it is the same laptop. Any help or info would be great. Thanks in advacne! Dave P.S. The reason I went to XP mode is so I can install factory talk, get RSLinx Enterprise and run my OPC servers. ***edit*** - since my original activation was tied to my hard disk, should I re-host and assign to my ethernet card instead? Would this allow RSLogic to run in both OS's off the same license. Please don't tell me I have to purchase another license to make them work on both.....

Scoot/Michael thank you both for the replies. The PLC we are using is the PLC5. I think the Macro approach is best way of approaching this. However, I have another question: I'm trying to keep this application as simple as possible. This is an oven application with 18 position, top and bottom so a total of 36 postions that will need edited. I don't want to have to create 36 seperate macros to do this. I'm on board with the OpenEdit and Close Edit commands, when I push the Edit button, is there a way to pass the tags I want edited to the Marco? For example: Edit button action: OpenEdit EditTag = RealTag I will have to do some simulation on the bench to try this out. Anymore information is greatly appreciated! Thanks, dave

I have a RSView project that tracks product as it moves through a piece of equipment. The PLC moves the data from point to point as the product shifts thought the machine. There are times where the data gets corrupted and we need to edit it. Currently this is done at the PLC. We want to do it at RSView so on to my question.... I would like to create 1 popup box that we can edit the data for any given product location. I thought I could set it up so that when we press an "Edit" button at the product location, the relevant tags would be transfered to the pop-up window for editing. Once complete, an exit button on the pop-up would then clear those tags out. I've done it in wonderware with scripting, just wondering if there is a way to set a generic tag = to a real tag so that when data is entered into the generic tag it is sent to the real tag. Make any sense? Thanks in advance. -Dave

Makes sense....I think.... So when using the above calculations I then size the conducter to feed the panel, and select the breaker size to protect those conductors based on NFPA79 13.5.4. So, using above #'s, I assume the 3P devices are motors and the rest are heaters: Phase A = 3P#1 + 3P#2 + (3P#3 x 1.25) + (A-B#1 + A-B#2 +A-C#1 + A-C#2 +A-C#3) = 5A + 7A + (10A x 1.25) + ((2A + 3A + 2A + 3A + 4A) x 1.25) = 24.5A + 17.5A = 42A Phase B = 3P#1 + 3P#2 + (3P#3 x 1.25) + ((A-B#1 + A-B#2 + C -B#1 + C-B#2 + C-B#3 + C-B#4)x 1.25) = 5A + 7A + (10A x 1.25) + ((2A + 3A + 2A + 3A + 4A + 5A) x 1.25) = 24.5A + 23.75A = 48.25A Phase C = 3P#1 + 3P#2 + (3P#3 x 1.25) + ((A-C#1 + A-C#2 + A-C#3 + C -B#1 + C-B#2 + C-B#3 + C-B#4) x 1.25) = 5A + 7A + (10A x 1.25) + (2A + 3A + 4A +2A + 3A + 4A + 5A) x 1.25) = 24.5A + 28.75A = 53.25A So this would lead me to select a 60A feed. Am I on the right track here or did I diverge way to much? Thanks for your help. -D

This is probably elementary but, I need a quick refersher on 3 phase power. We have a control panel, which contains motor starters and heaters, that is fed by 3 phase 240VAC and I need to size the incoming overcurrent protection. There are two 3-phase heaters and a dozen or so single phase heaters that are connected to different legs of the 3-phase lines. I can figure out the load calculation for each load: three phase loads: A = kW/(V*1.732) single phase loads: A = kW/V The three phase loads can just be added up, but what about the single phase loads? Let's say I have 5 loads on phase A-B, 4 loads on A-C, and 4 loads on B-C what is the correct way to determine the load on the three phase system? Thanks in advance. -D

I 'm working on automating a small blender in our plant. I have about 6 inputs and 6 outputs ranging from start/stop pushbuttons to a motor starter and stack light. I'm going to use a small touch screen to allow the operator to setup blend times so I guess I want to know...... How do other people approach using a touch screen as your start/stop buttons? There will be a hardwired E-stop that will disconnect all output power and motor starters, but is there a conflict by using a touch cell as a start or stop button? I would think, and if I'm interpreting NFPA79 correctly, that if the there is logic to ensure that the touch screen is communicating with the PLC and that if in case of a loss of communication the PLC would stop operation then I should be ok. How does everyone else handle touch screen vs. hardwired buttons? Thanks. Dave

I'm not sure if this is the place to post this but..... I have an automation system that controls exhaust fans / supply fans in my facility. At the MCC in the motor starter bucket we have an Hand / Off / Auto switch installed. In Hand, the motor starter is in a manual mode. When in auto, the automation system can switch the starter on/off. In order to control the starter in Auto, the HVAC contractor installed SSR's to switch on/off the motor starter. I've noticed that on some of the starters, when they go to switch off, the SSR starts to chatter and will eventually cause the breaker to trip because the starter is chattering too. What is the best way to prevent chattering? Resistors, capicitors, diodes? How do you size them etc. I'm sure this is basic electronics, but it's been a while. The SSR is switching a 120VAC load. TIA. - Dave

Hi, I'm looking for some advice on a possible devicenet application. I have 3 pieces of equipment that are permentaly installed that have similar control systems. Each piece of equipment has the following: - SLC 5/05 - using ethernet to communicate with MMI and plant network. - Wonderware MMI - DeviceNet to communicate with temp. controllers and drives (all located in the same cabinet) - Assorted DI/O and AI/O cards Now, I have an auxillary piece of equipment that can be mounted to the machine for certain production orders. It is not needed all the time, but when it is needed, we would like to control it from the Wonderware MMI. This auxillary piece of equipment will have 3 temp. controllers (same as what is used in main control system) and 6-7 I/O points. This aux. piece of equipment could be mounted to any three of my pieces of equipment depending on the product they are running. For the I/O I was looking at using a 1791D compact block I/O device. What I would like to do is connect all the I/O using DeviceNet and allow the operator to plug this unit in and the SLC 5/05 or DeviceNet card would start talking to it. Control of the unit would be through the Wonderware MMI. I guess my questions are: - Can you hot swap devicenet components? - If you have devces setup in the DeviceNet scanner and they are not actually connected, the scanner will give a code 78 warning, is it ok for a scanner to run with this warning all the time? - Is there a way in the PLC ladder to enable or disable Devicenet components? Or tell the scanner card not to look for this node address? EDIT: - If this is possible, what about the termination resistors? I currently have one installed on the scanner card and last device in the control cabinet. Would I put another on this remote network as well? Again, this is just in the planning stages and would like some feedback. If you need any more info, please let me know. Thanks in advance.