Steve Bailey
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Posts posted by Steve Bailey
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When you configure the DSM302 for analog operation (as opposed to digital), the module accepts a feedback signal from an incremental quadrature encoder and ouputs a +/- 10 VDC velocity command. You need to set up several tuning and scaling parameters in the configuration of the module. Once that's done, you need to perform a homing operation to get each axis to a known position. There are three %AQ addresses assigned to each axis. To command an axis to move to a specific position, you put the 32-bit value for the position into the upper two %AQ registers while loading the code for the type of motion into the first %AQ register. If your motion profile is repetitive, it might make sense to create a motion program and store it in the DSM302. If you do that, to run the stored program, you need only set one of the %Q bits assigned to the module. That's a quick overview. As always, the devil is in the details. -
Every year when we had our meeting to set goals and strategy, the GE Fanuc factory rep would come with all sorts of stats, including market share data. I don't know where they got the information, probably from some outfit that does market research. My guess is that if you wanted the same information , you'd have to pay for it. -
I agree that most of the wounds suffered in the process of switcing between different PLC brands are self-inflicted. They arise out of trying to force the new brand to behave like the brand you're accustomed to. -
I would guess that the dearth of GE questions is more a measure of their market share than their reliability and ease of use. They are reliable, but no more so than any of the major brands. Ease of use is a pretty subjective term. What's easy and intuitive to me may seem downright obscure to you. If you've been trained on one brand, and all of your experience has been with that brand, making the switch to another brand will be frustrating. I spent several years as an applications engineer for for a distributor of GE PLCs. According to the numbers we got from GE Fanuc, for the North American PLC market, AB has about a 40 percent share, with Schneider, GE Fanuc, Siemens Automation Direct and Omron in the high single-digits or low teens. I've been out of the distribution business for four years, so the stats may have changed, but I'm sure its still AB in first place by a substantial margin. -
Neither VersaPro nor Cimplicity (recently renamed Proficy) Machine Edition are going to help you with your Series Six PLCs. DOS based LM6 is as good as it will ever get for those PLCs. You should seriously consider a replacement strategy if you're planning to keep the machinery controlled by the Series Six PLCs in production. GE Fanuc is no longer manufacturing Series Six components. Parts are only available from third party suppliers. LM6 will not run on newer computers with an OS newer than NT. I keep an old computer with a 386 processor on hand to support my customers who still have Series Six. When that dies, I'm not sure what I'll do. If I'm lucky, I'll reach retirement age before the computer. -
Any Series Six communications through a CCM module is serial. The parallel interface is through the top 37-pin port on the I/O control module. That's the module just to the left of the power supply in the CPU rack. There was a parallel interface card for PCs, but it requires two full length ISA slots in your computer. There was also a Micro Channel version for the IBM PS2 computer. There are two versions of Logicmaster Six, one version for parallel communications, the other for serial communications. Yes, you can run run LM6 under WIN98. It won't run on NT. I've never tried it on ME or XP, but I don't expect it would run. Even under WIN98 or WIN95, I've had problems with Pentium processors. The most annoying is that if you attempt to use LM6 to check the directory for a list of LAD files, it will crash. I'm pretty sure you're right about not being able to do online edits with serial communications, but I believe that parallel is faster than serial. I never had any problems with the speed of updates when using parallel. -
The status bit %S0011 (OVR_PRE) is on whenever an override is active. In addition there is Service Request #18, but that only checks the %I and %Q tables for overrides. Unfortunately, there is no blanket "Clear all overrides" command. -
What GE calls the "Isolated 24 VDC supply" is the one that's available from the terminals of the 90-30's rack power supply. That's what I was referring to. If you let the smoke out of that supply, you also lose the 5 VDC backplane supply. I prefer to use an independent DC supply for the I/O, not the one provided by the PLC. -
You're loading that rack with some power hogs. The CPU364 uses 7.55 watts, and each DSM314 uses 4 watts. You should be using the high capacity power supply (IC693PWR330). It's still rated for 30 watts total from all three supplies, but the 5 VDC supply can handle the full 30 watts. In the case of the MDL645s, the software is assuming that you're going to power the inputs from the PLC's power supply. The 24 VDC isolated supply refers to the terminals on the power supply module. If you don't wire the inputs to it, the module won't draw from it, and you'll be OK. The same applies to the analog modules. Personally, I don't like using the isolated 24 VDC supply to power the inputs. If the field wiring gets compromised, and you draw excessive current from the supply, the 5VDC goes down also, and the PLC shuts down. -
When you say 'test the micro', do you mean that you want to verify that the hardware works properly or that you want to learn how to use the functions in the instruction set? With the software connected, you can check the inputs by wiring signals to them and watching to make sure that they show in the proper location in the input table. You can check outputs by moving to teach one in the output tables and hitting F12 to change state. If you're looking to practice your programming skills, contact me via email through this forum. I have some tools that may be helpful. -
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Are we talking about two different systems here? your initial post was about a Series 90 Micro, but now you're asking about a 90-30. To answer your question about the 90-30. The IC693CMM311 communications coprocessor module must be located in the same rack as the CPU module. It comes with a cable attached that gives you two independent serial ports. Each port can be configured to use either SNP, CCM, or RTU (Modbus) protocol. Port 2 can be configured as either RS232 or RS485, but port 1 is RS232 only. Yes, you can run two HMIs simultaneously. At one time, they warned you to limit the baud rate to 9600 when using both ports simultaneously, but I'm not sure if that's still an issue. One other point to be aware of. There are a four 90-30 models that don't have a separate CPU module. These are the five slot CPU311 or CPU313 and ten slot CPU321 and CPU323. These are not expandable, and they are also incompatible with the CMM311 module. -
