dellae

MrPLC Member
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Everything posted by dellae

  1. abb pm564 eth to wonderware

    You need to use ABB software PS501 to configure the ABB PLC communications port.
  2. VFD Regenerative Braking

    Regen (4 Quadrant control) - Look at ABB, they have being doing it for a number of years. They have an ACS800-17 (WWW.ABB.com/drives) range designed to do exactly what you are talking about, also used on crane/hoist systems. I have done it on a timber carriage (150kW), currently involved in a crane upgrade in a steel mill using 90kW. ABB have inbuilt firmware for all the common applications so setup is relatively straight forward. It is much more efficient than mechanical braking. The brake limit is the power of the motor connected to the load. Whatever power your motor can output (say 100kW) is the same as it can absorb.
  3. DCS vs PLC

    In this day and age - absolutely nothing. DCS is a hangover from the old days (10 years + ago) when PLCs were rather simple limited systems. Limited in the amount of I/O they could attach and the networking capability. Today most mainstream PLCs can do everything a DCS could do. About the only real difference is that a DCS was really a PLC and SCADA supplied as an integrated system. DCS engineers would have you believe otherwise - if you asked them to explain and they were truthful - it would sound just like a modern PLC. DCS = Distributed Control System. PLC = Programmable Logic Controller. A DCS contains PLCs - A PLC can be a DCS (B&R being a good example). PLCs were considered a single controller with local I/O only. A DCS was generally multiple PLCs connected via a network and most often included SCADA. When I refer to PLCs I am talking about modern systems that use the full IEC language set, not those stuck on Ladder Diagram.
  4. Wago PLC

    A good all purpose little PLC, good bang for buck Uses CodeSys for programming - all 6 IEC languages, nice simple programming enviroment - I use ST & CFC. Has a good range of interface modules. My favorite is the 750-871 ethernet with builtin 2 port switch.
  5. ABB DriveWindow 2.30 Communications

    The system must be connected and drive powered on before you start drivewindow - otherwise you need to disconnect then reconnect. Have you tried swapping the fibre optic cable connection at the RUSB-02 - the connection identification is typical ABB. The drivewindow 2.30 software must be installed BEFORE you ever plug the RUSB-02 unit into the PC otherwise it will fail.
  6. Any users of Eplan P8 ?

    Hi Guys, I bought ePlan Pro and the maint support because I was sick of struggling with ACad. Trouble is I am still struggling with ePlan. It is a pitty there is not REAL support site for a product that does appear to be the top of its class. Maybe if enough of us users band together we could prise some better documentation out of Rittal. I have been truing to buy the reference book mentioned but so far no luck.
  7. What version of CodeSys are you using? Looks like your 'Taget Settings' my be incorrect which is very common with new installations of CodeSys. There is a fix for this, PM me for email and I will send you the file which should fix this.
  8. SCADA POLL

    Adroit - my current favorite as it was easy to get setup and has a good price structure for small projects, also has very good PLC driver support. Has nice built in features like Web support and auto graphic publish to JPEG. Documentation is poor. Graphic development is similar to RSView. RSView - Is just way too expensive and has very poor 3rd party driver support, but is a good fit in an all AB environment. iFix, (Fix, Fix Demacs), Citect - old and tired, WinCC - Even more proprietary than RSView - just to dang hard to bother with.
  9. B & R Automation - What's the big secret?

    I have started to use this system. I have the PLC embeded in the HMI and X20 I/O on Ethernet (Powerlink). Good quality product, competitive pricing and the local support is good. Being IEC 61131-6 + C means you can reuse a lot of code from other systems with only minor modifications. I have used every major system on the market and some odd balls and this is way better than most. It is way way better than Siemens & Rockwell (Programming environment) although they don't have the range of systems. However they have the main ones well covered. Their processors are much faster than Control-Logix. Networks are; Ethernet, DeviceNet, Profibus, CAN, X2X (their extendable remote backplane, like ControlNet but only better) They also have a SCADA system (runs on Linux).
  10. CX-ONE - how to use it?

    Yes, that works if; All rung comments in the old project have place holders in the CPU code. eg; if someone has deleted a rung comment or a rung that has a comment associated, when you try to do your import it will not line up. It's as though the internal pointers are thrown into disarray, as it mixes up the code and comments in some sort of random pattern and this is when you have to do a rung by rung copy & paste of the rung comments. (I say random but there probably is some pattern to it.)
  11. CX-ONE - how to use it?

