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Rockwell does not support RSLogix 5 with Windows XP below Version 5.20.10. You probably need to upgrade your RSLogix 5.

Since the release of Windows 2000, there have been numerous issues with the PIC driver (and not all of them are the fault of RSLinx). Take a look at the document contained in the link below. It's title says it only applies to Windows 2000, but there is a note in the document stating that it also applies to XP. http://domino.automation.rockwell.com/appl...C3?OpenDocument

No, you will have to use a KFD interface or PCD laptop card with the probe cable to connect directly to your DeviceNet scanner module. If you were using a ControLogix platform with both the DHRIO and DNB modules, you coud "drill-down" thru the DHRIO/DNET modules to the DNET devices using your DH+ driver. Only Logix platforms are capable of this "Gateway" feature.

Please pay close attention to instructions on setting up your communications in RSLinx Enterprise. Once you get it right, it works great, but if you don't, it could take you a while to figure it out. Don't make any assumptions based on past experience using RSLinx.

Open "HELP" and in the Index tab, type in Controller, then scroll down in the topic list until you see "STATUS". The tags you are interested in are listed there.

The first scan bit is S:FS in the Logix controllers. I strongly suggest using RSLogix5000 help for instructions on accessing contoller (status) tags and info. They actually have some pretty good programming instructions.

Did you switch from the DF1 driver to the 1747-PIC/AIC+ driver? If so, have you tried COM 1 since you switched drivers?

Just as I thought, RSLinx is still incompatible with expansion serial cards like the one you are using. You're probably goint to have to go with one of the "approved" USB-to-serial converters.

If it is the DH-485 PV with a physical DB-9 serial port, use a normal serial cable (not Null-Modem or DF1) and use the 1747-PIC/AIC+ driver. Depending on the version of RSLinx and you PC's OS, you may have to stop running Linx as a service before you can configure the PIC driver.

Check these out and see if any of them help. http://domino.automation.rockwell.com/appl...B0?OpenDocument http://domino.automation.rockwell.com/appl...DC?OpenDocument

All of the MicroLogix 1000 PLC'c can be wired for either sinking or sourcing inputs. You can even mix types, as long as you keep the DC COM terminals for the different input groups separate. my personal preference is sinking inputs with PNP devices.

Additionally, there was a period of time where the PIC driver would not work with expansion PCMCIA serial cards like the one you are using, but I'm not sure if they ever fixed that in the later versions of RSLinx. Also, you may want to look at this RA Knowledgebase document: P45738359 - Can't configure the 1747-PIC/AIC+ driver in Windows XP

Are ALL of the lights blinking, or just the CPU and DH+ lights? If this is new out-of-the box, the CPU light will flash red as to indicate no program has been loaded. If it is not new, but has been powered down for a period of time and the battery has expired, the program that was on it would be lost and give you the same indications. If the battery is dead, the Battery light should be on solid. How are you trying to connect to the CPU? Are you using a PKTX or PCMK card in your PC, or are you attempting to connect serially over the DF1 port (Chan 0)?

If the input is from a touchscreen "pushbutton", there wouldn't neccessarily be an output coil. If an object on the touchscreen is addressed to this bit, it would just go true when pressed. Look at the tag database for the touchscreen. I'll bet it is in there and that would explain everything (especially if the property of the touch object is set to "latched" or "maintained").

O.K., here's what I did: I created a rung XIC B3:4/0 that turns on coil B3:4/1. In the second rung I create XIC B3:4/1 starting TON T4:4 (30 seconds) with parallel branch T4:4/DN OTU B3:4/0. To test my maintenance bit theory, I right-click on the XIC B3:4/0 and select Toggle Bit to turn it on. When OTE B3:4/1 turns on, the timer starts timing. When the timer is done (/DN), the OTU turns off the bit I toggled (B3:4/0). Check and see if any of this makes sense by looking at the rung in your program w/ the OTU. See attached screen shot. ladder1.doc

I have never seen anything like this that actually WORKED; does this logic actually ever go true? Is it possible that someone inadvertantly deleted the OTL for this bit? What does the rung containing the OTU look like? It could be that this is some sort of test bit that a programmer or maintenance people put in for infrequent use, and the rung w/the OTU just clears the bit if they forget to do it manually. But I'm not even sure that would work. I will try it and post my results.

Please see "APPLICATION NOTES" about 2/3 of the way into the attached document. Release_Note_Technote_RSLinx_v2_42_Build_18_Release_Notes.htm

When you say it "doesn't work", what are the symptoms? Are you able to successfully configure the driver? Does the driver configure and say it is "STOPPED" and you are unable to "START" it? Do you get any port conflict messages? Are the START and STOP pushbuttons grayed-out when you configure it?

The PIC driver works spotty at best in XP/2000/NT. Are you plugging directly into a com port or are you using a USB to serial converter? If you are, you need to go to the Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase and look up the recommended converters. In their testing they only found a couple that worked. You may want to consider replacing your PIC with a 1747-UIC (USB interface). RA is phasing out the PIC and replacing it with the UIC, as most laptop manufacturers are no longer shipping products with serial ports; only USB ports.

Right you are Eddie...you can do redundancy w/the 1747-BSN! I was not familiar w/this product. Anyhoo, here's the manual for it containing config and programming examples. 1747_BSN.pdf

There are any number of color discrimination sensors on the market by Allen-Bradley, Banner, Turck, etc. The problem will be you sensing distance - all of the sensors I'm familiar with have sensing ranges from ~0.5 to 1.25". If you have no flexibility with regard to the sensing range, you will have to go with a vision system - which is not cheap and seldom "easy". The Allen-Bradley color sensors are the Series 9000 ColorSight and the 42CRC Color Registration sensor.

I do not think you can do true redundant "Hot Back-up" with the SLC platform. I do not have a program example to show you, because the program code has nothing to do with the hot back-up arrangement. It is all set up in the hardware configuration (if PLC-5, this is the hot back-up module; in ControLogix it is the redundancy module). You write your control program as you normally would for your given process or machine. The redundancy functions run seamlessly in the background and if the primary CPU fails, you won't even know it has switched over to the stand-by CPU (unless you are monitoring this status bit in you ladder code). I would have been happy to show you an wxample anyway, but the last redundant system I did was about 4 yrs ago and I no longer work for that company.

I have personally done "Hot Back-up" apps using PLC-5's; specifically you have to use ControlNet PLC-5's with a Hot Back-up module and redundant ControlNet network scanners/adapters. The 1756 ControLogix platform uses the same architecture (i.e. ControlNet) and a fiber-optic redundancy module in each controller chassis. By using either of these hardware platforms, you only write 1 program and load it into both cpu's. If a failure is detected in the on or primary cpu, control is "bumpless-transferred" to the back-up cpu.

In theory, this should work (although I am shocked at a PLC that won't take strings over the com port). Take a look at SICK barcode readers; they may have a model w/on-board I/O.

Regarding the inablility to Start you PIC driver: 1) Is your DF-1 driver configured and running? If so, stop the DF-1 driver, then attempt to restart the PIC driver. 2) If this is not the case, shut down RSLinx and open the RSLinx Launch Control Panel. Un-check "Always Run As A Service" and restart Linx. Configure and start the PIC driver. Shut down Linx and reopen the Launch Control Panel, select "Always Run As A Service" and restart Linx. As for the PanelView RS-232 port - once you have been able to get the PIC driver running and can upload/download to and from the PanelView, you can set the RS-232 port for "Downloads" in PanelBuilder 32 software, then download the new config to the Pview.