Snerkel

First thing to do is get PV flashed to DH485, and port on PLC switched to DH485. The connection with the current cables between the PLC and PV should still work. This is the first step and proves you have configured everything correctly. Once that all works add the AIC+. The connections you need to use on the AIC+ are the mini din and the 9pin D (forget connecting the laptop yet). Depending which cables you use you may need to add a cross-over to one of them (usually you have enough cables to make this up using the PLC programming lead, and the PV to PLC cable. Once this works then all you need to do is make up an RJ45 cable to go from the 1747-UIC to the phoenix connector to allow you to program the PV or the PLC. NOTE:- The DH485 conversion of the PV only changes the protocol being used, not the electrical configuration of the port, the same is true for the serial port on the PLC, the protocol changes from DF1 to DH485, but electrically nothing changes. Electrically the only ports on the AIC+ you can use for the PV and PLC are the mini din and the 9pin D. The phoenix connector is a port for connecting to a DH485 network (this is not the same as the DH485 protocol). Hence the need to use a PIC or 1747-UIC to get your PC on to the AIC+ DH485 protocol can be used on any electrical connection. DF1 protocol can be used on any electrical connection Physical DH485 networks are electrically different to RS232 The AIC+ is an interface between two different electrical networks (DH485 & RS232). Any protocol can be used over the AIC+ but for it to work correctly ALL ports need to be connected to devices using the same protocol. This can be DH485 protocol OR DF1 protocol.

The timer for an air fault is in the wrong position (assuming this is supposed to provide debounce). Looks like you have changed the sense of the reset to prevent the fault latching, but by doing this the fault will automatically reset if the air comes back on. Rung 2 system fault wrong sense

To save cost you could do this with AIC+ but you would need in addition a PIC box or the USB-DH485 adaptor. The PLC and Panelview are connected to the mini DIN and serial port, both configured for DH485 protocol. The only connection available is the phoenix connector, so just make an adaptor lead from PIC/USB

I use http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator/ its free and just appears as an additional printer that any program can print to.

Try increasing the PLC watchdog

No need to one shot the counter, the counter only increments on the leading edge of a pulse. Now onto the real world, where many PLC programmers come unstuck. Real people don't just press buttons once, they accidently press it twice quickly, or the PB has a dirty contact that causes a double trigger everytime it is pressed. The end result is you need some kind of debounce timer to prevent these accidental triggers.

We have a programming PC setup with remote desktop (Windows XP pro). We then use remote desktop from anywhere to access the PC and do any software mods/monitoring. We have used VNC but remote desktop is so much quicker, and is just like being sat at the PC.

If going from the CPM to SLC you hopefully will find the AB easier once you get used to it. Certainly if using the maths functions you will find it much easier with the SLC. Biggest difference will be with hardware, but again you should get used to it fairly quickly. I mainly used the CS1, only used CPM on a couple of occasions.

Not quite I have seen this done in RSlogix a few years ago, especially when 800x600 screens where being used, say you could see 8 contacts on screen without scrolling but the rung needed lots of contacts in series:- -[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]-(B3:0/0) -[b3:0/0]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]-(B3:0/0) -[b3:0/0]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]-(B3:0/0) -[b3:0/0]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]--[/]-(B3:0/0) Only if all contacts are in closed state is B3:0/0 on when the rungs have been scanned If any contact is open all the B3:0/0 coils will appear to be off all the time to the programming package, and would be off for all other rungs thoughout the program. Now we tend to have acres of screen space it is rare for a rung to exceed the size of screen. Its easy to forget what we had to work with in the old days... any wonder progs from a few years back can look so messy when re-opened on modern equipment.

Which Omron models. By the way my favourite PLCs in order 1. Logix 2. SLC 3. Omron CS1 . .. ... 9999. Siemens S7

Yes it stops the maintenance guys accidently switching to PROG mode while online then wondering why all the plants stopped = Plant stood for a couple of hours until you arrive to sort it.

For this type of process I would be inclined to use a timer on the pushbutton... not to alter the way the logic functions, but purely to stop some twit accidently pressing the button twice.

If you can get say 5 LDR (Light Dependant Resistors) and position these at suitable locations along your arc along with microswitches. Monitor the resistance using your analogue inputs. Move the solar panel to the location of the lowest resistance LDR. You may need to place the LDR in short tubes to make sure the best one is chosen according to the suns angle. ps Like the idea but won't the PLC use more energy than your solar panel creates if it is only a small one. The LDR version could be built using a PIC microchip and a small amount of electronics.. it would be much more efficent (but not as much fun)

I would sell it on Ebay, you are likely to get more for it than selling it on a one to one basis. ps I will give you £10 right now.... Oh and then resell it on ebay for a massive profit

johnny61 it would help if when editing your post to remove a link that you noted the removal in the edited post.

Your first mistake is using a coil at the start of rung 2, in SLC500 this is not allowed, coils must always be at the right of the rung, you can not series coils or other output instructions either (timers, maths etc).

I have seen this on some modern PCs, the serial port runs with a line voltage of 5v instead of the standard 12v. As it is a desktop you could try an add-on serial card, or better still just buy the USB version of the PIC. It is much more reliable than the old PIC

You should be able to use anything but lite or RSView, you just need to run historian on the same PC as RSlinx. The historian clients are connecting to historian not RSlinx, is this what is causing your confusion?

A simple quick fix (not a solution) may be to run a timer from the EN bit, if it is on too long then unlatch it.

Just a thought, never tried it but.... Get a digital voltmeter, a capacitor and a couple of resistors. Voltmeter across cap along with one resistor, other resistor feeds cap from PLC output (assuming you have a digital output). Then using a variable pulse train from the output you should be able to generate a voltage across the cap to represent the speed (ish). May take some playing with but it is the cheapest way I can think of doing it.

Generally I use my own custom PID designed to suit the process as the built-in PID systems are often lacking in some way. However I can see a few problems with your control, the main one it seems way too simplistic. You need to consider the process time, the consiquence of someone opening the door, opening the gas valve 10% is unlikely to increase the temperature by 10% etc

Open your new project, open the existing project online. Open the data file you want to reflect in your new software, eg N7 hold down shift key and select all the values using the arrow keys. Copy them then go to the new prog open N7 and paste the values.... job done.

This may work better for you, the clock time sets and unsets latched bits that then drive the outputs. This way you can easily build multiple time controls. Only possible problems is that a power failure during one of the switch times would leave the socket in its last state, until the next control time.

Sounds like the VLAN is failing or delaying the packets, you really need to convince the customer that they need to seperate the networks.

Another way is to multiplex some of your data. In the SCADA you read a set of buffer tags from the PLC, these tags in the PLC have the data moved into them depending what screen you are displaying on SCADA. The SCADA looks at the same set of tags, but the data in the tags is the current data for that screen. Requires a bit of work in the PLC but can make 300 tags streach a long way.