    Hi, I was OT with this in another thread and couldn't sort it so have started a new one. Just to recap I have taken over an existing plant with a reasonable number of omron systems. (PLCs servo etc) ( I am not Omron experienced) It has had a number of different programmers working across the site and they have not left backups of what they have done. We have CX-One v6.1 licensed. I have in most cases old copys of systems code, when I go online the compare fails as expected. When the compare fails you are dropped offline and then your only option is to Upload into a new project. What I want to do is mesh the existing old documented project code with the existing CPU running undocumented code so I have at least a reasonable documented project backup of what exists. In the other thread I was told to 'ctrl+shift+T' to download. The trouble is this wipes out the project that you have open and downloads the undocumented code from the cpu. I know there are other systems that this works in so was hoping I could do it with Omron. So far I have been copying and pasting but this is very slow, especially for some of the larger systems on site. Does anyone know if it is possible to do this and if so how?
  12. CX-ONE - how to use it?

    Yes I have used this. If rung comments were added, (and there was no allocation for them in the old project) when you do an import the code and comments are not aligned correctly. If there was an allocation for a rung comment (imbedded in program) even it is empty, then the import works ok. I had to do a section by section import at a time.
  13. CX-ONE - how to use it?

    If you upload into a new project yes you get comments & tags, but you do not get section names or rung comments. I see in the online help it makes mention of the fact that you can select what to up/download, but I can not find the selection in the menu (only greyed out) so I presume I must have a setting wrong somewhere. With the new CJ1 projects our better programmers save all documentation on the cpu which is good. Unfortunatly, some programmers feel they can hold you to ransom even when they have been paid on an hourly rate to undertake work. I am slowly getting rid of the older C200 machines so it is becomming less of an issue.
  14. Mechanical Press Two Hand Controls

    On Safety Rated PLCs. (SIL3 / CAT4 applications) For AB CLX you have to use a companion safety processor (1756-LSP) and safety rated I/O modules (devicenet). I believe these were specificlly designed for the USA motor industry (so our AB rep told me). OK if you are already using a CLX on the machine. Very large safety systems (100s of I/O) Other options are: Omron/SICK (NE1A) - my current favourite programmed in FBD and filling in tag fields (no import/export) Compact and big enough for most machine jobs. Use safety Devicenet modules (Omron, SICK, AB) Can communicate to a standard devicenet master on the same network (ie: coexists) EASLAN /NHP Brick type Programmed by filling in boxes in an electronic sheet and typing tag-names. Very German Network by safe profibus The tell me they are working on bringing this into the 21st centruy Slightly higher cost than Omron Schneider (XPSMC32X) Single block - really is just a bunch of configurable safety relays. 16 or 32 I/Ps 6 SSR, 4 Relay O/P Programmed by a mixture of FBD and tag filling Good and low cost for small machine where you would use more than 3 but less than 8 conventional safety relays. PILZ (3000 series etc) Really just an S5 safety rated Programmed in IL, ladder Very German Can import/export the tag database using excel If I really wanted to waste that much money I would put in an AB. Has its own proprietary bus, very very very poor networking capabilities to other systems. (it's as though they don't want you to use it with any other system) There are others, but I don't believe they are really in the race. They seem to be just reincarnations of smart safety relays. Just my personnel opinions and experience from designing/installing safety systems.
  15. REMOTE I/O SLAVES

    Personally I like Beckhoff & Pheonix Contact. (I have used Devicenet but not profibus). All you need is the eds file, open the project with CX-Integrator, import the .EDS, add the module to the network (from the device tree) and assign the module address. Once you do this the device I/O is available at the Omron predetermined CIO addresses.
  16. Devicenet Explicit Message Builder