The manual for the Series 90 Micro is publication number GFK-1065f and can be found at: http://www.geindustrial.com/cwc/gefanuc/su.../s90micro-m.htm The 15-pin serial port is RS485. You will need a converter to interface with your PC's COM port. There are a couple of converter models available, including the IC690ACC901, the IC200ACC415, or the Horner HE690SNPCBL. Contact your local distributor. The Series 90 Micro is a discontinued product line. It has been superceded by the VersaMax Micro/Nano line. Yes, I have experience programming the Series 90 Micro with both VersaPro and Logicmaster software. What specifically do you need help with? -
I responded at the Omron forum. Thanks for calling my attention to it. I might have missed it altogether, or overlooked it for a few days. -
Thanks for bringing this to my attention Jay, There are a number of possibilities for serial ports on a 90-30. Every 90-30 has an RS422 port on the power supply. Pinouts can be found in the manual GFK-0356q, available at the GE Fanuc website: http://www.geindustrial.com/cwc/gefanuc/su...sIO/s9030-m.htm CPU models CPU351, CPU352, and CPU363 each have two additional serial ports. One of these is identical to the 15 pin port on the power supply. The other is an RS232 port and uses an RJ11 connector. Pinouts are also in GFK-0356q. You can also install a serial communications module IC693CMM311. This has two ports (but only one 25-pin connector). One port can be either RS232 or RS422; the other port can only be RS232. Pinouts can be found in the manual GFK-0582d. The port on the power supply uses SNP protocol. All others can be configured to use either SNP, CMM or Modbus (RTU). -
Nope, it didn't work, but here's what does. Convert each block to IL and then back to LD. Before you can convert, you have to assign 8 Boolean addresses and 2 register addresses to hold temporary variables created during the conversion process. You have to set up the addresses for the conversion in each direction. You set up the conversion variables by clicking on the 'Edit' menu, then 'Properties', then 'Variable Table', then fill in the fields for both tabs ('Temporary Variables (IL)' and 'Conversion Variables (LD)') -
Set the options in VP on your computer to justify. Then create a new folder and select the option to base it on an existing VP folder. -
Fault table entries like that are exactly the sort of behavior you'd expect if the communications with the remote racks was going all squirrelly on you. To the CPU, lack of communications with the racks looks like all the modules in the rack disappeared. Are you using standard cables or did you make your own? If you made your own, how long are they? Is the terminating resistor in place at the last rack? This is a long shot, but check also to make sure the dip switch is set properly on the last rack. All racks come out of the box with the dip switches set for rack 1, so you shouldn't have to change anything on the rack that's closest to the CPU rack. You should have had to change the setting for the last rack. If any of the switches didn't get firmly seated in the correct position, machine vibration could open or close it, causing 'Loss of Module'/'Addition of Module' faults to show up. -
BobB, why are you still using Logicmaster? There are alternatives. rswolff001, what do you mean when you say you can't do "online programming" with older 90-30s? -
If you're working with a 90-70 or a PAC sytstems PLC, you can do indirect addressing. Replace the '%' symbol with the '@' symbol in the address for indirect. If you're using a 90-3, take a look at the ARRAY_SEARCH and ARRAY_MOVE instructions and see if they can't help you accomplish what you need to do. Aother overlooked feature of the programming software is its ability to select the next available address for each memory type. Take the analog inputs for an example. If you haven't used any %AI addresses in your program, when you're addressing an instruction, just type '%AI' instead of '%AI001'. The software keeps a pointer for the highest used address for each memory type, and it will select %AI001. The next time you do it, the software will bump the address to %AI002 for you. If you use the same trick when programming timers or counters, the software will automatically bump the %R address by three. -
The PRG100 will program the Junior. I believe Koyo stopped making the Junior when TI took over the product line back around 1989/1990. To the best of my knowledge, AD has never offered it. The manual is publication number GEK-90503. It's on the GE Fanuc 'Legacy Products' CD. You should be able to get one from your local GE Fanuc distributor. If you have a good relationship with him, he'll probably give you a copy of the CD. If not, contact me through this forum and I can email a copy to you. Be aware that it's a 25 meg file, and my ISP limits the size of attachments, so I'll have to send it in pieces. -
That MAX232 chip that the Seattle Robotics site talks about is the one inside my cable. The must be using the original MAX232 chip, because the capacitors are 10 uf. It looks like the 5 volt supply comes from the QP. Thanks Russ. I'm assuming you're the Russ from GLAS??? If you decide you want to try building one yourself, let me know and I'll reverse engineer the pinouts from the Mini-DIN to the IC and from the IC to 9-pin DSub for you. -
Since you're on a tight budget, it might be easier to build your own cable. Did you get manuals with your QP? Page 9 of the first chapter (Communications) of the manual (Communications User Manual, Publication number 800-1000-122) shows a generic description of the cable with a box labeled "TTL to RS232 Converter". I took the hood off my cable and the converter has the following numbers on it. MAXIM MAX232CPE 9942 It's a sixteen-pin IC. There are also five 10 microfarad capacitors on the circuit board. There has been much discussion on the Mitsubishi forum about the SC09 cable. I believe the SC09 is also an 8-pin Mini-DIN to 9-pin Dsub, but I don't know if the signal levels on the Mini-DIN end are TTL. You might try researching along those lines, although the cost of the SC09 appears to be the key factor driving much of the discussion. -
That cable contains a circuit that converts the TTL-level voltage on the QP port to RS232 standard. Its list price is $250, so $75 is a decent discount. They don't publish the details. You could try ebay. Somebody might be selling a QP and including the download cable. Do you have the Quick Designer software?
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