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I know for sure you can use A.I. software to program it, unless it is ancient. I'm pretty sure APS software would program it, too. And if you do decide to just scrap them, please let us know first. I'm sure several of us (myself included) would give you some $$ (or a like-value trade) for them. And you don't have to worry about buyer's remourse, we've all been told of the condition and none of us are foolish to install them on a mission-critical application!

(These are actually "M0" and "M1" files) They are the files used in the SLC 500 family of processors for block transfer functions with I/O and scanner modules that require it. Actually, the 5/03-5/05 processors with newer firmware have actual BTR/BTW instructions, so you don't have to directly manipulate the M files. You can find a pretty good description of the M files here: http://www.theautomationbookstore.com/idc/...um013_-en-p.pdf

groupwise.. that is the name of it

that's nothing new, lotus notes has been able to do that for many years. the netware one (can't recall its name) can do it too. of course, you can only cancel a sent email to someone that also is using lotus notes. once you send it out on the net to a yahoo account or whatever, it ain't coming back!

I'm surprised I hadn't heard that one, being that I'm from Detroit! Actually, people around here seem to percieve their work going to China mostly.

You may get an answer here, but in the meantime you might do well to find a Labview forum and post your query there.

get ready to grab your ankles if you buy it from TPC :)

kinda reminds me of the car's power source from "back to the future"!

Well the only part of it he could be making up is about PLCs and CNCs. And somebody must have coached him well, he knows his stuff! (Knows enough about the Chrysler AGVs that he must have spent some time in a chrysler plant)

Hadn't thought of that :) If he's a lurker here on MrPLC, I'm going to really be disturbed by all this :) Maybe I should ask him if he's got a panasonic toughbook!

true, but there's more A-B users in the western hemisphere :)

That is really sweet, but I don't expect to see one in an auto plant any time soon :)

I think this would be hard to answer without seeing the BASIC program. My guess would be that you'd have to modify the BASIC program somewhat, as well as the rungs of ladder in the PLC like you mentioned.

I was asked by someone on ebay if I had a 1747-L533. I told him I was pretty sure they never made a 5/03 greater than the L532. I was handed a big plate of crow and shown this document: http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/i...pp020_-en-p.pdf So is this something new? the document is dated 2007. I'm really surprised A-B would come out with a new 5/03, it was my thought that they were moving the SLC 500 platform toward retirement!

very interesting! I wonder how many SLC cards are out there, specific to this industry or that, that few people know about.

I guess what bothers me is that nowhere on the page they referenced does it say "DeviceNet". I don't think you can just assume that if it's CAN, it's DeviceNet. You should ask them if they've had any luck using their product in a DeviceNet network.

for sensors and low current outputs (lights, air valves, etc) 18 AWG is more than adequate. Remember that sensor cords are usually 22 AWG anyway! for everything else, let the load be your guide.

They've been warning people about that for several years :) It has been an option for activating software for a while now, I think they might be getting pretty close to making it the only option.

You need display size AND resolution. Like chacko said, you can fit a lot of dots onto a smaller screen, but then the dots are really small. You can put the same number of dots onto a larger surface, and they'll be easier to read. If you've got enough desk space, nothing beats a 21" CRT, IMHO. These days you can get them for cheap, too.

needless to say, you wouldn't be getting "official", "legal", etc. software that way. Hopefully that is completely obvious to everyone. My fear would be whether or not you'd even be getting the "non-OEM" software you're paying for!

Glad to here about any new development in the midwest. It sure hasn't been a good year up here in the "D"

Since you ask about ladder logic, let's take a step back. Ladder diagrams are a universally-understood description of a control circuit. You'd be hard-pressed to find an electrician anywhere that wouldn't recognize one. They're found everywhere from your household furnace, clothes dryer, etc. all the way up to the largest manufacturing line, from the oldest piece of electrical machinery to the newest. PLCs were introduced into the electrician's world, not the computer programmer's. So in order for them to gain acceptance and keep the learning curve (for plant electricians) short, they had to give them something close to what they were already comfortable with. Essentially, ladder logic is a computer simulation of an electrical ladder diagram. If you want to learn more, start by reading this: http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?autocom=downloads&showfile=156

Knowing base conversions is important to be sure, but it has been my observation that half to maybe three quarters of what makes a PLC programmer good are the same skills and knowledge that makes an electrician good. So how would you rate your electrical theory and troubleshooting skills? That's what you need to master first, IMHO. The next step is getting really good at using PCs. You should have some knowledge of a "conventional" programming language, like BASIC or Pascal or C. Once you've got that under your belt, you're ready to take a serious stab at industrial controls.

If the problem is strictly with upload/download to a PC, you can avoid the problem entirely by using a Flash ATA card in the PCMCIA slot on the back of the panelview. The PC recognizes the flash card just likw it would with a USB thumb drive. A nice benefit to this is it transfers the program MUCH faster than the serial port!

do they have a video regarding unauthorized quality checking of the final product :)