fosy

Hi Chaps, Just got a critical machine in the factory, its an Electro Plasma thingy ma-gig. I dont know much about the technology but it looks scary. When you look inside it there is a lot of pink purply sparks going on and from what has been explained, it de-oxidizers the surface of plastic? Apparently this helps glues adhere to the treated plastic better. Anyway, the bloody thing has a Directlogic plc. Never heard of this type of plc before, so I have had to purchase the whole system to sit on a shelf just in case something goes wrong with it. I've ordered Directsoft32 software and leads too. Looking at the printed program it looks pretty simple enough. What I'm after is, have you any experiences with this kit I need to know and worry about? It looks pretty cool but is there any sh.i.t I should know? Thanks, Fosy

Have you no sense of humour in this place lol. I thought at least one of you would have bit. lol. Allow yourselves a little fun once in a while, sheesh.

Of course I was just waffling on so I could get to my 50th post and become an "expert" lol. But as its my 50th post I'll ask a question that I don't think anyone is qualified to answer lol. If 0=0.....how could there have been a big bang and suddenly everything exists. lol

Once I learned which way electricity flowed, I realized these geeks were not quite as clever as I had first thought, its quite easy when you get your head round it lol. And PLC stuff is a joke, it seems complicated but it is only complicated because the geeks that develop it are sad and protective and insecure. They make something so simple appear so difficult it is a disgrace. I've seen some awesome fantastic state of the art technology in my life so far and believe me, PLCing don't go near it. I'm going to become an expert at PLCs, I've decided. I'm going to be asking loads of questions. Help me master this boring shoot so I can move on to more interesting cleverer stuff. Thats all I ask. I tried to program a pathetic NT20S the other week, upload/download. I've never in my life in engineering found something so little and pathetic so disgracefully disgustingly complicated in all my discovering life. I spent 2 valuable hours frustrated to the point, the unit I was working on nearly got a full blown drop kick out of the factory, because some nugget who had wrote the DOS software, had not informed the user that its data directory file name, was limited to 8 characters. If I could meet him I'd punch him in the nose. Having said all that, I'm sorry, I want to be friends and get on. Help me sus this PLC stuff out and I'll Luv ya Fosy

Mind you, don't ask me about anything electrical about the Harrier, cos I dont know. The only reason I got into electrics, and all this boring stuff like wiggly amps and binary number crap. Was because the electricians, geeks, kept blaming my engine for everything. They would do their tests and say its an engine fault and I would have to change the bloody engine of a harrier. You can imagine the work involved just to find the ................. had got it wrong and the snag was still apparent. I hated leckies lmao. So I decided to learn geek shoot only to be able to argue with incompetent twits lol.

Wessex as in aircraft copters? I was aviation, unfortunately no one asks questions on aircraft technology. I dont remember plcs on aircraft. I'm a harrier jump jet expert 12 years. If anybody wants to know anything about how a harrier works ask. It would be nice to be able to answer a question for a change lol.

There is no mention of upload/download capabilities in RSladder pdf. Some sophisticated monitoring yes. If a problem occurs with the machine I may need to force an output or input. I may need to adjust a timer, but my intervention will be for diagnostic purposes only. The machine is too dangerous for me to consider program mods. If thats needed I'll get the experts in. I think the stuff I've ordered fits our needs.

Hi, Our company has purchased an abatement plant machine from America. It burns the solvents we discharge from our factory to help keep us enviromently friendly. Anyway, it has an Allen Bradley PLC SLC 5/03 and a Panelview Plus 700 control system. I need some nice cheap software to be able to use on these items. I just googled and there is a lot of software out there and I'm not sure what would be more suitable for us. We will not be writing programs, we need the software to simply upload/download the programs and maybe do some online monitoring. Could anyone recommend the software that would be suited to us? I would prefer windows based software and something that doesn't need an expert to understand. Something that has "Auto" everything lol. I'll be purchasing from UK, so if you know a good PLC software shop that would be helpful too. Cheers, Fosy.

