Chris Elston

Super Admin
 View profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    2520

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Chris Elston

  1. Posted

    Holly cow... Thanks a million times over. Luckly, I did find an old 1745-PCC interface module that should work? As long as it's not broke. But the wiring and cable pin outs are a big plus! This is going to help me out alot. PS: I don't care if you post links to other boards or sites. The way I look at it, we are all in here for one reason. To share and solve each other's problems. My website traffic is everyone else website traffic, because someone out there knows the answer...No sense in trying to hide the answers. Thanks again 93lt1!

  2. Posted

    Ok when I started doing this PLC programming and automation bit, my first PLC was an Allen Bradley brick SLC500 with fixed I/O. Now comes a day that I need to work on an older SLC 150. I have seen and played with that hand held programmer, but I gotta a question.... Can I get some software for the laptop and a programming cable instead of using that handheld programmer? Can I make my own cable? (I doubt it since that SLC 150 has some sort of DIN connector on it) AB probablly wants $1,000 for the cable...not to crack on you Ken, but we all know how AB handles obsolete parts... Sorry, but I am use to working on the big SLC's and PLC-5. Not everyday do I get a chance like this to work on a SLC 150.

  3. Posted

    I've always been on the hunt for BMP's and images that I can import into a panel view, but never can seem to find a good archive or collection. Will  any of you post your collection of BMP's that you have? I checked out Jay's Lamps_and_Switches_Bitmaps.zip file that was uploaded. Those files are BMP's and will work in the panel view and not just Omron. But if you guys have any more BMPs to share that would be great to submit here in this post or upload to the CODE section. Thanks!

  4. Posted

    I downloaded that pick and place code that was uploaded. I always wanted to know how others might use that Squencer output instruction, but I struggle to see any saving of logic programming time. It seems to me that you still need to set up some kind of a file that has all your prox switches to verify your location of your device. I dunno about you other guys, but we like to use prox switches for every motion to check and make sure the output or cylinder made it to the position we told it to go to before we tell it to move somewhere else. Or in the example of a pick and place. If I tell a cylinder to retract, I want to make sure the cylinder retracted before I tell it to transfer. So if the cylinder fails or something jams, I don't transfer will the cylinder in the DOWN position or mid stroke position. Anyone else think this squencer instruction is kewl to them? My point of view right now is that I am going to have just as much programming time coming up with input "checks" for the sequencer compare file that I would have if I just programmed it all in bits, like the Index PDF file that was uploaded. I guess what I am trying to make sense of, is this worth my time trying to figure out a way to use a sequencer output rather than programming bits or "step logic" like I have for the past 5 years? Anyone have any horror stories with squencer output instructions? I have heard they are dangerous and unsafe was my main concern I sought after... :-3 Thanks for the upload on the pick and place.RSS file..I enjoyed it.  :)

  5. Posted

    I don't know of a tutorial, but there is a DDE Excel Sheet in the downloads page of MrPLC.com in the EXCEL section. When you open it up, go to TOOLS, MACROS, VB EDITOR to see the vb and dde code. You'll need either FULL VERSION of RS LINX or SINGLE NODE RS LINX to do DDE. I recommend SINGLE NODE, if you only have ONE SLC and a PC talking to each other, but if you want to get data from the Panel View and the SLC, you better get a copy of RS LINX FULL version. There might be a cheaper package. Maybe Ken Roach can comment on the different RS LINX packages and what they can handle. I'll also comment on a kewl tip I learned. If you have RS LINX running, (Full version) that is. And you have a DDE topic created in RS Linx to poll your SLC. Then you can open up a blank Excel sheet. Fire up RS Logix 500. Open ANY DATA TABLE, be it a WORD VALUE or BIT VALUE. Highlight the VALUE, do a "COPY", then task over to EXCEL. Do a "PASTE". A DDE "HOT" Link will be established. When the value changes in the PLC, the and you have Excel Open, the value in the Excel changes in REALTIME as the PLC values change. That's the EASY way to get information from SLC to Excel. But that is making a DDE "Hot" link. You might want to do "Cold" links. Where you open a DDE request, read the SLC value you want, then write that value to an EXCEL cell, once finished, close the DDE link.

  6. Posted

    Awesome project! I wish I could do it. I think you are on the right track for "inexpensive" using Excel or something like that... These 1200 records or alarms stored in the panelview. These are PRE-SET alarms? Or did you mean you have a history NOW of 1200+ alarms. If it was me, I would look at maybe using DDE to get the alarm history out of the PLC into an Excel or Access. Does your operator have to add comments at the Panel Views? Is there anything wrong with setting a PC out there, maybe the same one with all the DDE interface that they could type text into the PC rather than the panelview? Is there anything way to DUP the alarms in Excel, and use BITS to remap all your alarms from the PLC to Excel rather than sending ASCII? Use Excel to Time and Date stamp with the NOW() function in Excel. DDE to excel works pretty good for me in the past. It's kinda of SLOW to use EXCEL as an operator interface, which I have done before for a few manual functions, but I have had no trouble with DDE logging and storing data from the PLC on a FOUR SECOND cycle machine. It's real easy to get data out of the PLC. 'tell it weere to read the data from data = DDERequest(RSIchan, "F8:10") 'tell it were to write the data to which cell Cells(lngRow, 1).Value = data Time stamp the message with the following: 'writes the time and date to any cell you tell it too Cells(lngRow, 12).Value = Now() lngRow ofcourse is a varible...but you can hard code a ROW in any cell of Excel. Make sure you close your "COLD" DDE link DDETerminate (RSIchan) Keep us posted.