    Is there an equivilant to the "Devicenet Explicit Message Builder" (in the downloads section of this site) available for CX-One? And before anyone suggests talking to my local Omron rep - I am in New Zealand. I am responsible for an industrial site that has a large number of CPM2, CQM1, C200H, CS1 PLCs & Danfoss VLT5000 drives. (Trouble is I am a Modicon programmer) I have started a site wide network infrastructure upgrade - Plan is on upgrading most of the PLCs to CJ1 series, Devicenet & ethernet, plus adding CJ1s for the new projects. There are a number C200H & CS1 PLCs that are on controllerlink that will not be touched. I have just implimented an upgrade on one section where we used a CJ1H-CPU43 and devicenet to control the vsds via DM area commands + NE1A Safety CPU. However for the SCADA system (ifix) I need to extract other iinformation from the drives (and safety system) that is not available via the 4 words that Danfoss allows. The Danfoss manuals only reference to any of this is that their drives are compliant with ODVA (pitty about the lack of documentation on ODVA site) Danfoss NZ could only tell me that they know some people do use their drives with devicenet, and not much else. And to compund the problems we have Syncpos in some of the drives as well for accurate position control. I have been googling for anything I can find and have read other drive manufacturers manuals about devicenet explicit messaging and I belive I understand the basics. (looks similar to modbus plus messaging) and the Omron manual on the Explct command. Where I am coming unstuck is the sequence of bytes to form the message to extract the various parameters within the drives. The Omron devicenet manual does have a very good table but I am struggling on how to relate that to the info I want from the drives. I am wondering if I am flogging a dead horse. On the recent upgrade I had to configure the devicenet network (with the help of Omron) as the head PLC contractor was just not interested and preferred to continue to use hard wired I/O for all drive communication.
  17. Devicenet Explicit Message Builder

    Hi, Thanks for that - yes it has the table of Object classes that is missing from the VLT5000 manuals. With a bit of luck it will be the same. It also confirms my fears about the limitations of Danfoss drives and network communications. One of the main limitations of the Danfoss drives with network communications is that there is only a maximum of 4 words I/O in memory data transfer mode. Not much use when you have a syncpos card fitted and you also need data for it as well as the basic drive function. Never mind I only need to get this particular installation sorted and there will be no more. Some of the other upgrades that involved more complex configurations have now been changed to another manufacturer and there will be no more Danfoss installations in any of our sites anywhere in the world. Just a pity we didn't know about this before we started down this path.
  18. CX-Programmer improvement requests

    Yes. I don't know. The senior Omron contractors on the site tell me they don't do it because it is not straight forward in CXP (v1.1)
  19. CX-Programmer improvement requests

    The ability as other systems have to download the CPU code into an existing project without having to make another one. A number of people have told me you can do it but I have never found it. Eg; You become responsible for a site that has had many contractors fiddling about. No one ever leaves a copy of the code for the next contractor to use. It would be good if you could just get the latest you can find, suck the cpu down to it and at least you would have a reasonable copy of what exists.
  20. I have only ever used the 'error' o/p from the MSTR block. If you wanted to take different actions based on the actual error type then directly accessing the error register would be the way to go. From my experience I just moniter the error o/p and retry. The most common causes of errors are; 1 - poor cabling/termination. 2 - using more than 4 blocks active at one time. 3 - poor cabling/termination Other than this I can't say i've ever had any problems just monitering the o/p.
  21. When using interposing relays/contactors in safety circuits, they may ONLY be of the 'guided contact' type, such as from Schneider (d, K & F range), Rockwell and SOME others. For Robot cells and other Death & Distruction machines the safety circuits must be to Category 4 / SIL3. That is dual monitering circuits, dual shut down circuits, cross circuit monitering and Reset circuit feedback monitering from the final energy switching devices. There are a number of regulations in most countrys that cover this, eg Europe=EN954-1 and many others. There are many pitfalls for the unweary - I make a nice living rebuilding machines companys import and then discover they are not aloud to use until they have been certified to the relavent standards. For a 2 hand controller, if you need to use one then you are not aloude to use a standard plc. There are dedicated Safety controllers for this, Schneider, Rockwell, Schmesial are some of the main producers. Omron makes a very nice compact Safety PLC (NE1A) (beats Rockwell and PILZ)
  22. CJ1W-SCU41 Problem

    Have you got the handshaking signals between the 232-485 converter linked out? RTS - CTS DSR - DTR Depending on the type of converter these may need to be hardwired linked or some converters have a dip switch to internally link them.. Some converters will use the handshaking, others wont. It just depends on the manufacturer.