Glad this is all cleared up, thanks for your help chaps.

Hey, Found a free download for this optimate panel editing......http://www.optimate.com/support/swupdates The Zip version wouldn't load on my puter, loads of errors, but the .exe version loads champion. It allows you to upload/download and save. You can't build with it. I still need to find and buy a blumin lead though lol. Dont know why my link dont work, but thats the address anyway.

Hi Mickey, Thanks mate. I dont need to use it now, I'll wait till it all comes then all I need do is upload the program for safe keeping.

Hi Ally, I hope it does come with the ability to comm with the PLC, because if it don't, Rockwell are taking the holy water.

I received the DirectSOFT32 software, leads and a spare Optimate panel OP1500 yesterday. What is annoying, I went over to the machine and uploaded the program from the PLC champion. Had a look to see how I could upload the OP1500 and found I couldn't. The sale person told me I could upload/download and write the program for the panel and the PLC with the same software. Nope not bloody so. DirectSOFT32 comes with a DV1000 setup support only, very very annoying, watch out for that. I now have to search for another software called OP winedit according to an American company I spoke to tonite. I'm not impressed. More leads more software I've got software coming out of my ears. Probably never have to use the dang stuff anyway lol.

Thanks lads, I ordered the RSLogix 500 and leads £790 and the RSView Studio/me and leads £541. Expensive stuff considering we only have one Allen Bradley at the whole plant. Can I not upload/download and monitor with the RSLogix 500, why do I need RSlinx aswell?

A great question can sometimes inspire more than a great answer could ever do gentlemen. One closer to expert Yippee!

Hi Colin, I get your drift, I guess the way you explain it, it is a concern. I work for an international company with many sites around the world. We have teams set up looking at ways to cut costs. We are asked to look for ways to improve process and reduce waste. We look at machines bought in and study them to see if we can find ways to improve them, reduce energy usage and such. We look at the spares required for machines, especially the cost of spares. All manufacturers recommend you use their spares, they claim using cheaper alternatives may harm the machine or reduce its efficiency. We make judgements on that every day. Some manufacturers over engineer, some under engineer. If we ask a manufacturer to build us a machine, we tell them how long it must last, 5, 10 years whatever. We don't want it to be built to last 20 years, we don't manufacturer our product to last 20 years. We change models, lines all the time. When we have finished a line or product, we want the machine that help make that product to be life ex, worn out, spent. We are not in the business of selling second hand machines, we dump our machines in skips when we have finished with them. Now all the the stuff I've explained about us having to look to cut costs and reduce waste and improve machines and look for cheaper spares and all that, is what we are suppose to do. And the only reason I've mentioned it, is because my boss might see this post God help me. Because its all bullshit, in reality, we aint got time to do all those wonderful things, we are too bloody busy trying to keep the lines running and producing our product to the customers requirements. We aint got time to make machines, we aint got time to look for alternative spares. We aint got time to copy peoples ideas or steal software. And the truth is, even if we did have the time to save our company some money by copying your machine and building a cheaper one, we would get no thanks for it. They wouldn't give a toss. We look for an easy shift, we look for peace and harmony at work. We don't want any medals for ripping off a guy just trying to make a living out of his brilliant idea and hard work. My advice to you would be make your machine fit for purpose and just that, don't try to make it last forever. Offer to supply spares, even if the kit is off the shelf, companies will come to you for convenience, as long as your mark up is reasonable and you can deliver next day. When you come to costing your machine be reasonable, don't milk it cos its unique, think fair price, if its very expensive, they will take time to seach for an alternative. And once again, make it user friendly, be nice to the maintenance man lol.

I'm trying to upload the application from a NT20s using NT-series Support Tool V4.6 software. I'm getting an "Incompatible PT hardware connected" and communications abort. I know we got the NT20S PT back in 1996 and the software is pretty new, so do I need an earlier software version? Strange, but the NT20S is listed on the Support Tool. Any ideas?