  8. Posted

    Don't you just hate drawing electrical symbols in AutoCad? Are you one of those companies that can really afford a decent drawing package for the electrical department? Try our new JIC Electrical Symbols pack for AutoCad 2000. Doesn't cost anything, and there is no catch. Just because we thank you for supporting our site. It's up free for download at our site. AutoCad 2000 JIC Electrical Symbols Menu Add-On 1.0 Download Now! Try it, vote for it back at the site. Please share your comments about the download in the comments section.

  11. Posted

    Chris, Mostly just to refresh the page and update the database. I am using MYSQL database, which is a plus for MASSIVE amounts of data and messages, but it's alittle bit slower than a TEXT database. So I am sorry, I need the "REFRESH" screen to update your viewable post. Thanks for your feedback, any other comments are very welcome. Also this website is only ONE MONTH old, not doing too bad so far, we are averaging one new member a day. Stuff like this takes time, if you have or know co workers, please feel free to use the REFER a FRIEND at the bottom of the main forum screen to let them know about MrPLC.com. Also if this goes for anyone, if you'd like to see a forum added, please ask. Or if you have an area of expertise and would like to moderate a section of MrPLC just let us know.

  12. Posted

    Anyone know when might Rockwell software have a patch for Windows XP and RS Logix? Or is it just me and my laptop having trouble with this. RS Logix runs fine on Windows 2000 Pro, but can't get it to run right on XP Professional Edition. Which seems odd to me when 2K and XP run on an NT kernel...what's the difference! I heard a rumor that there might be problems, but haven't been able to verify. Any replies would be great.

  15. Posted

    Also some of you might not know, but you can go to your CONTROL PANEL near the top of the screen by your login name, and link your own AVATOR or picture to appear like mine, or pick one of the default ones. You can also have a SIGNATURE file for your name so you don't have to retype it every time. And those that are FLASH savy...well you can post FLASH on this board in both your SIG and in the board.... Check out your control panel OPTIONS...they are helpful. :D You can also TRACK topics so that they are e-mailed to you rather than you visiting the board every day. Quite helpful sometimes.

  17. Posted

    Great information! I have not done this myself yet, but I know where to come when I do...right here! As far as your question about POSTING order. I have set the board up to POST NEW messages at the top, because I like to see the new posts FIRST not scroll all the way to the bottom. PLUS as replies that are made moves the WHOLE topic to the top of the FORUM. Call me lazy I guess, but boards that post NEW message to the bottom, are too far to scroll. ;) Also another HINT: If you click "NEW POST" at the top, then you don't have to browse through the whole site to look for your new posts that you have not read yet. This will come in handy later, trust me.

  21. Posted

    What is the magic with PLC Direct? I see that a few people have voted for that. I have never used one myself. Am I missing out on something? I wouldn't doubt that the PLC hardware itself is cheap. What's the cost of the software? Is it easy to use? Do they charge a yearly fee like AB does? Thanks!

  22. Posted

    Is there anyway to step through the logic using IA SCARA software when progamming? Like if I have a robot program, and I have a series of moves MOV1 then MOV2 then MOV3. Can I tell the software to step through the program, instead of selecting POINT1 then CRTL-M to tell the robot to move to POINT1 and so forth? Or am I the only one that really wants them to update their software?

  23. Posted

    We just got a new visionscape express from RSVI. It's a pretty kewl package. Windows NT 4.0 comes prepackaged. But so far we have had nightmares with some of the previous VisionScape stuff. Does anyone have a running VisionScape Express up and running? (Kewl looking BLUE colored computer) App Factory is installed too. Same as before, maybe less BUGGY is what I hope to here from you guys.

  25. Posted

    Ed, This is sort of what I was thinking, but wasn't able to prove it like I needed too. (I think you are thinking the same as me..lol) The panelview is on a two node DH-485 network. Using SLC 5/03 OS301. We do have that green and yellow "FAT WIRE" connected too, so I think we are golden there. I finally got an e-mail from our AB rep today, they are saying it MIGHT BE a bug in PANEL BUILDER....no way...I can't believe it...anyway... I seemed to think it was something along the lines of hardware too, but couldn't quite pin it down. We will see what the big giant brings on in the next few days. :)