drforsythe

The encoder must be set by the manufacturer or authorized repair center in order to properly commutate the motor. as MichaelG stated, you might get lucky, but that is not usually the case with replacement of the motor's encoder.

Does this pump require a single pulse to make it work, or will you create a series of pulses in order to get the right amount of chlorine? If you have to turn on the output multiple times per second or with high frequency, an electronic output would be preferred. Can you give more details on what is required for the injection pump?

I run the cables separate as a best practice when possible. It is not a good idea from a theoretical standpoint to run the high power cables in the same run as the signaling and low voltage signals. However, I am not aware of a standard that requires it. If I am wrong, maybe someone will present us with the specific code.

When I use a drive with ethernet, I just try to separate the cables as much as I can in the control enclosure. There isn't much you can do when it comes to the point of entry on the drive, though. You should be able to get at least 2-3 inches of separation there as well. That should be adequate to reduce or eliminate induced noise on the ethernet cable. The best recommendation I can make is to use shielded ethernet cable, not a "typical" office ethernet cable if you have noise issues. Simple routing of cables should be good enough, though.

I agree with RussB. If you do not need the programmable aspects of Pluto, I would go with a Vital. We use them and try to reserve safety PLCs for only the large systems where a hardware solution would be too cumbersome.

Automation Fair will be November 7 & 8, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA.

Inductive loads cause a current inrush that will result in much higher than rated current when first turned "on". Likewise, when the magnetic field collapses when turned "off" there can also be a spike in current. If you turn on and off an inductive load rapidly, the resulting current may exceed the rated current of the output. This can cause premature failure of the output . Some output modules have a current limiting circuit which could cause it to trip. Hopefully this explanation makes sense.

I had the same problem recently (within the last month) with Logix 5000. My IT dept had automatic updates on and there was a Microsoft update that caused it to hang. I had to restore my PC twice and only then would IT disable auto updates. This was on a Win 7 system with RSL5K running in XP mode.

This is just a guess, but weld applications are typically very low voltage with very high current for short durations. Drive applications have high voltage output (spikes to 1.5xVin) and constant current levels. Could it be that the jacketing on weld cables are not rated for the high spikes that drives produce? That is one of the key reasons for purchasing inverter-rated motors over standard motors.

The plant I work in uses a chilled water supply to control the temperatures of extruders, mixers and injection molding machines. We do not, however, use the chilled water system to control the temperatures in our electrical cabinets. It is a novel idea, but here are some things to consider: 1) What is the temperature of the chilled water supply at the point where the heat exchanger will be installed? This is important to think about because if your water supply is less than dewpoint of the ambient air, then condensation could be an issue. This can be an issue with AC units as well, but some of the better ones have appropriate dissipation methods to burn off the condensate. AC units also have temp controllers to limit how low the temp can get. 2) I did not see if there were any controls in the heat exchangers. Specifically, will water flow to the exchanger be stopped when there is no need for cooling? If not, will you add it? This could be helpful in controlling #1 above and could help reduce the heat load on your chilled water system. I am interested in the results if you decide to use the heat exchangers coupled to your chilled water system. Keep us posted on your decision and results.

Check to see what the maximum allowable current per point or group is and check it against your loads. If you are driving inductive loads like relays or contactors, the inrush current could be high enough to send the output cards into current limit. Some manufacturers have output cards that reset automatically, and others latch the current limit. Check to see if the card you are using have this feature. If so, you can use small relays or optocouplers between the plc output and the device. You could also try using individual snubber devices across the outputs to limit the effects of inrush.

Comments are not stored in the processor. If you want the original comments, you will need a copy of the file that the programmer created.

Daryl: We run RSView32 on WinXP systems here. We DO apply the security patches. However they can be quite a pain because they install upon a system boot. If a machine is not powered down or the PC rebooted for a time, the patches can be many. We have tried to get maintenance to reboot the systems weekly. Rebooting also helps clean out the buffers and closes out unused apps that may have been started and shut down. We use OfficeScan antivirus software because the machines are connected to a network with outside access. We also do remote monitoring and modifications, so the AV software helps. We do not lock down the OS, but operators do not mess with the PCs except for the HMI application running. Our systems automatically login to a generic user. If another level of access is needed, another generic account is used. We do not have individual logins. The process is the same for standalone systems as the ones that are linked to the outside or on our main network.

You can get Activation support without a contract ONLY if it is a FT activation. EVRSI activations are not supported without a contract. I have just converted several pages of software from EVRSI for this reason.