Thanks ECSI, Thats exactly what the problem was mate, cheers. I had more than 8 characters as the directory. It must be a DOS thing yeah? Anyway, got it working a treat, uploaded data satis. Shall try a download tomorrow, see how it goes.

Thanks qtsuport, I think the main problem is the data directory and the work directory. I have typed C:\nt20software on the tool setting page but a help message is saying "check data directory on tool setting page" Its got me goosed lol. If you get a chance to try it Monday I'd appreciate it.

Well I have downloaded the software and the distructions on how to use it. First problem I have encounted is, I don't see "NEW-FILE" listed under the file list. Secondly, the software explains how to transfer from computer to PT, but not from PT to computer. I want to upload the screens from an old NT20 so I can see what settings and screens are there. There is a help message asking me to check the data directory. So I made a folder on the C: drive, put the program in it and typed the address of that folder in the appropriate place. Still no joy, of cause I am a maintenance man, so its likely to be some simple error on my part. Anyone want to teach a fool how to fix this prob, I'll be grateful.

Thank you gtsuport, Luckily I'm enjoying a couple of days off and trying to forget work for that period. I will use your advice when I get back. Luckily my problem aint a company worry as the NT20 units in question are simply used to display info, they have no essential function to the machine. We didn't even know they had touch panel tech lol. I'm going to use these units as a learning aid, it will help us maintenance people to understand the basic principles of touch screen technology. Thanks for your input.

Hi Colin, I understand your frustrations and I bet your software is great and maybe no one has thought of a better way to achieve what you have achieved yet. You may have achieved something no other has achieved at this moment in time. But you cant go down the " Patent " route to protect it unless it is totally unique. Like if it were written in a totally new language and that language was born from you. Just like electronics, you cant patent a circuit, simply because there will be a number of other ways to achieve the same result, i.e, the copier simply has to change a resistor and it will make it different to the patent owner's idea. Patents are very expensive and they need policing forever and so not economical. Now I know maintenance men are disliked by the likes of you and I understand that for the reasons we have discuss before in this forum. But maintenance men have an influence on what machines are purchased by a company, well, prudent wise companies anyway. A maintenance man will only recommend buying machines that are easy to fix. Do you get my drift? And we maintenance men are very loyal to manufacturers that make our job easier, do you get my drift again? If you want to make millions, be very friendly to us maintenance men, we will reward you sir. Be open, make things simple for us, remove restrictions and obstacles and dont ever intimidate us with your cleverness. We will blank you. Care for your maintenance man and we'll care back. The secret to success in machine, software development, is make it user friendly mate and we'll stick by you. PS. We might even fall in love with you, if you have a nice arse, big pair of tits and are female lol.

I am bored but read this and thought I'd give you my thoughts. I never realized how protective you guys are about your material. I've had debates about password protection and such on this forum and never really understood the reasoning behind it, other than to protect a machine that you had built from being destroyed by some delinquent pond life with a little bit of knowledge. But please forgive me, I'm lost. Please enlighten me, cause all my working life and involvement in machines, the only machines that I have ever respected, are the ones that are easy to understand. The manufacturer has designed a machine in such a way that even the simplest of us can understand the workings of it and they encourage the understanding of it. Have you lost the plot, have you become obsessed with you own brilliance? Dont go there would be my advice, been there got the tee-shirt. It doesn't matter how clever you think your idea is or in your case, software is, if it aint easy for us delinquents to understand, you aint going to be a millionaire. Keep it simple, achieve the impossible in the most simplest possible way and be as open as possible. Only then will you own a big boat me dears. I've come off a nightshift from hell and had a drink too, so forgive me if I have upset you.

The machine manual has it listed as a NT20S-ST121-v3, but actually looking at the back of the unit, there is no -v3, just NT20S-ST121. V4.6 Supporting tool does not have NT20M listed and I think you have to upload using NT20M settings for this model if I have read it right.

Great choice Big Country, I have had a Sony Vaio for 4-5 years now. Its endured abuse from my three kids and its still going good. Smart kit.