Ultra 3000 does not have a 'safe-off' option, so on jobs I have done in the past, I utilized redundant power contactors between the drive output and the motor. These contactors were controlled by a safety relay with a time-delayed output module. When an e-stop was pressed or a guard was opened, the system would go into an emergency stop mode that worked as follows: 1) Immediate outputs of main safety relay would initiate a stop command to the drive. (The drive needs to be set up with a high deceleration rate.) 2) The time-delayed outputs would be wired to a) the enable on the drive and b) the coils of the redundant contactors. These outputs of the safety relay would be set up to open after the deceleration would theoretically be over. (example: servo set to decel load in .25 seconds, therefore the safety relay would be set up to open time-delayed contacts after 0.375 or 0.5 seconds). Of course, the contactors would need to be monitored by the safety relay to ensure they are responding in time and properly resetting. CAUTION: If the contactors are opened while the servo is still enabled or if the motor is in servo-controlled motion, damage may occur to the drive. It may occur on the first instance or the 100th instance, but it is not good for the output stage of the servo (or VFD for that matter) to open the circuit under load. You MUST make sure that your decel rates are set up properly. The contactors allow the drive to do the work to decel the load and should only open under load if the drive has malfunctioned. A-B had an example on their Knowledge Base several years ago for this setup. It is probably still there, but I am sorry I cannot point you to a specific article.

The feedback device on a servo motor serves two purposes: 1) position feedback for the application and 2) position feedback for commutation. Commutation is the most important function. Without this 'alignment' the servo amp cannot properly control the torque, speed and direction. Does AB have a way to determine or set the proper alignment? If so, I would like to see what procedure is used.

Interesting topic. I will watch to see what you come up with. Regarding the atomic clocks- we used to use them in our plants, but most of them had trouble getting the signal. This could have been due to cheap clocks, I am not sure. The one we had in our office never could sync after Daylight Savings Time changes unless we either took it outside or set it on a window sill. The clock was mounted on a wall about 30 feet from a wall of windows. This could point to the cheap clocks theory... Good luck, please tell us your solution when you get it.

If you installed the upgrade in addition to the original installation of Logix5000 (as opposed to replacing), you will not need to upgrade the firmware of your older Logix controllers. When you open a file or connect to a controller, the software checks to see which version firmware is tagged to that project. I currently have all versions from 10 to 18 installed on my laptops because we have different vintage processors in our facility.

1) This is the rating of the disconnect. You can connect loads up to and including 30 amps to this device. When fusing, the disconnect, fuses must not exceed this value. 2) This is the rating of the fuses installed for this particular circuit. Main conductors coming from this fuse block must be sized to handle the rating of the fuses. 3) SCCR - Short circuit current rating. Per 2008 NEC Article 100: "Short-Circuit Current Rating. The prospective symmetrical fault current at a nominal voltage to which an apparatus or system is able to be connected without sustaining damage exceeding defined acceptance criteria." This is basically the amount of current a device can safely withstand during a short circuit (while the circuit protection is heating up, but before it trips or a fuse blows). The SCCR rating is used to design circuits that are safe to workers exposed to the live circuitry. It is used in arc flash calculations and required in the U.S. where the NEC (National Electrical Code) 2008 has been adopted. This is a simple overview. Hopefully it is helpful.

I used to do tech support for the industrial distributor I worked for. It was amazing how appreciative some can be and how rude others can be. The place I worked did not charge for phone support and only sometimes charged for field support. We did it in the interest of supporting and promoting our product. It would get so frustrating to deal with people who were rude to you when you were just trying to help.

I do not mind paying for support if it is a reasonable cost. I have a problem with paying tens of thousands of dollars per year on something I MAY use. The problem is that my company only really needs access to the Knowledge Base and an occasional license re-issued after a hardware failure. My local distributor has always been able to support me (often better than Rockwell) in the cases when I need help. For $30k a year, it is better for me to take my chances and if I do lose a license, buy a new installation. The problem with that is that you have to wait days for them to send the disks and license. The days of A-B owning the automotive and Detroit markets are over. Overpricing hardware, software and charging for support are some of the reasons why. The company I work for has been staunch A-B supporters in the past but now we may need to include others in our specifications.

What is worse, if you have multiple installations, they ding you even harder. We were quoted just under $30k to keep our software in support. I have not been able to get a response when I asked them to pare down their price. What's worse is that the $30k is the DISCOUNTED rate they offered!

First, if there is an operator interface on the system, check to see if it is writing to the system. Second, it could have been used as a way to track the program to a specific machine. Does the number 1562 mean something? Like the following: Asset number? Line number? Serial number? Job number? Drawing number? If someone other than your company provided the machine, it could relate to one of their job numbers as well. We use float or string registers to on a system we have duplicated where the hardware and hmi screens are all the same. When the operators log data or print screen, the screen or logged data include the line number. Just a couple thoughts.

I agree with Shiner. I do the same thing in my designs. You need to look at the type of load you have and the amount of times it will turn on/off. Inductive loads which turn on and off several times per hour are good candidates for using a relay to act as a cheap buffer between the plc and load.

I tried to find your light curtain number and I believe it is incomplete. I wanted to check your specific system because SOME light curtains do not allow you to blank the top or bottom beams. As a test for this, you could use your electrician's tape to blank an area in the center of the sticks. You would do this off of your machine (w/o conveyor legs in the way).